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Sizing Cork as Roadbed

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  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Thursday, November 16, 2017 7:22 AM

Ditto Sheldon.  I'll be starting a new layout soon and will be using the CascadeRail product.  For my shortline, I'll use the 30 degree shoulder, 12 inches high (3.5mm) product, and a few transistion to subroadbed pieces.

- Douglas

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, November 16, 2017 8:03 AM

Doughless

Ditto Sheldon.  I'll be starting a new layout soon and will be using the CascadeRail product.  For my shortline, I'll use the 30 degree shoulder, 12 inches high (3.5mm) product, and a few transistion to subroadbed pieces.

 

OK, I gotta start a thread on this issue.

Rich

Alton Junction

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    February 2009
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Posted by railandsail on Thursday, November 16, 2017 8:17 AM

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

 

Does it roll up for shipping?

  • Member since
    November 2014
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Posted by sjcox on Thursday, November 16, 2017 8:53 AM

Nope,  there are a whole lot of 36" long boxes in the shop.

Steve Cox

Cascade Rail Supply

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Posted by railandsail on Thursday, November 16, 2017 9:47 AM

So I guess it is 36" lengths for shipping purposes?

What does it cost per 36" length?

  • Member since
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  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, November 16, 2017 10:12 AM

railandsail

So I guess it is 36" lengths for shipping purposes?

What does it cost per 36" length?

 

The prices and specs are right on his web site I linked to, qa of 6, 32" pieces, $7.26

Makes eight feet of roadbed.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by railandsail on Friday, November 17, 2017 7:56 AM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

The prices and specs are right on his web site I linked to, qa of 6, 32" pieces, $7.26

Makes eight feet of roadbed.

Sheldon

 
6x 32" = 192" = 16 feet ?
  • Member since
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  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Friday, November 17, 2017 10:38 AM

railandsail

 

 
ATLANTIC CENTRAL

The prices and specs are right on his web site I linked to, qa of 6, 32" pieces, $7.26

Makes eight feet of roadbed.

Sheldon

 

 

 
6x 32" = 192" = 16 feet ?
 

Each piece is one "side" of a section just like cork roadbed. Look at the pictures on the Cascade web site.

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, November 17, 2017 6:33 PM

Over several layouts, I can pretty much say roadbed does not matter once the scenery is in place. Ballast and glue hold the track more than spikes into whatever.

.

I guess if you plan to have a layout for decades with bare structural wood and no scenery, the roadbed might be more important of a choice and you would form strong oppinions.

.

I can honestly say on my layouts, I never need to see the roadbed for more than a few months or so. Once I am satisfied the trackwork is correctly installed, the ballast goes down, and the roadbed is never to be seen again, and certainly never thought of.

.

Cork is fine. Thicker is fine. If it looks to tall, drop down some more Woodland Scenics Green Blend to raise the adjacent scenery, all solved.

.

For mainlines I add adjacent scenery first, and ballast second. This makes the ballast look taller and neater.

.

For sidings and branches, ballast first and scenery second, then the roadbed looks lower and older.

.

The shoulder profile can be sculpted easily.

.

Trust me, this is not all that important. All that matters is the top 1/32". What anything underneath that looks like, gray, pink, polka dotted, etc... no one should really concern themselves with.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    April 2003
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 18, 2017 7:21 AM

Here are some neat roadbed diagrams for those interested, they may require NMRA membership to view.

https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/d9i.pdf

I have also found roadbed profiles in a civil engineering book at my local used bookstore.

Edit:

Cascade Rail Supply homepage has roadbed profiles with measurements as well.

https://cascaderailsupply.com/

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, November 19, 2017 1:54 PM

SeeYou190

Over several layouts, I can pretty much say roadbed does not matter once the scenery is in place. Ballast and glue hold the track more than spikes into whatever.

.

I guess if you plan to have a layout for decades with bare structural wood and no scenery, the roadbed might be more important of a choice and you would form strong oppinions.

.

I can honestly say on my layouts, I never need to see the roadbed for more than a few months or so. Once I am satisfied the trackwork is correctly installed, the ballast goes down, and the roadbed is never to be seen again, and certainly never thought of.

.

Cork is fine. Thicker is fine. If it looks to tall, drop down some more Woodland Scenics Green Blend to raise the adjacent scenery, all solved.

.

For mainlines I add adjacent scenery first, and ballast second. This makes the ballast look taller and neater.

.

For sidings and branches, ballast first and scenery second, then the roadbed looks lower and older.

.

The shoulder profile can be sculpted easily.

.

Trust me, this is not all that important. All that matters is the top 1/32". What anything underneath that looks like, gray, pink, polka dotted, etc... no one should really concern themselves with.

.

-Kevin

.

 

Kevin, the recent conversations about roadbed materials relates to operational stability of the track.

Yes, homabed or cork, the scenery effect is the same.

I will take the homabed every time for stability and working features during installation.

But, then again I am expecting my current efforts to last the rest of my life.......

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    February 2009
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Posted by railandsail on Sunday, November 19, 2017 6:53 PM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

 Each piece is one "side" of a section just like cork roadbed. Look at the pictures on the Cascade web site.

Sheldon

 

Why would someone price there product by 'half of a side of a section'?

So about $1 per foot. That's about the price ns flex track?
  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, November 19, 2017 7:28 PM

railandsail

 

 
ATLANTIC CENTRAL

 Each piece is one "side" of a section just like cork roadbed. Look at the pictures on the Cascade web site.

Sheldon

 

 

Why would someone price there product by 'half of a side of a section'?

So about $1 per foot. That's about the price ns flex track?
 

Respectfully, did you bother to take a look at his web site? He does not sell one 32" piece......

The product is sold in a bundle of six pieces for $7.26, prices vary with sizes and features. Those six pieces make 8' of roadbed.

It can be bought in a rigid straight version or a kerfed version for bending into curves.

He has verious thicknesses, turnout blocks, transition strips, different bevels, etc.

Like cork with a dozen options and better performance.

Yes about a $1 per foot. Atlas flex track is about $1.30 per foot from ModelTrainStuff if you buy a whole case of 100 pieces, that's how I buy it. So what?

Tell me, what it is that seems to bug you about this? If you don't think it is worth the money, don't buy it. But if you have never seen it, never used it, how you know if it is better than cork or not?

Some of the best modelers in the world were using homasote for roadbed 40 years ago. Many of those layouts, like the Severna Park Model Railroad Club, have stood the test of time and are still running.

Back then we had to buy 4x8 sheets and cut it out and mill it down ourselves. Today you can buy it ready to use, why reinvent the wheel?

Seems penny wise and dollar foolish to me?

Or do you just like being argumentative?

Sheldon

 

    

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