While inventorying my supplies while in the planning stage for another layout, I came across a couple track elements I put together on a layout probably 25 or more years ago. I think I either thought this was cheaper than cork ballast, or more practical.
I laid out the switches and flex track on 1/4"X4" balsa wood, cut the basic outline, and tapered the edges. I then spiked the track into position. Never got around to ballasting. After all these years, there seems to be absolutely no movement or buckling.
I haven't checked the prices in detail lately, but on the face of it, it seems to me the cost, if the balsa is purchased from one of the bulk dealers rather than individually at an LHS would be competitive, as well as having an advantage of being able to work on a track arrangement on a workbench and then put a complete assembly in place on the layout in one piece would have value.
Anybody have any ideas about this?
Personally I wouldn't use balsa, but it is your railroad, do what you want.
Bob
Wouldn't balsa swell if wet? We use water and other liquids all the time in scenery applications. You could seal it somehow, but if a smidgen of the wood wasn't sealed by accident you could be in for all kinds of headaches. Just my thoughts but give it a try and let us know!
Matt
Indeed...balsa wood is highly water sensitive and is not appropriate for ballasting as it will swell and distort.Balsa is great for flying models,light and can be assembled sturdy,but it's about all it is good for.
You can use balsa as a roadbed as long as you're NOT going to ballast it. If you have any hidden trackage or staging tracks that don't need ballasting, balsa will work just perfectly as a roadbed. But you wouldn't want to get wood wet, especially balsa wood.
I'm in N-scale an use short sections of 1/8" balsa wood as a roadbed/decking for sections of track that cross over another in tunnels.
Untreated balsa would probably have pretty decent sound deadening qualities. Balsa shellacked (is that a word?) to withstand the usual ballasting methods would probably no longer have much sound deadening.
I have not bought balsa wood in some years but the last time I checked I was shocked by how expensive it had gotten compared to when I started in this hobby circa 1960. Balsa was really cheap then which is why E.L. Moore used it in his structure articles. It was not the ideal material but it was cheap. Given its other disadvantages I wonder if balsa has now lost the cost advantage as roadbed it might have once enjoyed.
Yep -- I could go to the variety store, buy enough balsa to make some sort of little factory for my layout and while I was at it I could buy a balsa wood glider -- the cheap ones were 15 cents and didn't last long but flew well. The nicer ones were a quarter.
Dave Nelson
In addition to the moisture/swelling/distortion problem already mentioned, bulsa also is so soft that it tears apart with any hole or puncture. Mounting screws for things like switchstands would not be real stable into bulsa, and also once that hole is made, it would be nearly impossible to properly position any other hole closeby the "damaged" area. That is one of the benefits of Homasote, as it tends to compress back in after removing a screw, so that sometimes you can still affix things near where earlier holes have been drilled.
As also mentioned, one is welcome to try and it may work for you, but I doubt it would prove durable.
Bill
Thanks for the responses. I was hoping to save some money, since there are a couple basically model airplane sources where balsa can be purchased for a fraction of what it would cost per piece at a local craft or hobby shop. My future budget is going to be limited. Guess I'll have to stick to cork, and my rather limited supply of old Tru Scale milled ballast.
Cork will probably be easiest to use in the long run and probably cheaper too.If you look around you could probably get it online pretty cheap by the box.
There are some good cheap sources sources for balsa,butyou'd wanna specify the harder kind, which might be tough to do. SIG used to be able to supply Balsa indifferent hardnesses. I'd usse it for ramps from roadbed to plywood top and places like that. Probably should paint it too after you cut and shape but before you nail it down. BILL
EM-1 Guess I'll have to stick to cork, and my rather limited supply of old Tru Scale milled ballast.
Guess I'll have to stick to cork, and my rather limited supply of old Tru Scale milled ballast.
You can still get Tru-Scale roadbed from Trout Creek Engineering (http://www.troutcreekeng.com/bkho.html), as well as most other track laying supplies. Usual disclaimers apply; I am not associated with Trout Creek in any way.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
Thanks for the link to the Tru-Scale products. Might be able to use some of their products. I was thinking though, (wife says that's a bad habit of mine) I might miss their not showing the old Tru Scale High Speed switches. Those were switches where the point/frog assembly was in one piece with a pivot, and the frog actually closed to try to provide a smooth gapless transition to minimize derailments thriugh the frog. I think they started at #8. And I guess they probably don't have the self guaging roadbed where one fastens down the roadbed, the rail spikes to the ties in milled slots in the milled ties. The milled ties even had raised areas at the rail slots that resembled tie plates.
EM-1 Thanks for the link to the Tru-Scale products. Might be able to use some of their products. I was thinking though, (wife says that's a bad habit of mine) I might miss their not showing the old Tru Scale High Speed switches. Those were switches where the point/frog assembly was in one piece with a pivot, and the frog actually closed to try to provide a smooth gapless transition to minimize derailments thriugh the frog. I think they started at #8. And I guess they probably don't have the self guaging roadbed where one fastens down the roadbed, the rail spikes to the ties in milled slots in the milled ties. The milled ties even had raised areas at the rail slots that resembled tie plates.
Trout Creek Engineering bought up old the remaining stock of Tru-Scale, and are not making new. They just might still have some of the self-gauging roadbed - it would be worth a call. A more modern and realistic version would be Central Valley tie strips mounted on the the plain roadbed. The CV tie strips are self gauging, highly detailed, and much more adaptable than the milled roadbed. Rail can be glued or spiked or crimped into the CV tie strips, and they will work with ME code 83, 70, and 55 rail. Matching turnout kits are available. CV stuff and accompanying details and modifications are available from Proto87 Stores (http://www.proto87.com/ho-track.html).
I think it's highly unlikely you'll easily find any of the High Speed switches. They were wonderful for reliable tracking at the price of less than stellar realism. Unfortunately, Atlas Custom-Line pretty much pushed the Tru-Scale switches out of the market with lower prices and easier initial setup and wiring (and a little support from placement in MR project layouts). The limited sales of the Tru-Scale turnouts have made owners value and hang onto the ones they have, kind of like the Marnold lever rheostats.
hope this helps
Perhaps the reference to the Tru-Scale product provides an alternative to the balsa wood inquiry: Tru-Scale is indicated as basswood. Basswood in many shapes, including flat sheets and strips, is available in hobby shops and craft shops.
In my O/p balsa would be a big/costly mistake. I have seen where guys have mounted complex turnouts like double slips etc. on thin sheets of plywood the type the model plane guys use but plywood is definitely stronger and more durable then balsa.
Using balsa wood you would not be able to have ballast shoulders if you so desired and yes as soon as it gets wet warp city. Cork is probably the most cost effective for he average modeler and works very well to some degree. If yu want to save your self some money and don't really care what the cost is go to a local Home Depot and get yourself a 4x8 sheet of homasote a brand new fine tooth blade for your table saw and your shop vac. put the saw in your driveway and have at it making home made Homasote roadbed. If not for nothing else it will be a learning experience.
Personally, I think balsa wood is a mistake, but like the man said, it's your railroad - do what you want.
On the other hand, have you considered buying a sheet of homosote, and cutting your own roadbed (use a Skil saw w/ a knife blade in it - less dust!)
It is fairly cheap in the long run. I've been using it for over twenty years. I handlay my track and it holds spikes beautifully!
biL
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