Things You'll Need:
- Stryofoam insulation sheet 2 inches thick, 4 feet by 8 feet
- Plywood sheet, ¼-inch or a 4 mm thick, 4 feet by 8 feet
- White glue
- Duct tape
- 36-inch flex track pieces (8 to 10)
- 36-inch pieces of cork roadbed material (optional)
- Manual turnouts, left and right handed (2)
- Remote turnouts, left and right handed (2)
- Track spikes
- Track saw or clippers
- Track connectors
- Re-railer tracks (2)
- Terminal track
- Power pack or RF train controller
- Model Railroad Engine(s)
- Model Railroad cars
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Step 1
Figure out where you will store your compact model RR layout. A great place is under a double- to king-size bed, where you can store a 4x6-foot layout, if there’s enough room to maneuver. A compact layout can also be stored against a wall.
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Step 2
Choose a scale for your layout. The most popular size is "HO," which has tracks about 5/8-inch wide. Engines and railcars are about 6 to 9 inches long. The smaller "N" scale has tracks 9 mm apart, with rolling stock measuring about 3.5 to 5 inches long. The larger HO trains are easier to handle and customize, especially for younger enthusiasts.
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Step 3
Visit your local building-supply store, and buy a Styrofoam insulation sheet that is 2 inches thick and 4x8 feet in size. Also buy a half inch or a 4 mm thick, 4x8-foot sheet of plywood. You can have both pieces cut to the required length to fit in your layout storage space. Buy a large bottle of white glue and some duct tape if you don’t have any on hand.
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Step 4
Peel off the surface film from one side of the foam board. Spread white glue evenly on the rougher side of the plywood sheet, and press it on the exposed foam surface. Weight the plywood down with concrete blocks, books, weights or anything heavy, and let the glue dry overnight.
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Step 5
Sketch your layout on the plywood with a pencil. Be creative in this step--you can have interlocking loops, sidings and crossing tracks. Try to incorporate two to four switches in sidings or interconnected loops. Make sure to mark locations for at least two re-railer tracks and one terminal-track piece for each separate track block.
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Step 6
Use white glue to attach cork roadbed material to your layout board, following your layout sketch. Cork roadbed is very flexible and comes in 36-inch split pieces which you will cut with a razor knife and fit together before gluing. Roadbed makes a smoother and quieter model-train layout, but it’s a lot of work to cut and install and isn’t essential.
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Step 7
Use roadbed nails and a nail setter with a small hammer to attach track to the roadbed or directly to the plywood surface. Start by mounting the terminal-track piece(s), re-railer tracks and turnouts. Next, cut flexible track pieces to fill in the rest of the layout. Use insulating track connectors to separate track sections with switched polarity.
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Step 8
Drill holes next to remote switches, signals or other trackside accessories. Feed wires together in a bundle, and secure them to the bottom of the layout board with duct tape. Accessory wires should be connected to a plastic terminal, which can be glued to the edge of the foam board. Turnout switches can also be glued to the side of the board or screwed into the plywood.
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Step 9
Decorate the layout board by painting roadways, sidewalks, grass areas and landscape areas. Small building kits, signal bridges or track signals can be assembled and glued to the board. Now, hook up your power supply and train controller and start having fun. The layout is light enough for even two little people to set up and store.
