Planning on using Mianne benchwork

I put down plywood and then Homasote on top of that.  The Homasote could sag between supports over time.  For me, the plywood gives a strong base, and the Homasote gives a more workable top surface and helps deaden the vibrating sound so I can hear the fabulous sound units in today's MTH and Lionel engines.  I hope others will give their opinions.

As Mark says above, you will want to cover the Mianne benchwork with at least 1/2" plywood for stability, then you can use Homasote or whatever you want on top of that. I also have Mianne benchwork, very nice stuff, well thought out. Still a fan and hope to add more one of these days. 1/2" plywood is what Tim at Mianne recommended to me for a top when I ordered it. 

First picture shows my train table assembled from Mianne benchwork with ½-inch thick 10’-by-5’ birch plywood top (actually two 5’-by-5’ pieces). I then built terrain (up to 5 inches) from 1-inch-thick layers of extruded pink foam insulation because I needed to elevate the tracks to run across a valley on two bridges. With the bridges and flat terrain in place, I glued a layer of cork to the foam and fastened the track to the cork with Atlas O track screws.

MELGAR

Melgar's 1st photo points out something I wish I had done, extend the plywood top past the benchwork a bit. I didn't do that and sure wish I would have. 

Melgar, I also like the way you elevated the top with the foam board. That adds to the look of the whole layout.

We used Sievers benchwork...another great company.  We used 1/2" plywood then 1/2" Homasote board and topped it all with 2" blue extruded foam board.  Like many I was concerned about noise from the MTH Realtrax but with this sandwich of materials noise has been no problem at all...and we now have started digging out the quarry in the foam.

I will add my vote for 1/2” plywood covered with homosote (which is also 1/2”). I would also agree that the Mianne product is top notch - I have already added one section to my original round the room rectangle for a freight yard, and I’m waiting on delivery of an 8’ x 1’ shelf to add a little extra real estate. In the pic below, if you look in the center, you will see where I was waiting to cut the last piece of homosote. A word of advice - DO NOT cut homosote in the house... it creates a cloud of dust. I had mine cut at Home Depot along with the plywood, but a few of the final small pieces I had to do at home. On one I made the big mistake of cutting it at the layout - what a mess!!!

I recommend that you look at gunrunnerjohn's layout build thread.

https://ogrforum.com/...ew-train-room?page=1

Jan

Apples55 posted:

 A word of advice - DO NOT cut homosote in the house... it creates a cloud of dust. I had mine cut at Home Depot along with the plywood, but a few of the final small pieces I had to do at home. On one I made the big mistake of cutting it at the layout - what a mess!!!

Actually, if you take some precautions, you can cut Homasote at home.  First off, you can actually cut the Homasote with a utility knife, you don't have to make any mess for straight cuts.

Of course, cutting curves is harder, and then power tools come into play.  This is the edge of my Homasote being routed to prep for the final fascia layer, I'm following with the shopvac to suck up most of the excess.  Yes, there is a lot of stuff flung around if you don't suck it up!

This big curve was marked in place and then cut after taking the Homasote off the table.

MELGAR posted:

First picture shows my train table assembled from Mianne benchwork with ½-inch thick 10’-by-5’ birch plywood top (actually two 5’-by-5’ pieces). I then built terrain (up to 5 inches) from 1-inch-thick layers of extruded pink foam insulation because I needed to elevate the tracks to run across a valley on two bridges. With the bridges and flat terrain in place, I glued a layer of cork to the foam and fastened the track to the cork with Atlas O track screws.

MELGAR

Mianne seems to have changed the design from the benchwork you got.  If you go onto their website and click on catalog, starter kits, and 10X5.  They show a benchwork with a different design than yours.  One nice thing they have as a option is a transformer/controller shelf.  What a great idea.

I agree - the transformer shelf is a great idea. I purchased a double (8’ wide) and it is worth it’s weight in gold.

I like the double-wide shelf, Paul!  Room for different reading glasses, pop can, coffee cup...The important stuff!!  

WaynePa posted:

MELGAR posted:

First picture shows my train table assembled from Mianne benchwork with ½-inch thick 10’-by-5’ birch plywood top (actually two 5’-by-5’ pieces). I then built terrain (up to 5 inches) from 1-inch-thick layers of extruded pink foam insulation because I needed to elevate the tracks to run across a valley on two bridges. With the bridges and flat terrain in place, I glued a layer of cork to the foam and fastened the track to the cork with Atlas O track screws.

MELGAR

Mianne seems to have changed the design from the benchwork you got.  If you go onto their website and click on catalog, starter kits, and 10X5.  They show a benchwork with a different design than yours.  One nice thing they have as a option is a transformer/controller shelf.  What a great idea.

I don't think so. The legs and beams are of the same design and construction as what I purchased 21 years ago when I built my first Mianne layout, which is still up and running. The benchwork pictured above was purchased in 2014. It is not from a kit. I ordered the individual pieces that I wanted and specified custom lengths for the beams. The framework itself is approximately 9 feet by 4 feet and was sized to carry two 5-foot by 5-foot pieces of plywood with the table top overhanging the benchwork. The resulting layout can be disassembled easily if necessary to move. The two 5'-by-5' sections are lightweight and can be lifted right off the framework.

MELGAR

I like that transformer shelf too. Especially the 8' long version Apple55 shows above, very nice! At the time I got mine, they only had a transformer cart, which I ordered along with some extra cross pieces to add shelving below. Tim helped me with the extra stuff and figured out what I needed to do what I was trying to do. 

WaynePa posted:

Mianne seems to have changed the design from the benchwork you got.  If you go onto their website and click on catalog, starter kits, and 10X5.  They show a benchwork with a different design than yours.  One nice thing they have as a option is a transformer/controller shelf.  What a great idea.

I don't think Tim has changed his design since he started, that stuff looks the same as what I received last year.