Using a chop saw, cut the strips of plywood to form your stringers.
	Using a level, mount the first plywood strip to the studs.
	Drive screws into brace blocks at the each corner of the stringer so that you can mount them to form the framework.
	Drive screws into the brace blocks from the front and rear strips to form your box framework.
	On bare stud walls, mount the lower part of the brace with screws at about 45 degrees.
	Make sure that the stringer is level, then using screws, secure it to the brace.
	The lower part of the brace for walls that are drywalled or paneled will need to be cut at 45 degrees and a brace block added to allow it to be screwed to the wall.
	A simple straight roadbed tool made from scrap plywood.
	A simple trammel made from scrap plywood with holes drilled at common radii. Secure the “0” mark and swing the trammel to mark your curve.
	Close up of the trammel showing the marks for the track edge and center lines.
	Sub roadbed attached to a riser.

By Ian MacMillan/Photos by the author
Originally published May 20, 2007

John Armstrong I am not, so I won’t bore you with what I think are acceptable track planning practices, which in all reality I would probably just be making up. So assuming you have already worked out a track plan, we’ll get down to building some benchwork and sub-roadbed.

There are several methods on building benchwork for your layout, but most are unnecessarily bulky, overbuilt, and just plain archaic. Back in the days when you planned a large layout with scenes as deep as 5 or 6 feet, it made sense to build a layout that could support the weight of the builder, just in case later on they had to crawl back there for scenery or rerail a train. However, linear layouts and modular layouts are now more popular, and do not need the heft of older and accepted building practices.

When I began looking at all the benchwork that would need to be built for my new Amoskeag Northern layout, I knew that it was going to be expensive using typical L-girder construction with 1x4’s and 2x4’s and there would be no need to build to support my weight. After viewing some modules at a local train show that were constructed out of plywood, and feeling how light and rigid they were, decided that I would use plywood construction on the layout.

Main Factor: Price

Since this is going to be a permanent layout built in a room specifically designed for it, weight of the layout really wasn’t number one on my concern list, but there is always the chance that we may move several years down the road. Price of materials was my main concern. The typical non-cabinet grade 1x4 found at the local home centers here will run you about $1.50 to $2.00 each, while a .5” sheet of plywood runs about $10. A 4’x8’ sheet of sub-floor-grade plywood would provide about 16, 3” boards 8’ long, at a cost of $.62 each, a significant cost savings. Considering that I could cut my costs in half and that in some instances the plywood would be stronger that traditional lumber I decided that it was worth a shot.

Start cutting away.

Having a table saw, I opted to take the sheets whole in my truck, and cut them into the 3.5” strips at home. If you are unable to take the full sheets, the home center can cut them for you, and may charge a nominal fee.

Set the rip fence on your saw to 3.5”, and make sure the blade guard is properly installed. Place sawhorses on the out feed of the saw, or have a friend help you by holding up the plywood as you push it through. This helps to keep cuts straight, and from binding the saw. Gently push the plywood through lengthwise, repeating until you have cut the entire sheet.

Now take a couple of the boards that you cut and measure them out to make the stringers to form a box for your benchwork, making sure to cut them 1” shorter than the depth of the section of layout you are working on. I prefer to cut these on an as needed basis instead of en masse-producing them, so I can tailor them to the depth of the section I am working on (Figure 1). Using a chop saw, or your table saw, cut a 2x4 into 3” long blocks. These blocks will be used as the braces for the corners and stringers of the benchwork. If your home center carries 2x2’s (ours don’t for some reason) you may prefer to use those, or even rip the 2x4 in half.

Start hanging some benchwork

To begin installing the benchwork start by determining how high you want you benchwork to be and mark a line on the wall at that height. Your base benchwork should be as level as you can get it, and an auto-leveling laser will make this much easier. I use a Black & Decker model. I set the laser on the wall a few feet over from where I’m working, and used the included drywall anchor to mount it at the height of the benchwork. With the laser line projecting along the wall, mount your first plywood strip, leveling it along the line, and drive two 2.5” drywall screws through the strip into each stud along the wall (Figure 2).

Next take a stringer, and two of the brace blocks that you cut. Place the braces on a table, and place the stringer on top, making sure they are flush at the edges. Drive 1.5” drywall screws through the stringer and into the brace blocks (Figure 3). Continue by making three of these, one for each end, and one for the middle. Install the stringers on the ends and the middle, checking to make sure they are plumb, and drive 3” drywall screws through the brace block, into the stringer that you mounted to the wall (Figure 4). It is nice to drive into a stud, but it is not required.

Now you will need to make some braces to keep the bench work from sagging due to its own weight, and to keep it from shifting. I have two types of walls in my layout room, the perimeter walls (which are finished drywall), and interior walls (which are bare stud construction). For the interior walls, a 4’ long section and using 2” drywall screws, mount the brace on a wall stud (Figure 5). Using a small level, place it on the stringer, and raise it until level, and clamp it to the brace. Check once again with the level, and then drive 1” screws through the stringer to into the brace, and repeat with the braces (Figure 6). For walls that are finished with drywall, I pretty much follow the same steps, except for the bottom of the brace that meets the wall. I cut the bottom at a 45 degree angle on my chop saw and then add a 4” brace block as shown in Figure 7. This brace allows me to secure the bottom to a stud, or drywall anchors (Figure 7).

With you first section hung, you can now continue along down the room, customizing the size of the boxes to fit your requirements. When you come to a corner you can chose to butt the boxes together, or like in my case you can curve the outside edge. While curving the outside edge requires more effort, it is worth it in looks in the long run.

Making Sub Roadbed

Now that you have all of your basic benchwork up, you can start installing your sub roadbed. I prefer to use custom cut .5” plywood as it is cheaper than the pre-made foam sub-roadbed that Woodland Scenics offers, is easier to make grades, and is just as lightweight.

Other than your basic woodworking tools, you will want to create three additional tools that you will be using frequently when making your own sub roadbed. The first is a “straight tool” that I made out of ½.5” plywood 3’ long and 2” wide (Figure 8). The second is a trammel to help you craw arcs for curves. While you can buy one, I made mine out of 1.5” wide ½ plywood at 40” long (Figure 9). I drilled holes at “0” inches so that I could insert a screw, and then drilled holes measured from my “0” mark at common radii that I would be using on the layout. Make sure to make the drill holes just wide enough to fit a pen or marker. I also drilled holes 1” on each side of my radii marks so that I could draw the edge of the sub roadbed and marked them “TE” for Track Edge” (Figure 10). The thirds tool you will need to create is a “easement stick”. This thin 3’ piece of wood is used to make gentile natural easements from straight sections to curved sections. This helps to make the sub roadbed and track flow better, and trains look more realistic.

Working one section at a time, refer to your track plan, or use paper templates to make sure you’re your track plan fits your benchwork. From a sheet of .5” plywood use the tools to draw out the sections of roadbed that you need, trying to use as much of the sheet as possible to reduce waste, then using a jig saw, cut out your sections from the sheet. For yards or towns with more than mainline trackage, I like to cut a section of plywood to cover the entire area, as it makes things easier.

Once you have all of your sections that you need cut, you can start assembling them on the layout. Using 1x4 lumber or .5” lumber make risers that you can mount to your benchwork. Test the set up by securing the risers to the benchwork with c-clamps and placing the sub roadbed on the risers. Check the alignment for obstructions and grade, securing the risers to the benchwork as everything checks out. Use just enough risers to support the sub roadbed to keep it from sagging. Using 2’ brads and wood glue, secure the sub roadbed to the risers, making sure to sink the brads to keep the surface smooth for your final roadbed. Once everything is the way you like it, add your choice of roadbed, be it cork, Homosote®, milled pine, or nothing at all (Figure 11).

Installing Track

Next time we will be installing hand laid track to Proto:87 standards, including scale tie plates, joint bars, and switch hardware which will produce some very realistic track for our trains.

About the Author
A Network Administrator by education, and a Dispatcher/Police Officer by trade, Ian MacMillan has been involved in model railroading for over 15 years. After a brief stint in N scale he has returned to HO to build his free-lanced Amoskeag Northern Railroad. Ian lives in East Wakefield, New Hampshire with his wife Tabatha and his two children. When not working on his layout he enjoys working on his Woodings speeder, and his website.