Hello;
I am installing the urban retaining walls and also an elevated station and steel overpass. Should I use cork roadbed on these or lay the track directly to the plastic?
Thanks in advance.
I suppose you could really go either way, because I've seen elevated tracks that were one large ballasted area (like you'd get if you were to lay directly on the plastic) and where there are individual roadbeds (like if you were to use cork). My personal choice would be to use the cork, if only because my most common railfanning spot is an elevated right of way and, if one was to build a model of it, that's how it would look.
NittanyLionMy personal choice would be to use the cork,
I would go with the cork, too. My reasoning would be that the big, plastic box might make a sounding board and amplify too much noise.
I think the cork could be placed on a thin bed of latex caulk and weighted flat. Then the track could also be set into a thin bed of caulk.
Good Luck, Ed
I too would use cork.
.
I have a few of the Walthers urban retaining wall and overpass kits. They look nice and fill a need quite well.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
My first instinct is to use cork. However, before you commit to that, take note of the platform height in relation to the passenger train equipment you will be using. Cork adds roughly 3/16" to the surface, and could affect appearance or even operation.
Just a thought.
Boris
Just My A train makes a lot of noise going over a steel bridge/viaduct.......be on it or under it, to get the full effect. You want the full effect? Ride in Your car under the Elevated tracks on Wabash St. in Chicago. To Me taking that noise away, makes it toy like. On all My bridges on My layout, like the swing bridge......it is actually quieter and when the train goes across the joints it sounds real!
Why would you want to put cork roadbed on this or any roadbed for that matter?
Take Care!
Frank
I like Frank's reply, as I have been there and heard the sound, but you have to consider what Boris has to say, as far as rail height, and operations.
You could put some styrofoam blocks into that big empty space.
Mike.
My You Tube
mbinsewiI like Frank's reply,
I do too, except —
If you look at the Walthers retaining wall it doesn't come with ANYTHING to support the track.
Wal_retainingwall by Edmund, on Flickr
So you would need to put something in there?
That's my opinion, anyway.
The instructions for the elevated commuter station are similar, NO deck material is provided and Walthers suggests 1/8" styrene x 15.75" long. Personally, I'd like more support for my track than 1/8 styrene.
Directions can be downloaded here:
https://www.walthers.com/elevated-commuter-station-kit
As far as the city bridge, I would use bridge track with a guard rail, like the Shinohara or ME stuff.
Ed
The kit He has really is just extensions for the concrete overpass kit or the steel overpass kit. There are many streets in Chicago and other cities that have those same type of retaining walls with side walks running down one side at the retaining wall then the street, instead of just a large roadbed, that would simply wash away in time. That would be where You would use your cork, not on the overpass itself:
The Steel overpass with wing walls instead of the concrete retaining wall as He has.
https://www.walthers.com/urban-steel-overpass-kit?ref=1
The concrete overpass kit, both of these were designed to use with the kit He has:
https://www.walthers.com/urban-concrete-overpass-kit?ref=1
Look at the video that is on the right side of the above link........
Ed, I know nothing about the kit, but if it is just an empty space, like the instructions that you posted show, then I still would use styrofoam blocks, or layers of what foam one might have on hand, to fill the space, and act as a road bed.
I guess the consideration would be the actual road bed height to fit the passenger platforms, as Boris mentions.