Union Project: Benchwork for an N Scale Layout with Hidden Staging

Welcome back to The Union Project. In this episode, I'll review how I built my cookie cutter bench work for my brand new passenger themed layout, Union. Let's get started. In the last episode, I introduced my new layout, a 17 foot long passenger themed model railroad based on the commuter services of GO Transit and Via Rail, located at Toronto's Union Station. The track plan is straightforward, with an upper deck dedicated to operations and rail fanning, and the lower level serving as a hidden staging yard. The combined track work between the upper and lower level is dense, so I built the bench work in a cookie cutter style, rather than open girders and splines. I wanted to future proof the layout, so I designed the bench work in two parts, an east and west section that can be separated if the layout ever needs to be moved. Working on a layout of this size and complexity is new to me, so I've tried to design the bench work using best practices, but ultimately I'm doing everything based on my best guesses. Based on this design, I calculated that I would need four sheets of plywood to construct the frame and the two decks. I had initially wanted to use dimensional lumber, but the costs were too high, so I settled on half inch builder grade plywood. It's not as nice to work with as other materials, but it got the job done, and ultimately the structure turned out very solid. I was able to complete the supporting frame, pre-drill for wiring, and fashion some temporary legs over the course of a few afternoons. The railroad lives in a 12 foot by 18 foot finished basement room. I decided to mount the layout 50 inches above the floor, with the lower deck mounted at the 46 inch mark. The frame was attached to the wall studs on 16 inch centers, and the temporary legs were continually adjusted until the entire platform was level. Once the framework was in place, I added the half inch sheeting and began mapping out the staging yard's dimensions. The plywood was warped, so I temporarily attached it to the framework using one inch drywall screws. Once secured, I marked the track locations in the baseboard shape. I located the center points for each of the loops, drew each of the curves with a makeshift compass, and connected the straightaways using a chalk line. Once all of this was complete, I cut the baseboard to shape. The initial track plan was designed on the computer, and in many cases it would have made sense to print the plan on a roll, and apply it directly to the baseboard. I elected to print out only the tiles that had switch points, and lined them up with my drawing, gluing those directly to the baseboard. I added the upper level, and again drafted the track work with compass and chalk line, gluing down the printed templates where needed. I marked out the area for the elevated city, and made some adjustments to the curves on the track at the fly under. It looked good on the plan, but it needed some refinements. With the upper level planning complete, I drilled a series of holes through both the upper and lower platforms for alignment. I cut through both levels with a jigsaw, removed the upper deck, and added risers to create the 4% grade. Curved plywood was shaped to become the sides of the fly under. I installed additional risers around the perimeter of the layout to support the upper deck. I then cut access areas to help reach derailed rolling stock, and install future switch machines. The elevated city scene sits a few inches above the upper deck. Scrap plywood and door skin were used to create the foundation of the retaining wall. The elevated city will sit in a third removable platform, and provide additional access to the staging yard below. With the two decks combined, you can now see the footprint of the layout, and the basic track arrangement. The next step will be installing and testing all of the lower tracks. In this footage, you can see the arrangement of the spacer blocks, and the various access hatches for both the track and the switch machines. This phase of the project took the better part of a month. Everything went very smoothly, and I'm eager to start laying track. In the coming weeks, I'll work on creating hand laid turnouts, laying some track, and solving wiring and signal challenges. Thanks for tuning in. I'll see you soon.