Making a grade

[Joetrain59]

Hello, I'm about to start construction of a new layout. The Still River Valley. I plan to use 1" foam over smooth plywood as the main layout surface. But how do I build a grade for track? In the '80's I had a layout with a grade, but open grid construction. Just screwed riser to cross member to fasten sub roadbed to.
 Thank,
 Joe D

[nkalanaga]

If your track is directly on the foam I have no idea.  If you'll be using wood roadbed on top of the foam, just put spacers under the roadbed, the same idea as risers, but much shorter.

[GimpLizard]

What grade percentage are you looking for? Woodland Scenics Inclines (https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/INCLDECLSET/page/1) come in 2, 3, & 4% grades. You could also do the old "cookie cutter" trick to the foam sub-roadbed, and then place spacers underneath.

[jpwisc]

For small elevation changes (main to siding heights) use different height corks.

For elevation changes 1” or less, stack another sheet of foam.

For elevation changes greater than that (like GimpLizard said) cookie cutter method.

If you are using surface mounted switch machines and not below grade ones, stack foam up for all your grade changes and cut and sand away the difference.

[C855B]

Here's how I've been doing grades with foam: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=26087.msg568874#msg568874

This solves the difficult problem of getting a reasonable vertical transition.

[diezmon]

I just made my own woodland scenics type grade foam.  I started with 2" foam from a big box store, cut a giant wedge the length and height of the grade, then just cut in some perfs for the curves. 

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[Joetrain59]

Thanks. I think the Woodland Scenics sets will work. Grade to be somewhere between 2 and 3% I'm thinking.
 Joe D

[DKS]

Here's how I've been doing grades with foam: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=26087.msg568874#msg568874

This solves the difficult problem of getting a reasonable vertical transition.

This is what I do as well--basically, cookie cutter with foam. It does create good vertical transitions. Only difference is that I cut small blocks of foam with increasing thickness and use them like risers, instead of using the foam crack filling material; I find that stuff too uncontrollable.