Drywall board as layout base?

[Matthew Ginkel]

Can drywall board be used for a layout, my dad has a ton left over in the basement from when we finsed part of it off for my grandma.

[Paul W.]

You will want to stay away from that. It will warp if not supported extremely well. You will also have a very messy work area to try and landscape.
Go with something like foam board or homasote, you can get them at your local building supply store.

[LD303]

ditto what paul said...plus, if you get sheetrock wet, like when youre landscaping, it will start to crumble, crack and come apart when it dries.
   

[lanny]

I agree with what Paul and LD303 cautioned about the use of sheetrock. However I also remember that Gene  (Seam Gene) had mentioned the possibility of using in in the layout he is building.

If he did, perhaps he can share some of his personal experience with what he found when using it.

I don't think, unless you take a lot of time to seal it, sheet rock is very good for scenery, and certainly doesn't seem to me to be very strong, though its very heavy.

lanny nicolet

[rogertra]

For goodness sake, NO!

It's not structurally stable when horizontal, the slighest pressure and it will snap or crack, it doesn't hold screws, it's dusty, it's, it's it's just not suitable.

1/2 or 3/4 ply supported on a minimum of 24" centres is probably the best bet.

Some people use 2" or 3" foam but I have my doubts about using it.

[pdlethbridge]

I currently have 1/2" homasote on 7/16 ply supported every 16". don't use anything less than 1" x 4" to support that ply and homasote. I find that the homasote holds track nails very well and it can be cut with an sharp xacto knive. Several passes might be needed to complete the cut but its much better that having the dust from a sabersaw. It makes the trains run quiet like cork.

[SteamGene]

I elected to not use drywall, however a friend uses it, among other things, for subroadbed.  That said, his layout is, while large, on one level so everything is supported by plywood and heavy benchwork. 
I'm not sure if he has tried to scenic anything on the drywall section.   I would assume he'd waterproof it first.
Gene
(BTW, can anybody find the supposed grammatical error?) 

[Stephen D. Richards]

I elected to not use drywall, however a friend uses it, among other things, for subroadbed.  That said, his layout is, while large, on one level so everything is supported by plywood and heavy benchwork. 
I'm not sure if he has tried to scenic anything on the drywall section.   I would assume he'd waterproof it first.
Gene
(BTW, can anybody find the supposed grammatical error?) 

"subroadbed"?

[SteamGene]

Nope.  If that be an error, it is in spelling.
Gene

[rogertra]

"Subroadbed" is neither a grammatical nor even a spelling error.

[SteamGene]

Which is why I used the subjunctive mood. 
Gene

[Stephen D. Richards]

Absolutly!  I would have place a hyphien in there!  I stand corrected, I looked it up!  lol     Stephen