I'm about ready to start laying track, and I thought I'd use pink rigid foamboard instead of plywood for my subroadbed - seemed easier when I was in the planning stages.
Now I'm realizing that I know very little about using it. I know how to do everything with plywood, but thinking aobut using foamboard in its place leaves me with lots of questions.
Main ones:
Anyone care to share their experiences with foamboard?
Anyone know of any helpful reference materials? A quick Google search didn't turn up much.
Maybe I should just go back to plywood, which I know how to work with?
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
What thickness of foam are you thinking of using? The 2" is pretty rigid.
2" foam (and thinner) can be scored with a knife and snapped. That works well for straight cuts. I don't know how that would work on modest curves. I am chicken and don't know for sure that the depth of a box cutter blade would be deep enough. Don't tell my wife but I use the french chef knife and cut about 2/3 deep.
If you don't know, Gorilla glue, needs water to activate it. Patteson mists it like you would mist scenery with wet water.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
My railroad is mostly mountains and consists of 3/8" plywood with 1/2" pink foam glued to that as a base working surface. This provides an extremely strong, flat, non-flexing surface to work from. From there I use the Woodland Scenics foam riser system due to the fact that:
1) It is extremely versitile and easily shaped to any curve I need.
2) It is extremely accurate for creating slopes, as you can get 2%, 3% or 4% slope riser systems that are very consistant.
3) It is no more costly than buying sheets of foam, cutting the foam to the correct curves, cutting the foam to create the required slopes, then throwing away most of it as the biggest portion is now scrap unless you can use it somewhere else as filler. After you do all this, you find you made a small error in either the shape of the curve or the slope (or both) and have to remove most of it to correct the problem and go buy another sheet of foam.
4) The foam risers are easliy glued together and to the 1/2" base foam with low temp glue guns.
5) They can be dissassembled with minimum loss if you need to.
6) They can be bought in bulk packages should you need to.
7) They can be easily modified to change the slope with a Woodland Scenics Hot Wire Cutter, Foam Factory Hot Wire Knife or any other melting tool.
Once I have the foam risers in place with pins (not glued), I can lay track on the foam with pins and test for all the curves and slopes. You can even power up the track if you want to verify your slopes are not too steep, curves are not too tight or tracks are not too close together.
After you are happy with the locations, shapes and slopes of the risers, mark where the are with a felt tip pen, remove the pins and glue them down. The low temp glue dries and is workable in about 5-10 seconds.
You can then go to any of the Dollar type stores and buy 18x24 or 24x36 1/8" thick foam board panels, trace the shape of the top surface of the foam risers and glue the foam board to the top of the foam risers to get a solid surface. Just remember to peal off the paper from the foam board (it comes off very easily). You don't even need to be precise, as you can easily trim the foam board after the glue sets, again in about 5-10 seconds.
After that I put the roadbed (cork in my case) on the risers again with pins, verify everything is exactly as I want it and glue the roadbed to the foamboard with elmers white glue.
Before you glue down the roadbed, you can even use the Woodland Scenics Foam Putty to eliminate any abrupt changes in slope at transition area when you enter a grade by building up the transition area and sanding it smooth so I get an almost perfect transition providing almost a zero misalignment of couplers from any of my rolling stock when entering an uphill grade, including long passenger cars when the enter or exit the sloped sections of track. You can do the same at the top of a grade by sanding the risers to get a smooth transition as well.
Tried to insert photos, but can't figure it out, only lets me edit the images that I have not yet posted!
Anyway, that is how I do it, and am very please with the results so far.
Just remember, perfect trackwork from the start remains almost trouble free for the life of the railroad and rarely needs repaired. Poor trackwork from the start will remain troublesome for the life of the railroad, and may not be able to be repaired!
I've never heard of anybody using foam for a cookie-cutter type subroadbed. I doubt very much that it would work. Every layout I've seen built on foam, other than using the Woodland Scenics stuff is based on Flatland.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
carl425 I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Been there, done that, got the T-shirt (But don't wear it much)!
B. Bryce carl425 I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt (But don't wear it much)!
Yesh, some of the siggy's here are a little long in the tooth and need a refresh.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Box cutters are kind of unsafe to cut 2" foam - you have to stick the blade out far too much. What i did was take a cheap putty knife and sharpen the edge - I saw this somewhere in the bobby press. Worked quite well. Key is never try to cut allt he way through in one or two passes, make multiple shallow cuts, at some point you cna just snap it and get a clean break. Compared to any sort of toothed blade, be it a saw or a knife, there's very little mess.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I found it works great. This is one inch foam with risers 6 inches on center
It just takes a lot of layout and a lot of planning. I never exceeded 1/8 of Rise / 6 in of run which equals a 2% grade.
Thanks for all the input guys!
Track Fiddler, how did you get the clean cuts on the foam edges?
"Bosch T313AW3 3-Piece 6 In. Knife Edge Special for Soft Materials T-Shank Jig Saw Blades"
Has a serrated blade much like a electric knife. Makes a very smooth cut. Also make a 4" version.
I got mine on Amazon
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
Best way to do foam is flat and do the grades with Woodland Senics inclines. Works great and all you do is caulk and pin till the caulk dries, then run your cork which is caulked and pinned also. Take note that at the apex you need to trim the WS stuff for a smooth transition and at the bottom use extra caulk and stretch it between the base and incline for a smooth transition (have used bits and peices of whatever so that there is no saging).
Pruitt Thanks for all the input guys! Track Fiddler, how did you get the clean cuts on the foam edges?
Hey Mark. I just used a fine-tooth blade in a jigsaw.
If you're interested in more information on what I did I have an old thread.... just Google Model Railroader grades in pink and it should come up.
For doing the grades on my layout I used a level that gives grade in %, Used a Surform scraper to cut the grade to final slope. Did my longest grade, double track, in less than a half hour. Was a little messy but nothing like using a chain saw! "GOOD GRIEF Charlie Brown !!!" Shop vac had it cleaned up in minutes.
God's Best & Happy Rails to You!
Bing (RIPRR The Route of the Buzzards)
The future: Dead Rail Society