Roadbed

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone.
I am getting back into model railroading and have my first layout all ready to go with putting down the cork roadbed.

Should I lay the roadbed a section at a time then place the track on top of it or should I lay the entire roadbed layout then install the track?

Are there any methods for fixing the layout as I lay the cork and track? I.E. if some of the sections of track were not perfectly flush when I tacked them to the plywood as I traced them out, is there some way to fix the alignment as I am laying the roadbed and track?

Thanks for your help
Donald Cathcart
Chief railroad operator
C.S. & R. Railroad Central

[thirdrail1]

Make sure your surface is flush BEFORE you start laying any roadbed or track. If you have any grades, make sure the change from level to grade is VERY gradual, not an abrupt change. No matter how well you lay your track, if the underlying benchwork is poorly built, your trains will not stay on the track. Most people lay most if not all of the roadbed before beginning to lay the track itself.

[Anonymous]

I'`ll just tell you how I've always done it myself, when working with cork over plywood.
First of all, I should mention that I've always used flex track, so I've never gone through that step of laying out all the track, & tracing it.
I start by marking the position of my turnouts on the plywood, using the actual turnout as a template. Using a heavy, black marker, I mark where the throwbar is, & mark the center lines coming into, & exiting both legs of the turnout. Now is the time to mark the position of any track crossings too. Test fit to make sure all these components fit the alotted space.
Now I mark my center lines, using a yardstick, with a nail in one end, & various holes drilled along its length, to hold my marker, & allow me to mark my desired curve radius. I use the straight edge of the yardstick to mark straight track.
I use the marked lines as a guide, & attach the cork on bothe sides of the black line with yellow carpenter's glue.
After the cork is down, I go back & lightly sand off any bumps, or rough edges.
Now it's time to tack down the track. Once again, I start with the complex trackwork first - turnouts, crossings, etc...