Ok I did it, I Started it over

[f1_indy2000]

It took a couple of months of thinking about before I did it and I felt the time was right last weekend when I tore down my old railroad. It was such a nice work of art that was full of headaches. My new plan is to create a shelf layout that runs along the wall. So my question(s) are where can I find or can some of you give me some tips on doing the bench work. I imagined I would mount a 2X6 or 2X4 to my cenderblock wall as a foundation of the bench and then make angled braces to that would butt up to the wall to hold the table up against the wall? I'm thinking that would do away with legs? I don't know is there a better way to construct a shelf layout? I'm thinking the widest I would go off the wall is 24inches. Also have been thinking about using foam for the table top on this new railroad, but fear if I glue down the tracks how do I make corrections to the track if I have radius problems after the track is glued down? Thanks
Mike

 

[Beachbum]

I use cheap metal shelf brackets - no framing carpentry needed. However, I use extruded (pink) foam and / or hollow core doors for benchwork. If you use heavy plywood, you might need something more heavy duty.

If you use a latex caulk for gluing down track, you can make corrections without too much problem.

 

[f1_indy2000]

I use cheap metal shelf brackets - no framing carpentry needed. However, I use extruded (pink) foam for benchwork. If you use heavy plywood, you might need something more heavy duty.

I see if I use the foam I wouldn't need to go overboard with making a lumber shelf. And the metal shelf brackets are relativily easy to mount, rather than having to level a long piece of wood up against the wall with only two hands.

However, how did you go about laying your track to the foam and how do you make corrections if needed? That was a constant thing about my last railroad was my radius would work for six axel engines, but I had some four axel engines that would just jump for no reason so I could lift the nail and tweak the rails a little here and there to get it right. I worry if its glued down then I'm stuck with whats there, I guess I'm just a little confused?

 

[f1_indy2000]

I guess I should have mentioned this is HO scale I'm working with. I'm pretty excited about making a new railroad, but want to take my time doing it, but at the same time I'm dying without my trains

 

[Rico]

If possible I'd finish the walls off first with studs and drywall or whatever.
Otherwise the shelf bracket thing is fine. I use 3/4 plywood ripped into 3" strips for framing. Little to no warpage compared to dimensional lumber.
I just started adding the last phase to my layout, a 4" shelf that will grow out to 7" at staging. It is a series of long ply frames boxes that styrofoam can be added to. The 3" depth allows you to cut down an inch or so for scenery such as ditches, creeks, etc.
Don't you love starting over with fresh ideas? I do!

 

[f1_indy2000]

If possible I'd finish the walls off first with studs and drywall or whatever.
Otherwise the shelf bracket thing is fine. I use 3/4 plywood ripped into 3" strips for framing. Little to no warpage compared to dimensional lumber.
I just started adding the last phase to my layout, a 4" shelf that will grow out to 7" at staging. It is a series of long ply frames boxes that styrofoam can be added to. The 3" depth allows you to cut down an inch or so for scenery such as ditches, creeks, etc.
Don't you love starting over with fresh ideas? I do!

Yes I do really enjoy the ideas since I haven't started building. I just have a plan drawn on paper and in minds eyes sees this wonderfully built railroad, but I bet that what all of our minds eyes see, HA

 

[Beachbum]

However, how did you go about laying your track to the foam and how do you make corrections if needed? That was a constant thing about my last railroad was my radius would work for six axel engines, but I had some four axel engines that would just jump for no reason so I could lift the nail and tweak the rails a little here and there to get it right. I worry if its glued down then I'm stuck with whats there, I guess I'm just a little confused?

If you use a thin layer of caulk (lay a bead and then spread it out with a putty knife), you can use a putty knife to gently pry up the track and readjust it.

I have both HO and N layouts on foam benchwork. I use cork roadbed for HO and WS foam roadbed in N. I use caulk to lay the roadbed after I draw the trackline on the foam, then I use caulk again to adhere the track to the roadbed. Just make sure it's a latex caulk so it doesn't attack the foam.