Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Originally posted by mrkimparker Best roadbed is still cork. While the foam stuff is easy to work with it will compress and even disintigrate on layouts over time. I hope my WS roadbed wont disintigrate I'm using it everywhere? Ken. Reply jrbernier Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: SE Minnesota 6,847 posts Posted by jrbernier on Friday, January 28, 2005 7:30 PM As long as the yard is not on a grade, many rairoads will have a dip in the center of the yard 'bowl' - this keeps cars from drifting out on the lead or main track. My yard(all 4 tracks of it) is a little lower than the mainline. I used 1/4" Homabed for the mainline, and the standard 3/16" cork roadbed for the yards and the sidings. I lay the Homabed about 12"-16" into the siding or yard, then but up the lower cork to it. I use a 'sureform' tool to sand down the Homabed so I have a nice transition to the lower track. This really looks nice for passing sidings. I also sand off the 'ridge' on the bevel of the cork, rounding it. Jim Bernier Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin Reply johncolley Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: PtTownsendWA 1,445 posts Posted by johncolley on Friday, January 28, 2005 4:13 PM Yes, the A/D track is next to the main and the taper comes after the crossover to be the A/D track in the yard direction and the drill lead in the other. The ladder and runaround tracks come off the lead. which is tapered to table top level. jc5729 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 28, 2005 7:28 AM Make sure that your yard is not only flat but level. You don't want your rolling stock actually rolling. Also, your turnouts don't work very well if they are on any kind of uneven surface. Best roadbed is still cork. While the foam stuff is easy to work with it will compress and even disintigrate on layouts over time. Typically the glue (I use Matte Medium) and ballast take over to hold the rails in place. Good luck. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:55 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy I wonder how they deal with drainage. Anyone know? [8D] The yard I look at in downtown St. Louis every day always has big pools of standing water all over the place for several days after each rain. [V] Reply Edit rrinker Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Reading, PA 30,002 posts Posted by rrinker on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:05 AM It's been working great, easy to cut and fit around turnouts and so forth. I haven't ballasted any of the real layout yet, but I did try it out on my test module, usuing Woodland Scenics medium ballast and a mixture of 70% rubbing alcohol and white glue, and it came out great. --Randy Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more. Reply DigitalGriffin Member sinceDecember 2004 From: Pa. 3,361 posts Posted by DigitalGriffin on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:00 AM Good tips johncolley, rrinker thanks. Randy, How's the woodland scenics roadbed working out for you? Does it ballast well? And what are you using to ballast it? John, The only transition space between the mains and the A/D track is the turnouts. That isn't exactly 12" you recommend to do a transition. Or do you put the A/D half way in height between the main and yard tracks? Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam! Reply CBQ_Guy Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: North Central Illinois 1,458 posts Posted by CBQ_Guy on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:47 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by foxtrackin RR's kept the track and road bed pretty flat in yards so that the guys hooking up the different cars to form trains could move around the yard in as safe of manner as possible. They would often use cinders in the yards for ballast. I wonder how they deal with drainage. Anyone know? [8D] "Paul [Kossart] - The CB&Q Guy" [In Illinois] ~ Modeling the CB&Q and its fictional 'Illiniwek River-Subdivision-Branch Line' in the 1960's. ~ Reply foxtrackin Member sinceDecember 2003 From: Michigantown, In 78 posts Posted by foxtrackin on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 8:13 PM RR's kept the track and road bed pretty flat in yards so that the guys hooking up the different cars to form trains could move around the yard in as safe of manner as possible. They would often use cinders in the yards for ballast. Reply johncolley Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: PtTownsendWA 1,445 posts Posted by johncolley on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 6:02 PM I, too, use different heights, to closely match prototype (although somewhere there is a prototype for anything we can dream up) I use HO cork for mainlines and passing tracks, N roadbed for other sidings and the A/D track. Yard and industrial tracks I put right on the surface whether plywood or 2" rigid foam board. I use a minimum of 12" to slope from one level to another, slightly rounded at top and bottom by shimming. 'hope this helps clarify it. jc5729 Reply rrinker Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Reading, PA 30,002 posts Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 1:17 PM Since I'm using the Woodland Scenic foam roadbed, I am sticking with their products. But what I am doing for sidings is using the N scale roadbed. I use the HO under the main tracks (layout is HO). For my yard area, instead of running a strip under each yard track, WS sells 2 sizes of wide sheets of their foam roadbed, this is what I will put down under the yard area, also using the N scale version so that the yard tracks sit lower than the adjacent mainline. It may not be exactly prototypical, but the heigh difference is noticeable but not ridiculously large, and it's easy to sand and compress the material to smooth the transistions - you do NOT want the siding to suddenly drop down. --Randy Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more. Reply mike33469 Member sinceMarch 2002 228 posts Posted by mike33469 on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 12:58 PM In the flooring section of Home Depot they sell cork off a big roll you can buy as much or as little as you like. I used it for a yard on my last layout. My current layout all yard track is laid directly on the Homasote. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:57 AM Most yards tend to be pretty uniform in height, which is why you can buy flat sheets of roadbed material to use in them. You can introduce slight variations in rail height by using shims under the ties if you want something other than a completely flat surface. Reply Edit willy6 Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Ridgeville,South Carolina 1,294 posts Posted by willy6 on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 10:14 AM I went to 2 train yards before i built mine. One yard had alot of space between tracks and the roadbed was distinctive, the other was the opposite, close tracks and roadbed blended in so i used the latter to save room. Being old is when you didn't loose it, it's that you just can't remember where you put it. Reply DigitalGriffin Member sinceDecember 2004 From: Pa. 3,361 posts Train Yards and Road bed Posted by DigitalGriffin on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 9:53 AM I started laying my roadbed for my train yard the other night and I looked at several photos of other yards. There seems very little variation in roadbed height in the space between the different tracks. Do people use a lower roadbed for yard work? I don't remember reading anything about this, but I may have missed that detail. ~Thanks as always ~Don Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam! Reply Subscriber & Member Login Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register Users Online There are no community member online Search the Community ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Model Railroader Newsletter See all Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox! Sign up
I hope my WS roadbed wont disintigrate I'm using it everywhere? Ken. Reply jrbernier Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: SE Minnesota 6,847 posts Posted by jrbernier on Friday, January 28, 2005 7:30 PM As long as the yard is not on a grade, many rairoads will have a dip in the center of the yard 'bowl' - this keeps cars from drifting out on the lead or main track. My yard(all 4 tracks of it) is a little lower than the mainline. I used 1/4" Homabed for the mainline, and the standard 3/16" cork roadbed for the yards and the sidings. I lay the Homabed about 12"-16" into the siding or yard, then but up the lower cork to it. I use a 'sureform' tool to sand down the Homabed so I have a nice transition to the lower track. This really looks nice for passing sidings. I also sand off the 'ridge' on the bevel of the cork, rounding it. Jim Bernier Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin Reply johncolley Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: PtTownsendWA 1,445 posts Posted by johncolley on Friday, January 28, 2005 4:13 PM Yes, the A/D track is next to the main and the taper comes after the crossover to be the A/D track in the yard direction and the drill lead in the other. The ladder and runaround tracks come off the lead. which is tapered to table top level. jc5729 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 28, 2005 7:28 AM Make sure that your yard is not only flat but level. You don't want your rolling stock actually rolling. Also, your turnouts don't work very well if they are on any kind of uneven surface. Best roadbed is still cork. While the foam stuff is easy to work with it will compress and even disintigrate on layouts over time. Typically the glue (I use Matte Medium) and ballast take over to hold the rails in place. Good luck. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:55 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy I wonder how they deal with drainage. Anyone know? [8D] The yard I look at in downtown St. Louis every day always has big pools of standing water all over the place for several days after each rain. [V] Reply Edit rrinker Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Reading, PA 30,002 posts Posted by rrinker on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:05 AM It's been working great, easy to cut and fit around turnouts and so forth. I haven't ballasted any of the real layout yet, but I did try it out on my test module, usuing Woodland Scenics medium ballast and a mixture of 70% rubbing alcohol and white glue, and it came out great. --Randy Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more. Reply DigitalGriffin Member sinceDecember 2004 From: Pa. 3,361 posts Posted by DigitalGriffin on Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:00 AM Good tips johncolley, rrinker thanks. Randy, How's the woodland scenics roadbed working out for you? Does it ballast well? And what are you using to ballast it? John, The only transition space between the mains and the A/D track is the turnouts. That isn't exactly 12" you recommend to do a transition. Or do you put the A/D half way in height between the main and yard tracks? Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam! Reply CBQ_Guy Member sinceSeptember 2003 From: North Central Illinois 1,458 posts Posted by CBQ_Guy on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:47 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by foxtrackin RR's kept the track and road bed pretty flat in yards so that the guys hooking up the different cars to form trains could move around the yard in as safe of manner as possible. They would often use cinders in the yards for ballast. I wonder how they deal with drainage. Anyone know? [8D] "Paul [Kossart] - The CB&Q Guy" [In Illinois] ~ Modeling the CB&Q and its fictional 'Illiniwek River-Subdivision-Branch Line' in the 1960's. ~ Reply foxtrackin Member sinceDecember 2003 From: Michigantown, In 78 posts Posted by foxtrackin on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 8:13 PM RR's kept the track and road bed pretty flat in yards so that the guys hooking up the different cars to form trains could move around the yard in as safe of manner as possible. They would often use cinders in the yards for ballast. Reply johncolley Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: PtTownsendWA 1,445 posts Posted by johncolley on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 6:02 PM I, too, use different heights, to closely match prototype (although somewhere there is a prototype for anything we can dream up) I use HO cork for mainlines and passing tracks, N roadbed for other sidings and the A/D track. Yard and industrial tracks I put right on the surface whether plywood or 2" rigid foam board. I use a minimum of 12" to slope from one level to another, slightly rounded at top and bottom by shimming. 'hope this helps clarify it. jc5729 Reply rrinker Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Reading, PA 30,002 posts Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 1:17 PM Since I'm using the Woodland Scenic foam roadbed, I am sticking with their products. But what I am doing for sidings is using the N scale roadbed. I use the HO under the main tracks (layout is HO). For my yard area, instead of running a strip under each yard track, WS sells 2 sizes of wide sheets of their foam roadbed, this is what I will put down under the yard area, also using the N scale version so that the yard tracks sit lower than the adjacent mainline. It may not be exactly prototypical, but the heigh difference is noticeable but not ridiculously large, and it's easy to sand and compress the material to smooth the transistions - you do NOT want the siding to suddenly drop down. --Randy Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more. Reply mike33469 Member sinceMarch 2002 228 posts Posted by mike33469 on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 12:58 PM In the flooring section of Home Depot they sell cork off a big roll you can buy as much or as little as you like. I used it for a yard on my last layout. My current layout all yard track is laid directly on the Homasote. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:57 AM Most yards tend to be pretty uniform in height, which is why you can buy flat sheets of roadbed material to use in them. You can introduce slight variations in rail height by using shims under the ties if you want something other than a completely flat surface. Reply Edit willy6 Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Ridgeville,South Carolina 1,294 posts Posted by willy6 on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 10:14 AM I went to 2 train yards before i built mine. One yard had alot of space between tracks and the roadbed was distinctive, the other was the opposite, close tracks and roadbed blended in so i used the latter to save room. Being old is when you didn't loose it, it's that you just can't remember where you put it. Reply DigitalGriffin Member sinceDecember 2004 From: Pa. 3,361 posts Train Yards and Road bed Posted by DigitalGriffin on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 9:53 AM I started laying my roadbed for my train yard the other night and I looked at several photos of other yards. There seems very little variation in roadbed height in the space between the different tracks. Do people use a lower roadbed for yard work? I don't remember reading anything about this, but I may have missed that detail. ~Thanks as always ~Don Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam! Reply Subscriber & Member Login Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register Users Online There are no community member online Search the Community ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Model Railroader Newsletter See all Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox! Sign up
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
QUOTE: Originally posted by CBQ_Guy I wonder how they deal with drainage. Anyone know? [8D]
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
QUOTE: Originally posted by foxtrackin RR's kept the track and road bed pretty flat in yards so that the guys hooking up the different cars to form trains could move around the yard in as safe of manner as possible. They would often use cinders in the yards for ballast.