Cork road bed is typically sold in 5mm thickness for HO scale and 3mm thickness for N scale.
If my math is correct, that works out to be 17 1/8 inches in HO scale and approximately 19 inches in N scale. I don't know how accurately that portrays the prototype, but I do know that I really dislike working with 5mm thick roadbed in HO scale, especially for ballasting purposes and transitioning into yards at grade level.
I would strongly prefer to use 3mm N scale cork roadbed in my HO scale modeling, prototypical or not.
Do any of you do that?
Cork sheet is typically sold in thicknesses of 1/4 inch (6 mm), 1/8 inch (3 mm), 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), and 1/32 inch (0.75 mm), making it ideal for transition purposes.
Thoughts, comments, criticisms?
Rich
Alton Junction
We use N scale road bed frequently for sidings, yards etc as well as cork sheets. Ballast has a varying height because of the road bed/ right of way variations. But, I think the HO cork is of average height for a heavy mainline. A lot of short lines don't have much ballasting height vs surrounding ground at all--I can think of many areas with maybe 5" or less.
Richard
I have heard of folks using N scale cork on HO layouts for yards and sidings. Don't remember what they recommended for filling the center, whether they cut strips from a sheet or what.
Prototype varies some as the terrain varies. The depth of the actual ballast on the sub roadbed probably doesn't vary as much as what we see along the edges. If it is on a fill, ballast spills down the sides, on a level the track may not be far above ground level..Some probably depends on the type of soil and drainage in the area.
See no reason not to use it, expecially if you can come up with a fill between the two peices with sloped edges.
Good luck,
I use 1/4" for my mainlines, and 1/8" elsewhere. I cut my own from cork rolls.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
cowman I have heard of folks using N scale cork on HO layouts for yards and sidings. Don't remember what they recommended for filling the center, whether they cut strips from a sheet or what. See no reason not to use it, expecially if you can come up with a fill between the two peices with sloped edges.
My thinking would be to buy large sheets from an on line cork supplier to substantially reduce the cost.
If you cut the double main line road bed from sheets, you kinda resolve the center fill issue. Just cut it wide enough to accomodate both tracks.
I really like the idea of the 3 mm N scale height of the road bed because it takes a lot less ballast to cover the sides of the road bed even if the sides are not sloping.
I have used the standard HO cork roadbed in my yard areas. The material is actually 3/16" high. I use the cord pads sold through Walthers as well. One thing I do is 'sand' the cork with a Surform tool or my detail sander to get rid of the rough 'hard' edge of the cork. My 4 track yard has large cinder ballast between the roadbed strips, and then standard Arizona Rock & Mineral 'Yard Mix' ballast on top(up to tie level). The result is a nice flat yard area. I have used the 'N' scale roadbed and just cut up additional material to fill in center area. I also use lots of 1/8" and 1/4" Masonite to build pads for my structures. I use my version of 'Ground Goop' (patching plaster/latex paint) to fill in the ground areas.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I use the 3mm Funky Foam from Hobby Lobby. Three years ago when I started using it I couldn't find 5mm that is now available in sheets. Glad to know that others use 3mm cork without worrying about the looks. I always thought it looked fine and never really considered the savings on ballast until now. I cut it in a jig I made as detailed in the October 2013 MR magazine.
richhotrain I would strongly prefer to use 3mm N scale cork roadbed in my HO scale modeling, prototypical or not. Do any of you do that?
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
dehusman Sure. No problem. All of my track is on 1/8" Homabed or N cork . I use 1/8" balsa and sand it to wedge for transitions. For flex track, sometimes I don't even do that, just ramp it up or down. Once you glue in the ballast it doesn't matter.
Dave, what do you mean by "ramp" it (flex track) up or down?
richhotrain I would strongly prefer to use 3mm N scale cork roadbed in my HO scale modeling, prototypical or not. Do any of you do that? Rich
I, too, use 1/8" Homabed on the main and tapered Homabed down to the Homasote subroadbed for spurs , yards, etc. My decision was primarily based on the fact that on a modestly sized layout with relatively dense track like mine, the lower profile roadbed makes the trackage and its surroundings look less crowded and more spacious.
Dante
richhotrain My thinking would be to buy large sheets from an on line cork supplier to substantially reduce the cost. If you cut the double main line road bed from sheets, you kinda resolve the center fill issue. Just cut it wide enough to accomodate both tracks. I really like the idea of the 3 mm N scale height of the road bed because it takes a lot less ballast to cover the sides of the road bed even if the sides are not sloping. Rich
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
By center fill, do you mean between tracks, or between the rails of one track?With two tracks I thought each had it's own road bed. If you cut a curve out of a solid sheet does that not leave a lot of waste?I kind of like the split cork road bed for all but yard track.
Top of the morning all.
Lee
yankee flyer By center fill, do you mean between tracks, or between the rails of one track?With two tracks I thought each had it's own road bed.If you cut a curve out of a solid sheet does that not leave a lot of waste?I kind of like the split cork road bed for all but yard track.
By center fill, do you mean between tracks, or between the rails of one track?With two tracks I thought each had it's own road bed.If you cut a curve out of a solid sheet does that not leave a lot of waste?I kind of like the split cork road bed for all but yard track.
Between the tracks.
Piece of flex track.
One end on Homabed/cork, other end on surface.
Air underneath.
After its ballasted, solid underneath.
dehusman Piece of flex track. One end on Homabed/cork, other end on surface. Air underneath. After its ballasted, solid underneath.
Ahhh, thanks.
I'm not laying track anymore, nor did I use standard road bed when I did, but from what I'm reading here, if I understand correctly, using N scale for HO would leave a gap between each "side" of road bed? Several have made reference to "filling the gap" issue.
Wouldn't laying a bead of latex caulk in the gap and smoothing it out take care of the gap? Any high spots could be cut down with a razor blade. It would be cheap, and most likely one's track is getting latex caulked to the roadbed prior to ballasting anyway, right?
Just a thought...
Duane
Just to clarify my intentions, if I were to use N scale cork as road bed on my HO scale layout, I would cut it from large cork sheets, and I would cut it to extend beyond the width of the track.
Some replies may have misunderstood and thought that I was contemplating the use of pre-cut N scale road bed which would present a problem since it would not be wide enough to span the width of HO scale track.
Hi,
My mains and sub-mains are on traditional cork roadbed - about 3/16 inch thick. The yards and loco terminal rest on this cork sheeting - about half of the the cork roadbed height.
In some places I've added N scale cut cork roadbed to facilitate height changes. However, I used 4 individual strips rather than the 2 that one would use with N scale track.
Obviously this is costly, but I only needed about 5 feet of it to do what I needed to do.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I don't bother worrying about width or gaps. After you ballast that doesn't matter.
dehusman I don't bother worrying about width or gaps. After you ballast that doesn't matter.
True, but at least part of the idea of road bed is to raise the track, as on the prototype.
Once you start raising the track, you need to fashion a certain width to extend the road bed beyond the track and to avoid gaps that might make the track unstable.
richhotrain My thinking would be to buy large sheets from an on line cork supplier to substantially reduce the cost. If you cut the double main line road bed from sheets, you kinda resolve the center fill issue. Just cut it wide enough to accomodate both tracks. I really like the idea of the 3 mm N scale height of the road bed because it takes a lot less ballast to cover the sides of the road bed even if the sides are not sloping.Cork sheet is typically sold in thicknesses of 1/4 inch (6 mm), 1/8 inch (3 mm), 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), and 1/32 inch (0.75 mm), making it ideal for transition purposes. Rich
I really like the idea of the 3 mm N scale height of the road bed because it takes a lot less ballast to cover the sides of the road bed even if the sides are not sloping.Cork sheet is typically sold in thicknesses of 1/4 inch (6 mm), 1/8 inch (3 mm), 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), and 1/32 inch (0.75 mm), making it ideal for transition purposes.
Brian
My Layout Plan
Interesting new Plan Consideration
I have seen rolls of cork of at least 2 thicknesses in the local Michaels store. If you sign up for their emails, they send 25-40% coupons weekly.
4 years after he started this thread, I'll bet Rich has fiugred out what to do.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy....4 years after he started this thread, I'll bet Rich has fiugred out what to do
I dunno...Rich has been mulling over that airbrush issue for several years, I think, bringing it up for discussion every once in a while.
As for the roadbed issue, the height will vary, among other things, depending on the terrain over which it passes.In an industrial area, the height could be the same as the surrounding ground...
...while out in the countryside, there are often drainage ditches along the right-of-way...
If a track crosses areas of ground well below normal track level, the usual practice is to add fill upon which the roadbed and track can be layed...
...and as the ballast settles in the fill, more is added...
Wayne
doctorwaynedoctorwayne wrote the following post an hour ago: BigDaddy ....4 years after he started this thread, I'll bet Rich has fiugred out what to do I dunno...Rich has been mulling over that airbrush issue for several years, I think, bringing it up for discussion every once in a while.
Wayne,
Naw!.....Not Rich...He wouldn't do that....LOL...
Take Care!
Frank
zstripe doctorwayne doctorwayne wrote the following post an hour ago: BigDaddy ....4 years after he started this thread, I'll bet Rich has fiugred out what to do I dunno...Rich has been mulling over that airbrush issue for several years, I think, bringing it up for discussion every once in a while. Wayne, Naw!.....Not Rich...He wouldn't do that....LOL... Take Care! Frank
doctorwayne doctorwayne wrote the following post an hour ago: BigDaddy ....4 years after he started this thread, I'll bet Rich has fiugred out what to do I dunno...Rich has been mulling over that airbrush issue for several years, I think, bringing it up for discussion every once in a while.
Procrastinating Rich reporting for duty!
Four years later, i had to smile when I saw this thread of mine revived. In fact, it is most timely because here I am still pondering what to do with those mainlines.
Four years later, I am about to start a new layout, and I have decided to use Midwest Products N scale cork sheet for my new HO scale layout. Turns out, Midwest makes a 3mm thick cork sheet that measures 3 1/4 inches wide, the exact width needed to lay a double mainline in HO scale 2 inches on center. With Atlas flex track laid 2 inches on center, the outside of the ties measure exactly 3 1/4 inches apart.
Thoughts?
Rich posted..... Midwest makes a 3mm thick cork sheet that measures 3 1/4 inches wide, the exact width needed to lay a double mainline in HO scale 2 inches on center.
How do you intend on bending that full width around turns?....or would you be sliting it,...maybe even several times??
How easy is it the slit it really straight?,...rolls or sheets??
railandsail Rich posted..... Midwest makes a 3mm thick cork sheet that measures 3 1/4 inches wide, the exact width needed to lay a double mainline in HO scale 2 inches on center. How do you intend on bending that full width around turns?....or would you be sliting it,...maybe even several times?? How easy is it the slit it reality straight?,...rolls or sheets??
How easy is it the slit it reality straight?,...rolls or sheets??
Of course, I could do that for the straight runs as well, but the pre-cut 3 1/4 inch wide strips make the job easier and promotes razor straight track.
I would still use Homasote roadbed rather than cork......
https://cascaderailsupply.com/
It comes in two thicknesses, 5mm and 3.5 mm, ready to use for HO, as well as sheets for yards and such.
Sheldon
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I would still use Homasote roadbed rather than cork...... https://cascaderailsupply.com/ It comes in two thicknesses, 5mm and 3.5 mm, ready to use for HO, as well as sheets for yards and such. Sheldon
richhotrain ATLANTIC CENTRAL I would still use Homasote roadbed rather than cork...... https://cascaderailsupply.com/ It comes in two thicknesses, 5mm and 3.5 mm, ready to use for HO, as well as sheets for yards and such. Sheldon Sheldon, remind me, why do you prefer Homasote over cork? Rich
Sheldon, remind me, why do you prefer Homasote over cork?
Rich, it is firm but still sound absorbing.
It is already grey.....the color of ballast.
If you nail down track it holds nails or spikes well.
If you glue down track it is glue/adheasive caulk friendly.
If you mix commerical track with hand laid special work it holds spikes well.
It does not crumble if you need to sand or shape it.
I install it with a pneumatic brad nailer.
It is simply better.
Thanks, Sheldon. Something more to consider.