Cork roadbed?

[challenger3802]

Question for you all, where do you guys get cork for your roadbed from? The only places I can find sell it by the square foot and charge high prices. Also what thickness do you get it in? Here in Britain it's 3/8" or 3mm for HO gauge

Ian

[Anonymous]

E-bay is a good place to look. Midwest roadbed. not sure of the size, to early in the morning.I have got it from e-bay as little as $12.00 a case.

[Anonymous]

Standard hobby @ $16 a case, Trainworld has ModelPower @ $18 a case.

[orsonroy]

Or, you could make your own. Ace Hardware has cork sheet by the roll, in various thicknesses, at 3 feet wide and about $1 a linear foot.

[cacole]

Check at a store that sells floor covering materials such as carpet, linoleum, wood parquet tiles, etc.. These businesses usually have sheet cork in large rolls of various thicknesses that is used under some types of floor coverings.

Note that the message originator is in Great Britain so he is unlikely to have an Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or Lowe's nearby.

[n2mopac]

Most building supply stores (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) carry it in bulk rolls. Here Lowe's does not carry it, but Sutherlands and Westlake's do. You can buy thinner (3/32") sheets in pre-cut 2' x 4' rolls or thicker (3/16") pieces by the foot in 4' wide rolls. I use the thicker goods. It is thicker than the pre-cut N scale stuff (I model in N scale). I like the thicker pieces as they give me more realistic elevation of the tracks. I believe this thickness is close to that sold pre-cut for HO scale. I also like it because I cut the edges square, allowing ballast to flow to a more natural contour. The 3/16" sheet goods sell here for approx. $3.75/foot. When you figure that a 1' x 4' sheet will make the equivalent of 16 pieces of pre-cut N scale cork at a preferable thickness (for me) that comes to about $0.23 per piece.

Ron

[challenger3802]

Thanks for all the advise listed above. I got some from B&Q. The research gathered on the web from the America stores was invaluable though!

Thanks again
Ian