Greetings everyone. Relative newbie to the hobby. Fan for ages just getting off my but to build a layout based off the general layout in MR Book - Build an N Scale Railroad that Grows.
In the book, they call for the use of cork roadbed. I inherited a full box of unused WS Foam Roadbed and will use that instead.
However, I am now left with a couple of questions after doing some reading. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
1. I've read that laying track with nails on the WS roadbed isn't advised. IS that really the case? If so how should I lay the track on the roadbed - this is N scale.
2. How in good graces do you lay curves? Just taking it and laying it over the curves I've created, it seems to crimp a little.
Again, any advice on laying the roadbed and track successfully would be very welcome.
Use caulk to secure it (even true with cork these days. That stuff is very hard to make do what you want as it is rather squishy. For curves in that stuff you kinda have to cut V notches to really make it lay flat. Also if you make a mistake with that stuff, you just can't sand and carve your way out (had a transition that I just couldn't get right at first, glad I could sand the cork).
I used the Woodland Scenics foam roadbed over most of my 10' by 19' double decked HO scale layout. I like that fact that this product's thickness seems to be more consistent than a lot of cork sheet products. The softness of this product also seems to help reduce track noise. It is because of this softness that track nails are not recommended. It is all too easy to overdrive a track nail compressing the foam roadbed and causing a dip in your trackwork. However, it is possible to use track nails as long as great care is exercised to avoid overdriving the nails. I used inexpensive latex caulking to hold both the WS foam roadbed to the layout (plywood in my case) and the track to the roadbed. I was surprised by how well this method holds the track.
If you examine each piece of WS foam roadbed, you will find that is has been partially cut down the center on either the top or bottom of each piece. Using a sharp hobby or utility knife, finish this cut to separate the two halves. Apply a thin bead of caulking along one side of your track centerline (draw the intended track centerline on the subroadbed prior to laying your roadbed and track) and smooth it into a thin film using a putty knife. Using one half of a split piece of WS foam roadbed, press the roadbed into the caulking with the center cut edge following the track centerline (I like to start on the outside of a curve). You will find that, like cork roadbed, the half width foam roadbed will follow curves much easier than the full width piece. The WS foam roadbed will stretch a bit to allow you to lay it flat around a curve. Just don't stretch it so much that you reduce the thickness of the roadbed by any appreciable amount. Continue with the caulking and split pieces of WS foam roadbed until you reach the next tangent. Allow the caulking to set, then repeat the process along the other side of the track centerline. This part goes a little faster since you just push the latest piece of roadbed up against the previously installed roadbed on the other side of the centerline.
Hornblower
I use WS Foam Track Bed in HO scale and I nail my track down through it into my plywood surface.
It works fine. You just have to stop nailing at the right moment so you don't break the ties or pull the rails out of gauge.
The foam roll and the foam strips are perforated down the middle so it can be separated. You definitely need to do that when laying curves.
Incidentally, if you are using flex track to lay your curves, solder the outer side of the rails and join two pieces together to eliminate kinks.
Rich
Alton Junction