Yesterday, I started putting down HO cork roadbed for the turnouts. Jeff Wilson's book on tracklaying had some helpful solutions. However, I don't fully understand how to to make the cork fit a turnout. I find that there's a lot of guess work in determing how to get the cork to fit between the two outside pieces of rail. Any suggestions? Getting cork sheets is an idea, but I prefer working w/ the 3ft strips. Should I not worry about areas uncovered by the cork near the turnouts? People probabaly won't see it since they get covered w/ ballast.
TIA!
Lee
I don't really understand what you mean by "Uncovered" spots near your turnouts.
I simply put down a half piece of cork roadbed for each direction of the turnout and then fill in the rest with remaining pieces fort the rest of the routes.
Roger Hensley= ECI Railroad - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/eci/eci_new.html == Railroads of Madison County - http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ =
After you lay the two outer pieces of cork, take the next middle piece and lay it on top of the pieces already glued down. Then you can use your favorite instrument of torture (E-Xacto knife or razor saw) to cut that piece so that it fits between the existing pieces. Then you take the last piece of cork strip and do the same thing, putting it over the remaining open area and using what is glued down as a guide for the cutting tool.
By uncovered areas, do you mean some voids that remain because you didn't quite do a perfect job? As long as it appears that most of the turnout is properly supported, you are correct in that the ballast will fill the voids and the imperfections will not be seen. After you have done a couple turnouts, you'll find that the finished cork assembly will look better and better.
The way I did it was to lay the two outermost strip halves first, where they join together at the points end of the turnout, then diverge away from each other. Then I'd place the strips for the two halves of the inside "vee" part, cutting them short at the point where they just touch each other near the frog. This would leave a long, skinny more-or-less triangular gap in the middle, which I'd fill in with a few bits and pieces of scrap cork strips, trimmed to size as needed. If you're going to ballast later, it's OK to leave a few small gaps here and there, as the ballast will fill it in and cover it up. If the gaps are wider than a pencil lead, though, I'd go ahead and stuff some slivers of cork in there to fill it up. Doesn't take all that much extra effort and will save you some ballast
If you want to use the cork pads, I found a package of two pads, approx 4"x8" each at the Dollar Tree. Coincidentally enough, the pads are the same thickness as HO cork roadbed. I plan to use them for a couple of turnouts I'm going to place here in the near future.
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
Typically I will first attach the straight segments of cork onto the sub-roadbed and allow them to set up, then I will add the diverging route segments later.
What I do is take the first 1/2 section of 3ft cork strip and lay it over the existing straight cork sections. Then I will mark the cork on both sides with a pencil for the approximate cut locations.
Next I take a straight edge and line it up with the two pencil marks on the cork then make the cut with an X-acto knife. I also bevel the cut so that it matches up with the outside slope of the existing straight segments of cork roadbed. Usually I will cut the piece a little longer than necessary so that I can make adjustments and test the fit first, then I will cut as necessary to perfect the fit.
I repeat the same for the other 1/2 of the cork roadbed segment, but ensure it's alignment is on the correct side. Sometimes I will tack down the first 1/2 piece into position while I make the pencil markings on the 2nd piece to ensure the alignments fit together. Make sense?
For instance, in the image below I have this classification yard with two diverging turnouts. The straight sections were done first and set up. Then I added the diverting route cork segments later on.
As you can see I also use the laytex caulk method of attachment to the sub-roadbed plywood. I also use push pins to keep the cork in place until the caulk sets up, which is typically overnight.
Here is a curved section
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
SilverSpike wrote:I also use push pins to keep the cork in place until the caulk sets up, which is typically overnight.Here is a curved section
I also use push pins to keep the cork in place until the caulk sets up, which is typically overnight.
Ryan, good to see that others use those push pins to hold the roadbed down while it's setting. I had a box of all assorted colors (the plastic ones), so when I did mine it was a little more colorful than yours, but about the same otherwise. I do the turnouts similarly to what you described, also.
Jim in Cape Girardeau
stokesda wrote: If you want to use the cork pads, I found a package of two pads, approx 4"x8" each at the Dollar Tree. Coincidentally enough, the pads are the same thickness as HO cork roadbed. I plan to use them for a couple of turnouts I'm going to place here in the near future.
Along those same lines, Wal Mart sells 12"x12" cork tiles in their office supply section. Same thickness as Mid West HO cork. They come 4 to a pack for about $7. These make life a heck of a lot easier. Just cut your own pads out of it.
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Lefty
Capt. Grimek wrote:loathar,Which dept. are they in at Wal Mart? Household goods? Hardware?Same question for the Dollar Store ,Dan, please. <By the way, Dan are those the same thickness as Atlas brand cork roadbed? Which brand are you using?br>Thanks.
It was in the isle with the pens and markers and office stuff. Near the cork bulletin boards and dry erase boards.The stuff I got from Staples was in a roll and only 1/8" thick. But it has it's own uses like roads and flat round house/ yard areas.
Capt G,
Sorry, I've been offline all weekend... The cork pads at Dollar Tree are in the office supply section. I don't know exactly where, so you'll have to look around. If I recall, there are two different sizes available, and the ones I got (6"x9") come in a pack of 2. They are shrink wrapped in clear plastic, and the bottom half of the package has a blue and red label with a photo of an office wall and the words "CORK TILES" on the top of the label. I didn't measure with a micrometer or anything, but they are pretty much the same thickness as Midwest and Model Power cork roadbed, which is what I use. Don't know about Atlas brand - didn't know they made any.
Good luck and happy hunting!