22" and 15"? I hope that's N scale. Or narrow gauge HO. Yes, that would need to be split. My layout had 30" radius curves, absolutely no need to split the WS foam to lay smooth curves with it at that radius.
Hard to see witht he track in place, but none of the roadbed here is split. The yard area on the right is on the foam sheets, not strips, but the main tracks down the center and starting to curve at the bottom are all on regular WS HO foam roadbed. The curve off in the distance to the track where the SW is sitting with a covered hopper, in front of the coal train on the main, is sharper than 30" radius, I don't remember exactly, but I think around 26". Didn't have to split that, either. The odd bit on the siding in the lower left is where the HO roadbed ends and the siding transistions to N scale WS foam. I just angled the end of the HO roadbed so it wasn't a big square end that suddenly got narrower.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hello All,
rrinkerWith foam, unless you are trying to do sharp curves, both sides go down at the same time, there';s no need to split it.
I respectfully disagree on the need to split foam roadbed. I use Woodland Scenics foam roadbed on my pike.
What would you consider "...sharp curves"?
The largest radius on my pike is 22-inches, the smallest being 15-inches- -I would consider that "sharp".
For all the curves I split the roadbed.
This way I could match the centerline of the curves to the lines drawn on the sub roadbed.
I put the outside of the curves down first. I use silicone caulk (add snarky comments here) and hold the roadbed in place with 2-inch "T" pins.
Then I matched the inside of the curve with the other section of roadbed, again using silicone caulk and "T" pins.
For extended curves I don't cut the ends flush, I "dovetail" into the next section(s).
At the end of the curve(s) I cut the roadbed flush with the next straight section.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
rrinkerIn my experience, two layouts now with adhesive and no nails, laying cork on the outside or inside first makes not one bit of difference
Same here. I lay the cork as convenient for the situation, and it just works out fine.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
In my experience, two layouts now with adhesive and no nails, laying cork on the outside or inside first makes not one bit of difference - the other side will need tome temporary attachment to hold it in place until the adhesive sets. And I don;t liek to lay one side, wait an hour or so, and then do the other side, I just keep riught on going, one side down, temp fasteners in place, and move right on to the other half - end joints staggared, but temp fasteners directly across from one another to keep from pushing the cork out of alignment. Really should do the same thing if nailing the cork down, too, not stagger the nails.
With foam, unless you are trying to do sharp curves, both sides go down at the same time, there';s no need to split it. When I do cork, I lay a bead of adhesive and spread it out so it's covering the width of both strips, so I can keep right on installing. I used long push pins, or whatever they might be called, and either I ran out of railroad to keep working on, or I ran out of pins to temporarily hold things down - that's what stopped roadbed installation most sessions. That's how fast it goes, if you get all your centerlines down (for cork) or the outline (for the foam stuff) ahead of time.
Lastspikemike For curves using split roadbed it is easier to lay the inside of the curve first. That then tends to hold the outside of the curve in place while the adhesive all sets up.
For curves using split roadbed it is easier to lay the inside of the curve first. That then tends to hold the outside of the curve in place while the adhesive all sets up.
I would think otherwise, as split roadbed, such as cork, the tendency is for it to re-straighten itself if not secured. If you're waiting for adhesive to set, you should have some temporary method for keeping it in place during the setting time.
While I did put my cork roadbed down mostly with carpenter's yellow glue, I also used 2" nails (I had half of a 50lb. box of them leftover after building my house) lightly tapped through the cork, then very slightly into the 3/4" plywood sub-roadbed. When the glue had set, I simply pulled out the nails by hand. I was, of course, laying both sides of the roadbed at the same time, with the end-joints staggered.
Wayne
Well, I dod not get a good picture of this.
I use cork, not foam, but the procedure is about the same.
I layout the outside pieces first on both the straight and diverging routes. Then I cut the inner pieces at an angle to fill in the gap.
Your work does not need to be neat. Ballast will fill in the voids and hide all of your mistakes. There is no reason to fill in your voids as you move along. That is just extra work.
This is going to be another one of those cases where there are many good solutions that all produce fine results. It is the results that matter.
Have fun.
I use Woodland Scenics foam roadbed in HO.
For straight turnouts (as opposed to curved) I put down the straight section(s) then cut the diverging track at an angle, as has been posted previously.
I have a set of crossovers that use reversed curved sections between the turnouts. The track distance is 4-inches (actual) from center to center.
For this, I split the roadbed down the centerline.
Then I cut sections to fit parallel to the roadbed on each side. To make the entire section flat I put the first section nearest the roadbed bevel to bevel. This leaves the next side vertical.
I can then trim the bevel off and fill the gaps.
Then I trim the stepped edges along the curves of the track at a bevel.
Once ballasted you can't see the parallel seams in the roadbed.
If you have sheet foam you can simply trace the outline of the curve(s) and cut at a beveled angle. This would also be true for curved turnouts.
You can do the same as with cork. Lay one side, say the straight route, continuous. Overlay the peice of foam for the diverging route. Cut through both layers with a hobby knife, the foam cuts easily - easier than cork. Lift off the diverging piece, remove the scrap from the straight piece, and place the diverging piece in place. It will be plenty close enough - any gaps or gouges will be covered by ballast.
Ted, welcome to the forums. Since your first posts are moderated, it may take a while for your posts to appear, but that will end quickly.
I did not use scenic foam, but I would imagine the cork I used will be the same. As Chip said, just cut the roadbed at the same angle. If you want to match the angle exactly, you can try using a paper template.
There are lots of expert model railroaders on this forum, so I hope you check back often. Let us know how your layout progresses.
York1 John
If you have sheets of the same material, simply outline the turnouts using a scribe or marker, pen will do, and then cut it. Shape the margins if you'd like them angled using a hobby knife or utility blade.
This is where a reasonable plan goes a long way. If you have relatively precise measurements of your space, curve radii, turnout # and placement/angles, you can simply place the customized sheetstock where you want the turnout, oriented correctly to a previously drawn centerline, place other elements of roadbed around the layout, and then overlay with track elements. With some driven-home track nails to keep everything in (temporary) alignment, you power it and run typical consists forwards and reversing, especially through any absolutely essential S-curves and ladders with smaller frog # turnouts.
Just cut the foam roadbed at an angle to fit.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I am building a small n-scale layout on a large foam base. I am using Woodland Scenics Track-bed foam for roadbed. It is going well on plain old straight and curved track, but I am not sure about turnouts. I have some of the Track-bed foam sheets that match the height of the linear roadbed, but what is the best way to cut the sheets for turnouts. I envision creating templates with margins that match N-scale rails on linear Track-bed, then cutting the templates so the linear Track-bed pieces butt against the sheet under the turn-out in order to connect the track. I'm sure most of you have solved this problem whether you use Track-bed, cork, or any other standard material. Would appreciate any comments on how to do this best for function and appearance. Thanks. -Ted Shoemaker