MTH`s HO Scale GP35 Phase II Athearn`s Genesis GP38

Greyhound’s Response to the Dome Car
Athearn’s
Genesis
GP38-2
Southern
Style
MTH’s
HO Scale
GP35
Phase II
Volume 19, Issue 3 • March 2013
$5.99 US/CANADA
Kato’s N North American Suburban Station Kit
Easy Benchwork by Model Railroad Benchwork
Central Valley’s HO Northern Pacific Flat Car Kit
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Track, Accessories & Electronics
Pre-Cut Model
Railroad
Benchwork
Less than an hour was required to
assemble Model Railroad
BenchWork’s product. This section
measures eight feet in length and will
be 30 inches out from the wall once
mounted. The sections arrived in
three segments.
Ready Made Benchwork from Model Railroad BenchWork
Review and Photos by Eric Goodman
Pre-Cut Benchwork
22¾ inches x 30-1/8 inches: $38.75
36 inches x 32 inches: $56.25
36¾ inches x 32 inches: $56.25
Starter Kit: $15
Shipping Cost: $20
Model Railroad BenchWork
1915 Mark Avenue
Elgin, IL 60123
224-201-9868
w w w.modelrailroadbenchwork .com
B
enchwork — just the mentioning of it causes some folks
to cringe. Others can’t wait to
start cutting into the lumber and getting the smell of freshly cut sawdust in
the air. Still more of us just don’t have
access to the right tools or the space
to house the tools required to cut
our own benchwork and/or just don’t
have the time to do the job. Whatever
your situation, there is a new solution
on the market from Model Railroad
BenchWork.
Since April 2012, I have been
working on constructing my own
HO-scale Emporia Subdivision in my
1,700-square-foot basement. When
approached about doing a review of
some new benchwork, I’ll have to
admit I was a little skeptical at first. I
have been using cabinet-grade ¾-inch
birch ply wood for all my benchwork,
and I didn’t want to have a portion of
the layout that didn’t conform to my
standards. After examining Model
Railroad BenchWork ’s website (w w w.
modelrailroadbenchwork.com), my
Few tools are required for
assembly; however, a lightweight
handheld power drill is necessary.
I’m using a couple of DeWalt
sawhorses to aid in lining up my
benchwork to the wall. With some
help or being creative, you’ll be
able to figure out your own
facilitator at this juncture. Model
Railroad BenchWork’s product is
lightweight, so working with it is
easy.
58
March 2013 — Model Railroad News — www.ModelRailroadNews.com
skepticism
quickly
abated. I could
see that someone
was making benchwork
that followed the same high
standards that I was using.
Model Railroad BenchWork
uses quality cabinet-grade ply wood
and pocket hole screws for easy assembly. The pocket hole screws do a
couple things. They make the joint
stronger by going across the layers of
ply wood rather than splitting out the
ends. This design also allows you to
move the boards after the benchwork
is complete to perform maintenance
on a switch machine, for example.
All the boards come with pre-drilled
holes as well as screws and a screw tip
for your power drill. There are predrilled and routed out holes for wire
passages between the modules. Model
BenchWork also provides hardware for
attaching the modules together.
Assembly of the modules is remarkably easy: just lay out the parts on a
smooth surface and follow the instructions provided. My 10-year-old son
and I constructed a roughly 30-inch
by 8-foot section of benchwork, made
of three segments, in about 45 minutes. You’ll need a good power drill to
assemble the modules. I recommend a
lightweight cordless one.
The owner of Model Railroad
BenchWork earns a living as a highend finish carpenter and cabinetmaker. His workmanship is clearly evident
in the products that we assembled for
my layout. All the boards were straight
and true, and the edges were smooth
with no splinters.
This benchwork is compatible with
all scales from Z up to G. The manufacturer believes “benchwork should
be affordable, easy to use, and adaptable to any modelers needs.” It’s lightweight, yet strong, and the ply wood is
more dimensionally stable than what
you’ ll experience with regular dimensional lumber. There is a multitude of
pre-determined sizes available on the
company’s website. Examples include
rectangles, triangles, curved, girders,
and legs. If you have a section that
requires a custom-built piece, contact
the manufacturer direct for a price
quote.
Pre-drilled holes prepare a path for wiring to snake through the underside of your model
layout. My samples were of excellent quality birch plywood, and the holes were smooth
and expertly done. The owner of Model Railroad BenchWork is a skilled high-end
carpenter/cabinetmaker, and his talent shows in his work.
Another view of the finished and mounted benchwork shows the excellent quality
of this product. A wide variety of options are available from Model Railroad
BenchWork’s catalog. The benchwork is transportable and may be reused.
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Full line of HO & N scale Peco/Atlas track
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Handlaying supplies, ties, rail spikes, etc.
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For Questions and Non-Computer Users, CALL ME!
813-653-3322 E-MAIL: billstrainstrack @ aol.com
www.BillsTrains.com
The All-Scale News Monthly — Model Railroad News — March 2013
59