Old gal, first layout!

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


DBest

New Member
I have dabbled in model railroading for a great many years, mostly scratch-building structures, detailing rolling stock, but never had space for a descent layout. I remodelled the second floor of my story-and-a-half over the last few years and now I have space so I have started planning a layout. It will be a U shape, 15 feet wide, 5 foot wide 'legs', and 16 feet long. One leg of the U will be a mountain logging railroad with an interchange to a 'main line' railroad and the other leg will be more "developed" and include a lumber mill.

I am planning to use a lattice-work bench with risers and a plywood sub-roadbed with wire/plaster landscaping for the mountain section (so I can easily access the underside of the layout). There will be an 18" rise on the mountain lines and I would like to use a "bendable" material for the sub-roadbed to make smooth elevation changes and was wondering is 1/4" plywood would be sufficiently strong with 16" riser spacing?

I figured on using cork for the roadbed but would like to blend it with the scenery structure so it doesn't show - it is a logging road after all and they were usually laid directly on the ground. On the other hand, I want to be running trains long before the scenery is done! (I am old and don't know how many years I will have to work on this LOL!) Any suggestions?

Thanks gang! I look forward to replies.
 

santafewillie

Same Ol' Buzzard
Good Morning and welcome to the forum, the friendliest one on the net. A question to ponder...will you have access on both sides of the 5' wide legs? Normal comfortable human reach is about 32", so keep that in mind. An 18" rise from the interchange on the mountain line is also pretty aggressive. A 4% rise in grade is not unusual for mountain layouts but trains will have to be short and the engines will have to be carefully selected. In order to rise 18" at 4%, you would need 36' of track, plus about 3' for a transition at each end. Otherwise the abrupt grade changes will invariably cause uncoupling. You have the room if you plan well. 1/4" plywood should be sufficient but I would use 12" spacing on the risers. Consider using "N" scale cork roadbed to keep the level of the RR lower. I use it for sidings and I don't split it and just let the ballast form its own contour. I actually use cardboard strips cut from cereal type boxes for roadbed at some trackside industries to maintain an even lower profile. I don't model mountains or I would never finish the layout!
Ask away, as we say, the only dumb question is the one that you don't ask!
Again, welcome. If you feel like just shooting the bull and getting to know some members, come visit us in the "Running Bear's Coffee Shop". We talk anything except religion or politics (well occasionally) and you're certainly welcome. We need more young gals here!

Willie
 

DBest

New Member
No, I wont have access to both sides of the 5' wide legs but they will be against a wall where the ceiling has a 45 degree slope. Aside from some tracks in tunnels at the back side of the layout the visible part of the layout will only be about 1/2 that depth or 2.5'

To do the climb up the mountain, I have 194" in length to work with. Using a 3-leg switch-back, all the slopes are 5% or below.

Thanks for the comments SantaFe.
 

Rico

BN Modeller
It sounds like you've done some research!
Like Willie sez 1/4 ply would be better with 12" risers.
I use N scale cork on sidings and yards on my Ho layout with no problems and I like the way ties stick out like on the prototype too.
Keep us posted on the progress!
 

Selector

Well-Known Member
I have dabbled in model railroading for a great many years, mostly scratch-building structures, detailing rolling stock, but never had space for a descent layout. I remodelled the second floor of my story-and-a-half over the last few years and now I have space so I have started planning a layout. It will be a U shape, 15 feet wide, 5 foot wide 'legs', and 16 feet long. One leg of the U will be a mountain logging railroad with an interchange to a 'main line' railroad and the other leg will be more "developed" and include a lumber mill.

I am planning to use a lattice-work bench with risers and a plywood sub-roadbed with wire/plaster landscaping for the mountain section (so I can easily access the underside of the layout). There will be an 18" rise on the mountain lines and I would like to use a "bendable" material for the sub-roadbed to make smooth elevation changes and was wondering is 1/4" plywood would be sufficiently strong with 16" riser spacing?

I figured on using cork for the roadbed but would like to blend it with the scenery structure so it doesn't show - it is a logging road after all and they were usually laid directly on the ground. On the other hand, I want to be running trains long before the scenery is done! (I am old and don't know how many years I will have to work on this LOL!) Any suggestions?

Thanks gang! I look forward to replies.

One quarter inch ply would be strong enough with a span between lower anchor point and the first riser INTO a curve where the lower end is held level with a few screws driven through it and the upper end is held on a riser about 14-15 inches distant. The key is that the 1/4" ply must be flexed to form your transition curve into the grade. In flexing it for the transition, you impart some rigidity into it. You'll need room to do this at the top where you level out again....both take up space, and the steeper your grade, the worse it gets because you need a longer transition. Between risers, where you just have a consistent grade between them, I would also not recommend spans greater than about 10".

For your logging tracks, why have cork roadbed at all? I would simply have a plywood sub-roadbed and use acrylic caulk do adhered the tracks directly. Sprinkle 'dirt' and mud and make it look less like a ballasted short line or industrial track, and make it more the temporary expedient tracks you might see. Just a suggestion. (I would not lay all that cork just to cover it up for a back-woods track network unless the runs were long and tonnages very heavy...and traffic as well.)
 




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)


ModelRailroadForums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

RailroadBookstore.com - An online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books. Railroad pictorials, railroad history, steam locomotives, passenger trains, modern railroading. Hundreds of titles available, most at discount prices! We also have a video and children's book section.

ModelRailroadBookstore.com - An online model railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used books. Layout design, track plans, scenery and structure building, wiring, DCC, Tinplate, Toy Trains, Price Guides and more.

Top