3.3.8 Spline Track Support

Modeling Information

Benchwork is the term given to the structural assembly that supports the model railroad layout. 

In 3.4 Benchwork I identified that in Lynn Westcotts authoritative work How to build Model Railroad Benchwork, he identifies two ways to frame the railroad layout and four ways to support the track.

In this page we will discuss the fourth element of track support:  Spline Track Support

Spline Track Support

Spline track support is generally used on larger railroad layouts where the scenery to track ratio is fairly high (think single track in mountainous terrain). It can be used all of three of the basic benchwork types. It requires the use of brackets and cleats to position the spline in all three dimensions 

Spline Construction

Spline roadbed is made by taking several strips of fairly skinny material, standing them on edge, and laminating (gluing) them together to form a solid roadbed. There is little waste here. Another benefit is the beautifully flowing curves and easements the splines form when bent.

Material

Spline roadbed has been around for a while and many materials including wood, masonite, and homasote (a compressed recycled newsprint product) have been used all of which can give good results. While tearing down the original Virginian & Ohio the work crew discovered that spline roadbed made from homosote strips nearly 40 years earlier was still in good shape. 

Pre-Construction

Constructing the spline is essentially taking the material of choice and running it through a table saw to its final size. My research has come up with two sizes: 1/4" x 7/8" (or 1") masonite or 1/2" x 1" homosote. A new product on the market the last couple of years that I have used for backdrop panels is 1/8 inch luan that could be used as well for making spline.

Installation

I have not used spline track support on any of my railroad layouts so I cannot speak for this type track support. 

See the resources identified below for first hand construction experience. 

Resource

Neale, Bill. Spline Benchwork Construction, RailModel Journal January 1998

Bear Creek and South Jackson, Masonite Spline Roadbed.  Charlie Comstock's excellent construction article on Spline Track Support installation.

Southern Pacific's Santa Barbara Subdivision Roadbed and Removing Spline Roadbed. Comments on construction and de-construction of spline roadbed. 

John Caffarelli, The Cascade Subdivision in HO Scale,  Spline Roadbed Construction

A primer on Homosote.

A blog series on spline construction by Matt Goodman. Starts with his homosote spline cutting fixture and goes from there.  

A Model Railroad Hobbiest forum on spline construction technique.