DFW Portable Layouts -- Mainline and Traction

[Rufus T. Firefly]

.............by searching all stores in my area on the HD website. I am not sure why they were but I am not complaining either.

I have noticed that more and more of the stuff that HD has for sale is not actually stocked at the store and has to be ordered either delivered to you or to the store for pick-up in a few days. I am fortunate to have a plethora of HD stores and a handful of Lowes in my immediate area.

[up148]

Love to see a club on the move with improvements happening.

Question: I've read that foam board can add to the noise level of a layout, although in a train show atmosphere it's almost a moot point. But, with this 2" foam have you noticed and increase in noise level over using other materials?

Foam certainly makes the modules lighter and that was always an issue when I was a member of of the KC O Scale Module group. Even in your 50's modules were a problems transporting and setting up. That group was aging and getting participation was always an issue too.

[bob turner]

I was unpleasantly startled to hear that my carefully hand-laid wood ties were significantly more noisy than Atlas plastic tie track.
Quietest track I ever "heard" was Milt Sorenson's - he used milled Tru-Scale glued to rubber outdoor rug. I don't think it is svailable any more, but it looked like weather stripping from the side - sort of porous.

[E7]

All that track noise is called "sound" for free.

[R.K. Maroon]

Our track is steel rail on wood ties on cork roadbed on foamboard. The shop has a linoleum floor and flat walls. It is definitely not quiet when trains are running, but how much of that is due to the method of layout construction and how much is due to the room and the presence of all those doorstops, I cannot say. I might care more if I was interested in rail sounds, but it's not really feasible for me, given the number and age of locomotives on the roster. I am not bothered by the sound and volume of model trains running in my shop. If I hear that sound, it means I am running trains.

To the point about weight of modules, this is a big deal to us. Having light-weight modules makes setting up and taking down the layout something of a pleasure instead of a chore. We prefer handling the modules with two people but they can be handled by just one person if we are shorthanded. Just as importantly, we move six at a time in wooden storage cases. Pushing those cases across the carpet at a convention center is a workout, to say nothing of pushing them up the ramp to get them in the trailer. The club used to have modules with a thick plywood deck. Glad we are not pushing those around these days.

Details: The bare frames with foam weigh a bit under eight pounds:



With track and ballast, the modules weigh between 13 and 16 pounds, depending on how much track there is on the module. The module shown here is one that we are replacing. The new ones weigh about the same amount:



Jim

[up148]

The noise questions was in regards to a home module set-up, at a club or show it is unimportant. Trying to get the grand kids interested in trains. They have a LEGO train around their Christmas tree, but as much as I try, I just can't get into LEGO trains.

We used to screw two modules together for storing and transporting back in the 90's and "chore" is an understatement. 2' x 6' modules and most came in around 40+ lbs. Way too heavy for me now.

I've seen photos of many lightweight modules over the decades, but I like yours a lot. What wood are you using for perimeter and cross members. What is the best method you've found for cutting this 2" thick foam board?

[robert.]

There is a group that brings a lego layout to the Oak's show. This is not them. Lego trains have evolved over the years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXlGyoyhrPo

[R.K. Maroon]

I've seen photos of many lightweight modules over the decades, but I like yours a lot. What wood are you using for perimeter and cross members. What is the best method you've found for cutting this 2" thick foam board?

I prefer to use poplar for the for sides of the frames. Aspen was used for one of the long, straight side of the end loop modules, but only because poplar was out of stock in the size we needed and we had a schedule to meet. I recall that aspen is a little bit lighter and a little bit softer than poplar, but we have had no problems with those modules. Still, poplar just feels like the right material. It is knot free and is easy to work with in regards to sawing, drilling, gluing, and painting. It is sold with a smooth finish in two foot and four foot lengths, which is very convenient when you are making 2'x4' modules. It is available readily at Home Depot and Lowes (at least here in Dallas). I generally have to pick through the stock to find straight pieces. For this project, I had to visit three different stores to find enough straight wood for six modules, but this was well worth the effort. The pieces are usually dimensionally accurate but I recommend checking each piece carefully. I buy a few extra pieces in case I make a mistake (which, yes, does happen) or to cover me if I find a flaw in a piece only after I get to the shop and start working on the modules (that happens too).

As to cutting foam board: In the past I would use a sawzall (also known as a tiger saw). It is easy to control but does make a mess. This time somebody on the team suggested we try a box cutter. That would not be all that practical but a couple of years ago I found this bad boy at the big box store:





The pencil is shown for relative size. This thing works great. You push out the blade just a bit for the first cut, then extend it for subsequent passes. A fresh blade is long enough to cut all the way through. It takes about four or five passes -- trying to cut too deep on any one pass tends to gum things up and pull out the foam instead of cutting it.

You get four decks, each a little less than 2'x4', from a 4'x8' sheet. We cut the long sides a little bit wide and then finish and square them on a table saw. This is the way to go -- it's fast and accurate and you get only a small amount of pink sawdust:



As seen, after we cut the decks we mark the back side for the areas to be routed. That's the next step, so I will report back after we get that done.

Jim

[up148]

Thanks Jim. The wood looked clean, light and strong and definitely not pine. I've purchased poplar at the big box stores for other projects and it is good hobby material. I also have an extendable razor knife too, so that sound like a plan. I look forward to seeing the continuation of this build.

Just learn OKC as an O scale club in a dedicated building they share with the local HO club. They're building a new layout, so I'll be visiting soon. The majority of my trains have never been run and I'd like a chance to do that before I move on.

Butch

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Neatly done! Good demonstration of advance planning with the labeling action.

[gregj410]

I put down a piece of 2” foam over a piece of particle board for my little on30 layout. I like the idea of being able to carve out sections for streams, ditches, and valleys.

[up148]

I put down a piece of 2” foam over a piece of particle board for my little on30 layout. I like the idea of being able to carve out sections for streams, ditches, and valleys.

I agree with that. I used Homasote for a HO module 40+ years ago and was able to easily carve out in between tracks and other areas to represent low areas and bogs. Made the module much more realistic looking even without scenery.

[R.K. Maroon]

Just learned that OKC has an O scale club in a dedicated building they share with the local HO club. They're building a new layout, so I'll be visiting soon.

Here is a link to the website for the Oklahoma Model Railroad Museum: https://www.omratrains.org/

This is a big deal. A couple of O-scalers with deep pockets bought a good size, two-story building originally built as a non-profit for artist studios. The owner/seller of the building wanted to keep it as a non-profit space and, from what I understand, made an attractive deal to the buyers, who then formed the museum as the host non-profit. The museum made a deal with a local HO club to move and adapt their layout into one side of the first floor (the building has a central staircase and elevator shaft). The other half of the first floor was storage and workshop the last time I was there. The O-scale group took the entire second floor. It is a big space. The layout diagram is here: https://www.omratrains.org/o-layout.

It is a very ambitious project. It is a D&RGW-themed layout, with many of the famous places of the railroad recreated. Standard and narrow gauge operations are both modeled, along with some dual-gauge trackage (very cool). The layout is multi-level, with some track at "kid's eye level", some at regular height, and some of the narrow-gauge trackage at elevated mountain level. The track plan does not really give you a sense of just how vertically dense this layout is -- it is a very ambitious project.

I was there last in October of last year, and the club had and a good bit of the benchwork and trackwork done and the mainline operational. They have a good work crew, so I imagine that it is quite further along at this point.

The majority of my trains have never been run and I'd like a chance to do that before I move on.

If you ever arrange for a visit, let me know. If I can get away, I'll come up and take some photos and video. Of course, you are always welcome to visit us in Dallas anytime too.

Jim

[up148]

Thanks Jim. This is information not posted on their website and interesting to know. I wondered how they came about to own the building and now I know. Yes, the layout looks "very" ambitious and hopefully they haven't over extended as that can be a fatal mistake. I have no idea how many members or how active the members are, but it takes a lot of time, people and talent to complete a layout like this. I was invited to come by this Sunday, but have a granddaughter birthday party to attend and to be honest I think this month is out for me. But, unless the club isn't what I hope it will be, I'm going to join. Club's can be very political and that can ruin it.

I'll keep you posted and maybe we can meet up.

Butch

[De Bruin]

Be worth your while Butch, both the OKC and DFWOSM are great clubs with interesting layouts .