I read Chuck Hitchcocks 2008 article on using truck topper foam seal for road bed. Just wondering who has used it and how long did it last? I'm trying to compare this to WL foam road bed.
Thanx
Hi, Jim
Call me old fashioned... but
It seems to me that the foam used for the truck bed rails is just a little too spongy to make a good foundation for track. I have not read the article you refer to and maybe there are merits to the softer foam (less noise?).
Again, my tried-and-true method is Midwest cork roadbed glued to plywood using either caulk or "liquid nails" type mastic cement. The nice thing about the Midwest roadbed is that you lay each half individually so that you can follow your track centerline as you lay the cork. Then you can use a rasp (Stanley Surform type) to smooth out the edges and reduce any high spots.
Some of the different types of sponge foam seem to decay rather rapidly (ask anyone who has brass engines over ten years old) and some may not react well with some of the scenery materials and even track cleaning liquids may pose a problem. As I recall when looking at the Woodland Scenics foam that the stuff they use is the type that resists most kinds of adhesives and I would imagine that getting a nice "contour" for a ballasted edge would be a problem.
I'm not against trying new methods. I recall the time when a club I was involved in was using some brand of asphalt tape for roadbed. I forget the name of the outfit selling it but they did market it for track roadbed.
This stuff was a disaster! It refused to stick in some areas and stuck like roofing tar in others! We literally had to jackhammer this stuff off and destroyed many feet of track in the process... expensive lesson learned.
Maybe others will chime in here with their suggestions but for me, when it comes to the foundation for my whole layout, I don't want to experiment with "the latest and greatest" fad.
Good luck, Ed
I have been so disappointed with the different brands I have used on my truck over the years, that I would never experiment with them on the layout. Replacing it under all that track would make me very
The right tool for the right job!
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I've read at least one thread where it didn't hold up well in the long run. I suspect that, like many things on the market, there are one or two quality brands of that stuff anf a bunch of wannabee imitators that look the same, but just aren't.
For the life of a layout, say 20 years?, I'd go with cork or luaun, Luaun can be noisy. Used on foam, both will require some research to get the adhesive right. I put my cork down on wood using Dap water-based contact cement and it's worked well.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Model Trains Stuff price for Cork Roadbed: $6.99 for five 36 inch pieces. This works out to $1.40 apiece. That would seem like a pretty reasonable price for the stuff, considering what track costs now days!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/