For those that are interested I found a product that is much cheaper than cork for my road bed on my layout. The cost of cork was beginning to eat into my funds for building my railroad, some expense for the amount you get in a box. So I began laying my track directly on the blue foam without any road bed then applying ballast.
Of course this meant no elevation of the track from ground level. True it is cheaper but you have to sacrifice the look.
I thought there should be some way where one could buy a product, a fair amount for a good price and use it for road bed.
So that meant a walk through the big box hardware store and see what is on hand. So, I roamed the aisles just looking for something I could use when a light bulb went off in my little brain when I saw this one product.
It was this large roll of blue stuff which I found out was used as a sealant. When unrolled the material is about 1/4 inch thick and 8 inches across, That's when I realized I could cut this blue foam like material in strips, the width of cork and it could be used as road bed.
So I bought the roll for a couple of bucks, took it home, measured out a piece and cut out the strip the width I needed for demonstration.
Cheap, simple white caulk could be used to attach it to the blue foam base and I could hold it in place with small nails or push pins while the caulk cured.
After letting the caulk set I then spread a thin layer of caulk on top of the material and lay the track in place.
Instant road bed for a lot less than cork.
It also gives enough elevation that the ballast looks right.
I have re-done about half of the layout with this new road bed technique and it's coming along. I not sure if it would work for hand laid track with individual ties and track; although I smile when people ask me if my strack is hand laid, and I say,"sure it is, I laid every piece of flex by hand". Just another idea that someone might be able to use and save a little money.
Robert Sylvester
Newberry-Columbia, SC
Nice Robert. Not too long ago, someone else brought that up as an alternative for track bed.
It's actually sill seal. It goes between a concrete basement wall, or foundation, and the bottom wall plate for wood framing.
It looks like it works!
Mike.
My You Tube