roadbed: cork vs woodland scenics

[Midnight Railroader]

I prefer cork.

[rockymidlandrr]

Well, I have used cork on every part of my layout and just recently tried WS foam in one of the yards as the trains there will mostly be standing still.  For me the WS foam was hard to use.  Yes, the roll was nice but making it curve like cork does is another story because Im too impatient for glue and have nailed all my cork down and the foam is hard to nail and lay flat.  The noise cancellation was about the same as far as I can tell, but those tracks that have it are not mainline tracks so its hard to tell.  The biggest thing that happened that will make me stay away from the WS foam is that I use a dremel cutoff wheel to fix the ends on my flex track, and when I would cut then end that hot piece of metal would melt all the way through the foam.  With cork it would just sit there and not harm it. 

[loathar]

davidmbedard

 Cork can be sanded.....WS cannot. 

David B

Couldn't get the ballast glue to penetrate the WS either. It just beads up on top. Probably the reason for the excessive noise.

[rrinker]

 Had no need to sand the WS, it was already smooth and flat.

                       --Randy

 

[rrinker]

 If your ballast popos off that easily, then your glue mixture never penetrated it and all you have is a shell on top. I had this problem truying to use the 'traditional' coupel of drops of detergent in the glue/water mix - it got hard, but the ballast was little more than a crust on top that easily flaked off. I switched to mixing the glue with 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and the problem went away. Also it was easy to see that it worked better as the glue was applied, the alcohol version you could see suck right down in the ballast.

I used the WS roadbed for the first time on my last layout and I love it, and will use it again. The rolls are handy because you can have long runs with no joints between pieces.

                                  --Randy

 

[NevinW]

feh

I'm ready to buy some N-scale flex track and roadbed online from nhshobbies.com. My question is: cork or the stuff from woodland scenics for roadbed? Pros/cons of each?

If woodland scenics, are the strips or roll preferable?

Thanks folks!

I've used both extensively and there is less difference than one would suppose. The WS is more flexible and comes in one piece. The cork comes in two pieces and the edge needs to be sanded or rasped smooth. I used the WS on my last layout and it lasted 5 years without a problem. the current layout I went back to cork at least partially because I wanted a sandy beige color and didn't want to paint the black roadbed. Both will work fine. - Nevin

[loathar]

2021

If you're talking about that black foam stuff, I am not pleased with it.  I have not tried the roadbed, but I placed the black foam mat for a yard area.  After ballasting, when you lightly press on it, it causes the ballast to flake (not on the rail sections, but rather between the different tracks.  By my way of thinking, stick to cork.   The roadbed might be okay but I would use cork.

Ron K.

What he said...
The roadbed is made of the same "squishy" material.

[jxtrrx]

I've used both -- cork and Woodlandscenics foam roadbed
I prefer the cork.

I had them back to back on my layout.

The WS is too "squishy."  I like the substance of the cork, and the rise it gives.  I also felt the WS foam was noisier.

[gandydancer19]

 Unless you are building you "dream" layout in a double car grage and you are not going to move, use whatever costs less.

[twhite]

I used the WS foam on my uninsulated garage MR only because the extreme dry temperatures out here caused my cork roadbed to grow brittle and disintegrate.  I like the foam, but if the climate out here were a bit different, I'd probably have gone with cork.  So it's pretty much up to the individual (and the relative humidity where you live). 

Tom

[superbe]

I've only used the WS foam road bed. I do HO and use N foam to make the transition from my mains to yard track. The foam makes this easier. My yard will be the layout top itself, but Ron makes a good point about the flexing of the foam. This is what makes it good for a roadbed but evidently no so good for other uses.

Bob

[TheK4Kid]

 I've used both ,cork and Woodlandscenics foam roadbed
I prefer the foam roadbed.

 

TheK4Kid

[2021]

If you're talking about that black foam stuff, I am not pleased with it.  I have not tried the roadbed, but I placed the black foam mat for a yard area.  After ballasting, when you lightly press on it, it causes the ballast to flake (not on the rail sections, but rather between the different tracks.  By my way of thinking, stick to cork.   The roadbed might be okay but I would use cork.

Ron K.

[steveiow]

I have just today,taken delivery of Woodland rolls and 2x1 mats for the yard areas.

I have never used this stuff before,however,I have read quite a bit about it.

I will let you now how I get on-HO by the way.

Steve

[feh]

I'm ready to buy some N-scale flex track and roadbed online from nhshobbies.com. My question is: cork or the stuff from woodland scenics for roadbed? Pros/cons of each?

If woodland scenics, are the strips or roll preferable?

Thanks folks!