Anyone using splines for roadbed?

Hi all

I am just looking for your feedback on using splined roadbed instead of the cookie cutter method. Is anyone using splines constructed of ply, pine or masonite?

I am thinking about doing this for mine and given the price of wood in Aus, it may be a more cost effective solution - as well as the "flow" that can be gained from splined roadbed. .I would then probably glue cork down for the roadbed. My benchwork will be open framed in pine, "modularised" for ease of later moving. Yard area will probably be standard stuff like MDF under cork.

Anyway, any info or resources to splin info would be appreciated.

Cheers
Bruce (closer than ever to getting started )

 

I am not, but if I could start my layout over then I probably would. It's way too soon for me to be talking about the "next" layout, but whenever I do the next layout this is probably the method I'll use. I like the natural easements and such that come with using this method. Should make for some very nice looking trackwork.

 

I haven't tried it, but have been thinking about using it. I think that it will give you smoother flow with a natural easement into curves. Why don't you try it, and the let us know how you like it and remember to post a lot of progress pictures

 

I will be using it, and hardboard will be my choice. I will most likely hot glue the splines of hard board together. Hard board (masonite) is cheap and bends easily. I will be using it on one part of my layout that will have lots of curves and the idea I can custom the curves to what I need appeals to me.

 

Thanks again guys

I think I might just give it a go. My only concern with it would be grades. With splines they would have to be gradual unlike flat board where you could rise quite quickly. I have a steep climb into my branch line (probably requiring a helper [intentional]) and that might not suit splines.

Jesper, I might just do that, sorta like the TrainBoard guinea pig! . I'm always open to trying new things....

Rick, Masonite is actually pretty well priced down here compared to other wood. And your reason of nice flowing curves is exactly the reason I am looking at splines.

Cheers
Bruce

 

The easiest way to do a grade with spline is use the lazy 2% calculation so instead of 2 inch rise for every 100 inches, instead a 2 inch rise for every 8 feet (96 inches); it works out to be less than a 2.1% grade.

I'm not following your point on the difference of grade using plywood or spline as the problems are the same.

My reason for using hard board is two fold. First, I like the price. And second, well you've heard the old adage of measure twice and cut once... guess who didn't do that and now I've got lots of left over hard board from a back drop I made - and I mean a lot of hard board....lol. I estimated the wrong height for about 4 sheets of masonite and now I have excess.

 

Thanks Rick

My point about vertically curving ply vs splines is illustrated in my plan in http://www.trainboard.com/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/8/t/001114.html

If you look at the area where the main and the branch cross over each other after exiting the yard, you will see a rise of 3.5" in 4 feet - about 3%. I am just wondering about the ability of splines to make such a change from level @ 4" to a height of 7.5" inside of 3 feet. Plywood, being thinner could be made to make this change.

To qualify my statement, I must say I haven't tried either so am probably not knowledgable enough to make such assumptions.

Cheers
Bruce

[ 12. March 2004, 10:13: Message edited by: racedirector ]

 

Bruce,

A rise of 3 1/2" in 4' is 7.3%!!! Pretty steep.

I'm guessing that splined roadbed can handle sharp changes in elevation if the splines are glued up in place, rather than being glued flat and then adjusted for grade.

On the whole question of using splines for roadbed I think it is a question of tools. Given a table saw for cutting splines, lots of clamps for glueing splines together, and a hand-held power jointer/planer to smooth the top of the roadbed after the glue dries, I think it is a great idea.

 

Interestingly you can get away with steep grades, if the length of the grade isn't that long. Why? Your whole train won't be on the grade. On my son's old layout we had quiet a steep grade, but it was only over two and a half feet. What happens is that your entire train is not on the grade, just the part climbing, so their is less "grade influence" on the train.

What is important is to have vertical easements with your steep grade.... very, very important.

 

Oops! Bit of a miscalculation. Still, this grade is on the "entry" to the branchline, is intentional, and will require a helper to get up it. My trains will probably be only 10 or 12 cars on the branch.

And Rick, the transitioning from flat to 3.5" smoothly will be the tricky bit - I'll just have to see how I get on....

Cheers
Bruce

 

I was just re-reading one of the recent past MR's and the article was about Allan McClelland's new layout - the V&O in the Jan 04 edition. He has used Homasote for his splines which I thought was an interesting solution and is easy to work with, though Homasote dust isn't great.

 

Bill

I will hopefully have the room to try something out by the end of this weekend. The area concerned is actually about 5 feet, not 4 giving a grade of about 5.8%. My only concern is the the rise must start directly after a turnout (you can this this on my plan. One of the options I have is moving the crossover back into the curve which, aside from being a little more difficult to handlay, is totally possible. This would then give more length to get the splines smoothly transitioning up to 3.5".

Cheers
Bruce

 

hi all I dont want to sound stupid but im kinda new to this and I ask lots of questions. so what is splined roadbed??? from what I have seen on this post it looks like a way to grade your layout??? and also It sounds like its more for large layouts. I have just started my 1st n scale layout and I am trying to learn as much as I can. I have a 2ft by 4ft layout area do you all think this might be what I should use?

thanks
Mike

 

I have used the spline method on a home layout of 5ft x 12ft with 18" radius and had no problems. I used splines 3/16" thick cut from a 1" x 12" pine board with a saber-saw. Instead of wood clamps to hold the spline-spacer blocks together while the glue dried, I drilled a hole in the spacer to hold a nail then tightly wrapped a 1/4" wide rubber band around the spline-spacer-spline joint. Worked like a charm. One can use a 1/4" wide spline, but wet the outside (of the curve) of the spline for the sharp curves. I like this method because it AVOIDS abrupt changes.
Later, I used this spline method on a 16ft x 70ft club layout with great results. Only the club elected to use the original method described in an MR article.
I believe Allen McClelland used this same homosote-spline method on his earlier layout. WARNING !! If you are married cut the homosote OUTSIDE in the garage and save yourself some "in-the-dog-house" time. Buzz

 

Here's a photo of what masonite spline roadbed looks like:

http://siskiyou.railfan.net/images/roadbed2.jpg

And here's a few details from my web site about the spline roadbed:
http://siskiyou.railfan.net/model_ces.html

I really like this kind of roadbed because it has minimal waste, forms natural easements, and prevents you from making vertical curves that are too steep for reliable operation.

I have one area on the layout where I go from .75% grade to 4% grade in about 3 feet, and the spline works great.

This roadbed is also dense, which means it's quiet. The more dense a material is, the more it tends to absorb sound. If you want noisey, then use lighter weight materials like styrofoam or homasote.

The major disadvantage of masonite spline is you cannot spike into it without drilling holes for the spikes. Also you cannot screw into it without drilling either or you will just split the splines, which looks terrible.

 

Thanks Joe

Your info pretty well seals it for me. I will be using Masonite splines for my RR.

Cheers
Bruce