Foam

[ilikeconrail]

I'm looking for some foam and I don't know witch type to buy my lay out is 12' 6" X 5' 3" Its bochmann ez track  a double loop with left and right cross over turn outs and I'm planning to have a 3ed loop so it will be wider. Also am planning to have hills and tunnels. Also How thick should it be I was thinking 2" but I think it's a bit over.

[Dieselman]

I used the pick insulation board from Home Depot. It comes in 4'x8' sheets and is 3/4" thick

[jbrock27]

It can also be found @ LOWES and HOME DEPOT in 1", and 2" thickness, depending on what part of the country you are in.  They can come in 4' by 8' and 2' by 8' sections.

ILC, do you keep referring to Bachmann as "Bochmann" on purpose?  I've seen this term used on other boards and it's meant as a slight.

[BIG BEAR]

ILC,
  I have seen layouts purposely use the 2 in. foam to have enough room to carve out streams/rivers and also lakes. Just fill with blue water filler from woodland etc. and looks great leaving enough room for rocks along river edge and cut at a long bevel edge for beach sand at the lakes.
  Good luck with what ever you choose.

   Enjoy,
      Barry

[Doneldon]

conrail-

You can use either pink or blue extruded foam insulation. The two-inch stuff will allow you to put things like ditches and water features below track level which can add a lot of realism. It's also rigid enough that you can build a lightweight frame, saving both some money and a sore back. You can find instructions for the so-called L-girder framing on this site, in Model Railroader magazine, in model railroading books and probably on You Tube. Stay away from the white foam, however. It isn't very strong and it cannot be cut without making an unholy mess.

Be careful about making your layout more than five feet wide. You can only reach in about 30 inches from the edge before you start to wreck things along the edges. A 24-inch maximum reach is a better standard. Of course, you can have a wider layout if you have no tracks in the middle to reach or if you build access hatches so you can pop up inside the layout to fix derailments, add details or whatever.

I have two other cautions for you: First, don't be in too big of a hurry to build your layout. It sounds like you haven't settled on a track plan yet so it's really too early to lay track other than some temporary ovals so you can enjoy a few trains while you are in the planning stage. Reusing track which has been fixed in position and maybe cut to custom lengths isn't easy and it will likely mean some waste. Be sure you know where you want things like terrain and water features because these are a lot of work -- work that requires demolition as a first step -- after you have already built part or all of your layout.

Second, think about building your layout around the walls of your layout room rather than on a table in the middle. You must have quite a large area for your railroad if you are contemplating 12'6" x 5'3". Allowing for 30 inches all around (24 inches will work but 30 inches is much better) your layout space must be on the order of at least 17' x 10'. That's large enough that you can have a terrific layout around the edges, and even a peninsula or two into the middle. Such a layout offers more actual layout space, easier access to the whole layout, longer mainlines so you don't have the tail of a train in one town while its front sits in the next town down the line, easier multi-crew operations, more dramatic scenery, (probably) gentler grades, space for the industries and towns which are the reasons for the railroad in the first place, broader curves which can comfortably handle long equipment and a bunch of other minor advantages. For example, the extra area can allow you to add space-hungry features like yards and a major engine terminal which often overwhelm a smaller layout on a table.

These are just things to think about before you start building. It's your railroad, not mine though, so you have all of the decision power to build as you see fit. Whatever you decide, enjoy yourself and please keep us up to date on your progress.
                                                                                                                                                                              -- D

[ilikeconrail]

I have for sure the plan to be double loop with the cross overs and the middle of my layout is clear so the pop in the middle idea works but surround the walls won't work I don't think I gonna keep this forever and I can't take it down easily on walls but ya 2" sounds good just gotta wait till I get a dog soon so then I gotta get my layout set up. And I'll work with it. Thanks

[electrical whiz kid]

On the subject of foam:  I am doing a snap floor" and am using this foil-faced foam as an underlay.  I also noticed some straight foam which looks like about 1/8" thick and the thought about using this under cork roadbed-or just under the track-work-has anyone else entertained this notion?
Rich C.   

[Doneldon]

Rich-

The foil-backed foam should work just fine. You can use it under cork or on its own. It can serve as a step-down roadbed for secondary lines or passing sidings. It's pretty good for sound control.
                                                                        -- D