Roadbed & subroadbed

[Anonymous]

Ok, here's a stumbler - I think.

I just got back into the hobby after a rather long vacation; now the question -

Layout frame work is 1x4 wood frame on 16" centers, I prefer hand laid track & switches ( HO Scale code 83 rail ). Seeing I don't really like the preformed road bed and have been used to using cork but it is hard to find around here - what would you use as a subroadbed & roadbed. I think that I should let you know that Homasote isn't available here even at the newly opened Home Depot.

I was thinking of using 1" foam, then using 1/8" paneling ( just about the same as luan ), which also isn't available around here, and then maybe drive 300KM oneway to get some 1/8"cork or would this even be necessary.

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

JR

[rrinker]

Panelling or luan is going to be VERY hard to spike into for handlaying track. Since you can'e get homasote to cut your own, you might want to check out Homabed from California Roadbed Company. It's cut and milled homasote and comes in various thicknesses and widths, for main lines, multiple tracks, siding, etc. There's not too many materials that work like homasote when it comes to handlaying track. If you are going to use a glue method, or PC board ties and solder the rail in place, then it might not matter.

--Randy

[nfmisso]

JR;

If you are hand laying, with spike, Homasote is the way to go. Have you gone to thier website?
http://www.homasote.com/
The Menards in Minot is a dealer, call first:
Menards 101 28th Avenue SE Minot
ND, 58701 701-857-8900

[jkeaton]

North Dakota is a long way from Alberta!

jar1, homasote seems to be very hard to obtain anywhere in Canada - I've seen much discussion of this topic in the various Canadian model railway topics on Yahoo and elsewhere, and homasote only turns up sporadically in Canada - and never at Home Depot. It's odd that there doesn't seem to be an equivalent product here (like Durabond is the Canadian equivalent to Hydrocal), but there doesn't seem to be.

You might want to take rrinker's suggestion and look at ordering pre-cut homasote from the US, like California roadbed - or plan a roadtrip to Wyoming or Idaho sometime.

Jim