Well I am certainly new...may need some help.

[Mr James]

The closest I have ever been to trains was in traffic, waiting for them to FINALLY cross!! My son is very interested (thanks to Thomas and all his friends) in model trains now. He has just about every wooden and plastic set out there. So I have decided to climb on board and move up a notch, because it looks fun for me too. I love the technical stuff!! We have a local club nearby, as well as a local store, so I have some local help. In this small town, that train store is indeed a needle in a haystack. Ok, enough jabbering.

I have an 11' 4" span in the basement I can use. I can go as wide as 4' or 6'. I understand about reaching distances. It has taken at least a month or two to research what sort of layout I want. It isn't done yet, but getting close. I work on a CAD system in my job, so my friend and I are building the layout there, calculating elevations and such. Also using some of the online software to calculate what sort of track I will need.

I plan on picking up some lumber today to start the table. Maybe some 4" foam too, if they have it available. The stand will be out of 1" x 4"'s. Do you think this will suffice?? Should I use plywood for the base of the table and attach the foam to it??

 

[Trucula]

4 inch foam??...Wow!!! I only saw 2" available from a store...all the thick stuff was in industry..And Yes I'd use plywood if your in a basement..The foam could warp in damp areas after a while with any amount of weight on it....Even thin plywood will if you don't space the X-supports close enough. Sounds like your not only jumping in with both feet, Your diving in head first!!!...Plan carefully!...Keep us informed of your project!!

 

[cg51]

For your framing 1x4 stock is plenty strong enough, use 1 5/8 square head screws only (no nails!!!) and place your cross supports on a 16" centers, also you will need to pre drill the wood near the ends to avoid splitting it. For the plywood use nothing less than 1/2". Hope this helps

 

[Mr James]

Maybe thin plywood is a good idea. Could always move it if absolutely necessary I guess. Both feet for sure. Already purchased some (train) cars and looking to get an engine soon. Plan to run DCC using an NCE controller. Code 100 on mains and possibly code 80 on spurs and (the other things I can't think of their official names)....

As far as the foam, I was thinking of the foam we use at work for projects which is 4" thick. Got my foam mixed up. Maybe some 2" foam stacked to achieve 4" where needed.

I will be taking my time for sure, but I still see rebuilds into the future. I can't believe I would get it right the first time or not want to upgrade as I go. BUT, I am looking forward to the journey.

I'll post pics as I go.

 

[jbaakko]

Thin plywood will warp faster then any foam will! If you use plywood, buy THICKER! 4" of foam on its own will suffice, however, if your child is still young you might want to use a very robust framing system.

 

[latenttrainfan]

I learn something new everytime I visit this board!

What's the foam for?

 

[Selector]

A couple of things. Generally, you won't need, or want, thick plywood and thick extruded foam. One is sufficient without the other in most instances...most, not all.

As a general rule, the thicker the plywood, the more integral a part it takes in the overall structure. Actually, it's the other way around...the more important it is to the overall plan for the framework, the thicker it should probably be. The same is true of the foam.

Both stiffen markedly with thickness. For example, the difference in stiffness between 1" foam and 2" foam is amazing. In fact, because the 2" foam is so stiff and robust, any plywood you would want around it would have only two functions: an under-surface for ease of mounting switch machines and wiring, or around its preriphery to act as a protective cover from belt buckles, small kids' sharp fingernails, and so on. Using 1/2" plywood around already strong 2" foam is gross overkill. You'd be better of with 1/8" mahogany finishing wallboard, luan, masonite, or doorskin to use as a protective "skin" for the foam's edges. All you need otherwise is an open 1X4" frame with joists every 14"-20" all held against gravity on legs with a couple of braces.

 

[UP2CSX]

LTF, the foam serves several purposes. It gives you a smooth surface for track laying and is an ideal material to use with latex caulk to secure the track. The biggest advantage is that you've got a carvable surface to be able add streams, ditches, and other natural features without having cut plywood and use screen cloth and plaster to fill in. You can also glue more pieces of foam on top of the bottom layer and make hills, mountains, and tunnels with far less mess that traditional methods. Since foam is so easy to carve, you can get things in the exact shape and angle you want and see how it looks before you apply scenery. You can even do a fair amount of this right at your work bench rather than having to mask off everything on the layout to avoid slopping plaster and paint on existing track or scenery. With screen cloth and plaster (or masking tape and plaster cloth), the exact shape is always hard to get right since things change as the plaster dries and shrinks. Having built layouts with both methods, I would never use anything but foam again.

 

[latenttrainfan]

thanks, UP2! it all makes sense.

good thing I haven't started yet. but I'm reading, listening, and learning. I want to make the least number of mistakes possible.

now you guys are all laughing hysterically!

 

[UP2CSX]

LTF, there's a well known formula to estimate the number of mistakes you will make. Take the square footage of your layout and multiply by the total amount of money you are going to spend, using the proforma of $100 per square foot. Now multiply the total by Pi and divide by the number of power tools you expect use building the layout. The result will be the total number of mistakes you will make. This doesn't include actual injuries like lacerations and puncture wounds. Reading all the threads here will reduce your total mistake load by half.