What did you guys use as roadbed for your engine facility?

[DigitalGriffin]

The walthers table and roundhouse match up perfectly with walthers shinohara track IF you put the track down with no roadbed beneath it. 

So to correct this you have to elevate the roundhouse, turntable, etc.  

What did you use?  I have some .15" cork sheet.  But I'm thinking this is too thick.  (.20" is standard roadbed in HO scale)

 

[Beach Bill]

I have a different roundhouse, but also wanted to elevate it to provide more clearance at the doors.  My roundhouse is "stone", but this idea should work just fine for the "brick" building as well.  I bought some white plastic strip styrene.  It comes in various sizes from Evergreen Scale Models and other suppliers.  Find some that has a dimension that matches the thickness of the wall;  perhaps 1/4" thick by 1/8" high for example.  Painted "concrete", it will look like the roundhouse is on a concrete foundation.  Pick a size to not only match the width of the wall but also the amount of height needed.   Good luck.

Bill

[RR_Mel]

I went with Balsa, easy to work with and it looks good after Acrylic concrete colored paint . . . .  weathers good too.

 

Mel

 

 

Modeling the SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

[richhotrain]

Don, I use Woodland Scenics Foam Track Bed for my track, so I used the same stuff to elevate the round house and the perimeter of the Walthers turntable.  The Woodland Scenics Foam Track Bed is 5mm in HO scale.

Rich

[Anonymous]

I used Midwest cork to elevate both the Walthers roundhouse and 130' TT.  I am using Atlas code 83 and ME code 83 for the TT leads and the roundhouse tracks.  The Atlas and Microengineering track match up perfectly (rails lay flat right on the edge of the pit).

[NP2626]

My turn-table came mounted to a 1/2 inch thick piece of plywood.  So, I needed to build up both my roundhouse base and the lead tracks to the turn-table.  I knew I was going to want a base to build the roundhouse on, so I used a piece of Celotex ceiling tile as the base for the roundhouse.  I built my seven stall roundhouse on this base and still had to build up with shims underneath the base to get the rails on the TT to match the rails on the roundhouse.  The lead tracks where built from ½ inch plywood and cut cookie cutter style and shimmed up so the rails to match up the rails on the turn-table. 

[mobilman44]

My entire engine terminal area is covered with thin sheet cork.  There is no roadbed per se under the tracks. 

[zstripe]

mobilman44

My entire engine terminal area is covered with thin sheet cork.  There is no roadbed per se under the tracks. 

 

I basically have the same set-up as Mobilman44, but with 1/2'' Homasote on 1/2 smooth side ply. everything matches perfect, no need to shim anything and track is spiked and plain rail CA'ed in roundhouse. Have the DC 130FT turntable, never had a problem with it either, I don't use the pre-sets.

Take Care!

Frank 

[farrellaa]

I used Midwest cork roadbed and sheet stock (9" x 36") for the track and turntable; my roundhouse is on 1/4" plywood (may be less than .25" though). I used Atlas code 83 for all track at turntable including the roundhouse. I removed the ties in the stall/pit area and cemented them with CA liquid. I suggest using a track guide like shown in one of the photos to keep track aligned with bridge. My setup works great. All Walthers TT and roundhouse.

  -Bob

 

 

[tomikawaTT]

The engine service area at my 'end of the railroad' colliery, like all the other trackage there, is laid on soft pine - the 1X8 that serves as foundation for everything there (including the yard, the team track, the passenger station...)

The present turntable is a 'foobie,' a shortened length of Atlas snap-track rotating around the track nail in its center hole.  All the rest of the track is hand laid, four spikes per tie.

Plans are to install a proper turntable when I scenic the area - some time after I recover from my hip replacement...

The JNR engine facilities will be built on fan-fold underlayment over plywood, just like the rest of the post - 2004 railroad.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[NP2626]

On the lead end of my turntable I used cork road bed, like I said above on the roundhouse side, my track sets atop a piece of Celotex ceiling tile.

[DigitalGriffin]

Thanks for the ideas, pics and tips guys.

This is my second attempt at an engine facility, and I wanted it to be more "realistic"

I know service tracks didn't typically have the full height roadbed of mainline track.  But sitting them against the ground didn't look right either.

Standard HO roadbed is .20" thick I thought about N scale roadbed at ~.125" thick.  But I didn't have any handy

I found some .15" thick cork sheet 12" x 12"squares at walmart in the business isle.  It seems to be the right compromise.

 

[BroadwayLion]

LION uses no road bed. Track is laid on the sub road bed, in the case of this section, on pink foam. Cardboard was put between the rails to make a smooth surface for vehicles and workers.

ROAR