AMI - one person's experience

[Anonymous]

I've heard of that. Again the master of ballasting and hand laying track, as well as using silt is the above retired CN maintance manager. He never bothers to worry about turnouts stickying as he works on every one and "frees" them up. I'll watch him the next time he does it and report back - should be in next week or two.

[Anonymous]

I've heard of that. Again the master of ballasting and hand laying track, as well as using silt is the above retired CN maintance manager. He never bothers to worry about turnouts stickying as he works on every one and "frees" them up. I'll watch him the next time he does it and report back - should be in next week or two.

[der5997]

Rick: I think I'll try some ballating directly on the AMI with an earth powder (we're diggind an ornamental pond right now, so there is a choice of real earths available, and a toaster oven handy for "cooking" small batches [:0] ) Can't say when I'll get round to this, but will report what happens.
Avodaleguy's turnout treatment surely sounds good too. Wasn't one of the 101 "Tips for model railroaders" to oil the points of a turnout before ballasting so that ballast glue had a harder time sticking to the rails ect?

[der5997]

Rick: I think I'll try some ballating directly on the AMI with an earth powder (we're diggind an ornamental pond right now, so there is a choice of real earths available, and a toaster oven handy for "cooking" small batches [:0] ) Can't say when I'll get round to this, but will report what happens.
Avodaleguy's turnout treatment surely sounds good too. Wasn't one of the 101 "Tips for model railroaders" to oil the points of a turnout before ballasting so that ballast glue had a harder time sticking to the rails ect?

[Anonymous]

Der
I am using the silt up to the AMI. I will put it on first; I'm not using it as road bed but as earth where there is normally earth on the layout. I will paint on about a 70/30% ratio of white glue to water on the MDF (what I am using) and let it dry. After I have done that, I will then apply the ballast, using white glue/water 50/50% mixture.

Avondale
An excellent idea around your turnouts - worthy of being printed out and saved. I still have, afer laying 120 feet of layout, another 180 feet or more of layout to go. Your method sounds the best I have seen so far.

About sand:

The same guy who introduced me to silt also used train engine sand as his ballast on his HO layout. He is now retired, but was a maintance manager for CN at the Thorton yard. He took a bag of train sand home with him and used it for his ballast - again no problems over the years and it looks great.

Its too big for N scale ballast, or I would use that as well.

[Anonymous]

Der
I am using the silt up to the AMI. I will put it on first; I'm not using it as road bed but as earth where there is normally earth on the layout. I will paint on about a 70/30% ratio of white glue to water on the MDF (what I am using) and let it dry. After I have done that, I will then apply the ballast, using white glue/water 50/50% mixture.

Avondale
An excellent idea around your turnouts - worthy of being printed out and saved. I still have, afer laying 120 feet of layout, another 180 feet or more of layout to go. Your method sounds the best I have seen so far.

About sand:

The same guy who introduced me to silt also used train engine sand as his ballast on his HO layout. He is now retired, but was a maintance manager for CN at the Thorton yard. He took a bag of train sand home with him and used it for his ballast - again no problems over the years and it looks great.

Its too big for N scale ballast, or I would use that as well.

[Anonymous]

I committed to AMI back in 1993 when I set out to build a small lightweight layout in N-scale; not wanting to use plywood for subroadbed, I went with 1/2" FoamCore board, and since this will not hold nails I needed an alternative. AMI was the answer, and it worked PERFECTLY.

Now, I'm in the process of rebuilding my "big" layout, and while the original 1/4" plywood is still there (just as flimsy as ever), I'm overlaying it with 1/2" Foamcore. This allows me to reconfigure my track centerlines slightly, as well as fine-tune gradients by elevating the Foamcore. Of course, it also means that I'm using AMI exclusively. For turnouts, rather than place tape over the AMI to protect the points, I omit the AMI altogether, and let the turnout "float". The tape adds depth to the roadbed, depth which must be compressed once teh adjoining track is pressed into the sticky stuff. Instead, I use CA to glue thick cardstock to the underside of the turnout, of approximately the same depth as the compressed AMI, and then stop the AMI right at the rail joiners on the turnout. Conventional ballasting with diluted glue adheres readily to the cardstock, as it soaks in the glue; I tend to use glue even over the AMI just out of habit.

Another nice thing about AMI is that it has a lot of flexibility; my layout is in an attic space and goes through extremes of temperature, but I've had no troubles with my roadbed. Plus, as a bonus, I don't have any nail heads showing down the center of my ties!

[Anonymous]

I committed to AMI back in 1993 when I set out to build a small lightweight layout in N-scale; not wanting to use plywood for subroadbed, I went with 1/2" FoamCore board, and since this will not hold nails I needed an alternative. AMI was the answer, and it worked PERFECTLY.

Now, I'm in the process of rebuilding my "big" layout, and while the original 1/4" plywood is still there (just as flimsy as ever), I'm overlaying it with 1/2" Foamcore. This allows me to reconfigure my track centerlines slightly, as well as fine-tune gradients by elevating the Foamcore. Of course, it also means that I'm using AMI exclusively. For turnouts, rather than place tape over the AMI to protect the points, I omit the AMI altogether, and let the turnout "float". The tape adds depth to the roadbed, depth which must be compressed once teh adjoining track is pressed into the sticky stuff. Instead, I use CA to glue thick cardstock to the underside of the turnout, of approximately the same depth as the compressed AMI, and then stop the AMI right at the rail joiners on the turnout. Conventional ballasting with diluted glue adheres readily to the cardstock, as it soaks in the glue; I tend to use glue even over the AMI just out of habit.

Another nice thing about AMI is that it has a lot of flexibility; my layout is in an attic space and goes through extremes of temperature, but I've had no troubles with my roadbed. Plus, as a bonus, I don't have any nail heads showing down the center of my ties!

[der5997]

Rick "more of a powder." Sounds great for N. Strikes me most of the material we have available commercially for earth type ground cover in N is pretty large.
"I will bake it anyways at 450 for one hour " That should dry it out some!!!

How does this powder stick to the AMI? Any clumping or scaling off? I'm thinking of what can happen with powders in other applications where one touch too many results in a blob of the stuff coming off on one's fingers.

[der5997]

Rick "more of a powder." Sounds great for N. Strikes me most of the material we have available commercially for earth type ground cover in N is pretty large.
"I will bake it anyways at 450 for one hour " That should dry it out some!!!

How does this powder stick to the AMI? Any clumping or scaling off? I'm thinking of what can happen with powders in other applications where one touch too many results in a blob of the stuff coming off on one's fingers.

[Anonymous]

John,
Normally I would run a magnet through the dirt, but as I said my friend has had it on his layout for three years now; no problems with running, fungal growth (another person's prediction) or any other hazard. Though I will bake it anyways at 450 for one hour to make sure anything is dead. This stuff isn't anything like a sand consistency, more of a powder.

[Anonymous]

John,
Normally I would run a magnet through the dirt, but as I said my friend has had it on his layout for three years now; no problems with running, fungal growth (another person's prediction) or any other hazard. Though I will bake it anyways at 450 for one hour to make sure anything is dead. This stuff isn't anything like a sand consistency, more of a powder.

[der5997]

Rick: Read somewhere that sand on layouts may cause problems. Something to do with iron particles getting in motor magnets, and windings. Fraser River silt may be iron particle reduced (and sawdust enriched? [:)] Might be worth running a magnet over the dry silt before laying, to see if much of anything comes up.
Regards, John.

[der5997]

Rick: Read somewhere that sand on layouts may cause problems. Something to do with iron particles getting in motor magnets, and windings. Fraser River silt may be iron particle reduced (and sawdust enriched? [:)] Might be worth running a magnet over the dry silt before laying, to see if much of anything comes up.
Regards, John.

[Anonymous]

I've seen the sheets of AMI for yards at one of the LHS's here but I haven't used it. First I don't have a traditional yard as most layouts do. But I would have still used the strips.

I am using another technique a friend of mine used on his layout. In his yard, he used dried, powdered river silt from the Fraser River in Vancouver, British Columbia. We went about a month ago and harvested some for me. His dirt really looks good (very light colour) and I thought I would use it as my base coat instead of paint. Seems to me if something shows through, real dirt will look better than paint. So I am using the river silt in my yards and along parts of my layout.

[Anonymous]

I've seen the sheets of AMI for yards at one of the LHS's here but I haven't used it. First I don't have a traditional yard as most layouts do. But I would have still used the strips.

I am using another technique a friend of mine used on his layout. In his yard, he used dried, powdered river silt from the Fraser River in Vancouver, British Columbia. We went about a month ago and harvested some for me. His dirt really looks good (very light colour) and I thought I would use it as my base coat instead of paint. Seems to me if something shows through, real dirt will look better than paint. So I am using the river silt in my yards and along parts of my layout.

[der5997]

Rick: I'm very glad I tried AMI ,not least because of the ease of track adjustment. I well remember the difficulties of making adjustments with cork road bed and track pinned down with track nails. However, I've several sections of my track now directly glued to insulation foam board. Adjustment in this case isn't difficult either since the glue I used was ordinary white glue. This is water soluable. So, all it needs is a good soak under a wet cloth for a few hours. The glue truns white again, you can tell when it's ready. Slide a scraper under the track, and gently move the track to where you want it. Scrape off any glue that isn't where it should be. Re-apply new glue (dilute white, drop by drop, every few ties. Lift the track just enought to get the glue to sit down in the ties. Weight the track until the glue sets up.) I use this for yards and hidden track areas.
I see from the AMI web site that they also do sheets of roadbed. Have you tried this for a yard?

[der5997]

Rick: I'm very glad I tried AMI ,not least because of the ease of track adjustment. I well remember the difficulties of making adjustments with cork road bed and track pinned down with track nails. However, I've several sections of my track now directly glued to insulation foam board. Adjustment in this case isn't difficult either since the glue I used was ordinary white glue. This is water soluable. So, all it needs is a good soak under a wet cloth for a few hours. The glue truns white again, you can tell when it's ready. Slide a scraper under the track, and gently move the track to where you want it. Scrape off any glue that isn't where it should be. Re-apply new glue (dilute white, drop by drop, every few ties. Lift the track just enought to get the glue to sit down in the ties. Weight the track until the glue sets up.) I use this for yards and hidden track areas.
I see from the AMI web site that they also do sheets of roadbed. Have you tried this for a yard?

[Anonymous]

The above link doesn't work as there is one to many characters in the url so instead use this link:

http://www.ami-roadbed.com/

[Anonymous]

The above link doesn't work as there is one to many characters in the url so instead use this link:

http://www.ami-roadbed.com/

[jrbarney]

For those that are interested, the URL for AMI Instant Roadbed is:
<http://www.ami-roadbed.com>. It includes instructions and a price sheet plus a Frequently Asked Questions file. Bob Barney

[jrbarney]

For those that are interested, the URL for AMI Instant Roadbed is:
<http://www.ami-roadbed.com>. It includes instructions and a price sheet plus a Frequently Asked Questions file. Bob Barney

[Anonymous]

Even after I wrote the above, I am still doing some micro adjustments to my track, and I keep wondering how "normal" people do it without AMI.

[Anonymous]

Even after I wrote the above, I am still doing some micro adjustments to my track, and I keep wondering how "normal" people do it without AMI.

[Anonymous]

Great write up. I have some AMI I was hesitating to use on my new layout and this encourages me to use it.

[Anonymous]

Great write up. I have some AMI I was hesitating to use on my new layout and this encourages me to use it.

[der5997]

I'm really appreciating the AMI on my N layout. It even can be "reconstituted" if it gets old and not sticky enough to hold balast, for instance. (As when a section of track has been layed and the balast crew does show up for a year or two [:)] Just use a hair dryer to warm the stuf up. (Or a low temperature setting in an oven if the whole roll is getting on in years) As Rick says, this stuff is forgiving! I especially like the ability to produce super elevation on curves by pressing more firmly on the inside rail when laying the track. Beware of drill through this stuff. It gets caught up on drill bits like iron filings to a magnet [:o] What you have to do is cut out a way larger section of the AMI than you thinkis necessary, drill the hole, and put the AMI back. BTW, ordinary paint thinner cleans off a clagged up drill bit like magic.

[der5997]

I'm really appreciating the AMI on my N layout. It even can be "reconstituted" if it gets old and not sticky enough to hold balast, for instance. (As when a section of track has been layed and the balast crew does show up for a year or two [:)] Just use a hair dryer to warm the stuf up. (Or a low temperature setting in an oven if the whole roll is getting on in years) As Rick says, this stuff is forgiving! I especially like the ability to produce super elevation on curves by pressing more firmly on the inside rail when laying the track. Beware of drill through this stuff. It gets caught up on drill bits like iron filings to a magnet [:o] What you have to do is cut out a way larger section of the AMI than you thinkis necessary, drill the hole, and put the AMI back. BTW, ordinary paint thinner cleans off a clagged up drill bit like magic.

[Anonymous]

AMI has been around a lot longer than most of us are aware. I can recall grabbing a very very old MR and reading through it; and there before me was an add for AMI. For some reason, we seem to still treat it as a new product, whereas in reality its older than about half of the forum members here.