Benchwork

This page describes the benchwork construction. The current design has three levels; the staging level, the lower level, and the upper level.

The benchwork on the Colorado Front Range Railroad is made up from 2'x4' modules. The modules come in two thicknesses: thick and thin. The thick modules are constructed from 1"x 4" premium grade pine with 2"x2" corner braces. The thin modules are constructed from 1"x2" premium grade pine. The legs for the modules are made from 2" x 2" premium grade pine. Each leg has a T-nut in the end and 5/16 x 2 1/2" carriage bolt is used to level the modules. A small plywood block with felt on one side was used to prevent the carriage bolt from scratching the wood floor. The backdrops and facia are 1/8" thick tempered hardboard (Masonite). The track sub-roadbed is plywood and Homasote. Roadbed is a product called Flexxbed

The reason the layout was designed using modules so that if a move were ever to take place (as it has in the past) the layout can be, somewhat, easily break the layout down and moved to the new location. This also allows the new layout to be constructed quickly because new benchwork does not need to be fabricated.

This shows both levels of the layout. Both levels are constructed from the modular section with a helix connecting the two levels together. This photo shows the main room with the center peninsula during construction. The helix is now fully enclosed and the Coors Brewery complex sits on top of it.

This photo shows the other part of the layout. The lowest deck is the staging level of the layout. This will hold an eight track staging yard which will 12 feet long.

The staging yard and lower level share support legs.

The upper level uses heavy-duty shelving brackets to support the modules. A eight foot 1" x 2" is attached to the front edge to provide strength (and create an L-Girder type beam) to the upper level.