Originally Posted by Keystoned Ed:
Chad - This is my 4th O scale 2 rail layout (4th and hopefully last house). The first was a very simple thrice around rising/falling oval in 18x12' room. It had 48" minimum radius curves that locomotives (up to a USH 4-8-2) and full length passenger cars could negotiate. It served me well as an un-sceniced test bed for newly acquired equipment ( and O scale track laying skills) until an anticipated job related house move came about. With job progression came a series of houses with slightly larger basements and a more defined sense of what kind of layout operations I wanted. Model railroading every Friday night for 30+ years with John Armstrong needless to say was a great influence. Ten years ago I retired and sold the house in Fairfax,VA. I was able to design and build a house with a "dream" basement in Williamsburg for far, far less. An added benefit was that a friend wanted to buy my old railroad, enabling me to start fresh along with some seed money. After move-in I used 3rd PlanIt software to design the railroad while I was building out the unfinished basement. While one doesn't need software to design modest sized layouts, I recommend it for large or complex ones.
There is no one right way to build model railroad benchwork - but since you asked I'll share how I did mine. Over the years I've hosted a good number of layout visits and operating sessions and as a result my value preferences about layout configuration has evolved. As this will be my last railroad, considerations for portability/reuse did not influence my approach to building benchwork. For a walk around railroad where you are going to have a good number of operators and spectators it is highly desirable to have comfortable aisles that "flow" with the right of way. To that end I have very few sections of benchwork that are angular. A attached are a few pictures of the benchwork in progress in the Horseshoe Curve area. I use 1x4 open frame construction and risers supporting 3/4" plywood sub roadbed. I use 1/2" Homosote I cut into a roadbed profile under the track. In yards I lay it as a sheet. Where the railroad is against the wall I lag bolt the horizontal 1x4 frame to the studs for strength and stability - it also saves on legs. I am not a fan of L girder construction as it results in "thick" framing which reduces clearance under the layout. When wiring or installing turnout motors the extra clearance is nice. I avoided solid table top construction in all but areas for yards and towns. This enabled me to contour the terrain both above and below the track. In areas where curfing a 1x4 side rail wouldn't accommodate the desired curve - I used 2 laminates of 3/8" bending plywood (sometimes called wiggle wood) for the aisle edge of the framing. To do this I ripped the 4'8 sheet of bending plywood in the 8 foot direction to a height that matched a 1x4.
When building the benchwork I covered the floor in the immediate area with red rosin (builder's) paper and drew the benchwork directly on the paper full scale. One by four cross members were drawn in on nominal 16-18" centers avoiding locations under turnout points. Each framing member was numbered on the paper (on the cut board). With few "straight" aisles my frame cross members often do not meet the side rails at 90 degrees. However angles and lengths of the cross members are taken directly from the paper, and the cuts made on a chop saw. I assembled 8 to 12' sections of benchwork on the floor (on the paper) using glue and drywall screws. Completed sections were tied to the adjacent one with 1x4 lap plates. C clamps comes in handy at this stage. For legs I use a good grade of 2x4's fastened to the cross members with 1/4 - 20 bolts. The Legs were inset 6" from the aisle to minimize the risk of people kicking them. Before permanently fastening the legs to the frame I made sure the framing was dead level (a 4' level helps) as it becomes the reference for later setting sub roadbed heights on long grades. Once the framing was up cut the 3/4" plywood for the sub-roadbed. The sub-roadbed was supported by a variety of risers depending on the height of the track above the frame. For risers I often used scrap lumber found in dumpsters at construction sites (with prior permission). The benchwork provides a strong and stable structure that I later had to climb on while laying track and building scenery.
My last tip no matter what style of benchwork you build - take the time and use a good grade of materials to do it right as it will serve as the basis for everything that will follow.
Ed
That is awesome Ed Thats how im thinking about building my bench work just not sure of how to run the track yet. I kinda know what I want but not sure how to get the track there Building the bench work wont be a problem once I get a plan I have all kinds of tools eh. This will be a modern RR with One of the major things I want is a open pit coal mine witha flood loading area I have all the mining shovels haul trucks and dozers and such. Dont want much city stuff but more of a rual setting Grain mill , ethonol plant/loading facility, Lumber yard, John Deere Dealer, in & out staging yard , locomotive shop, this is just some idears eh. I just dont know how to draw the track out so it flows eh I have been gathering all kinds of Ross turnouts and track I all so have a case of Gargraves flex track so far. I have pretty much have all the rolling stock and Locomotives I need but you know how that goes i bet eh
....or I can live vicariously there with your postings! 
I'm still "Slack-Jawed" from seeing it earlier this year (2nd time!!!).
