how many of you use cork rodbed on your layouts? Is it worth the trouble? Dose it make the train perform better? I don’t think i have enough of it for my new layout and am not shure if i should buy more or just put the track right on the plywood like my old layout. Help!!![:)]
Shawn, the cork will make trains run quieter.
I’m using it on my layout & have had no trouble with it.
I don’t have enough for my layout so I’ve used what I have, over & over a few times, & will proceed track laying when I get some more.
Gordon
thanks alot!!! i think i may use it but my local hobby shop dosen’t even have any!!! so i may not be able to buy more.
Hi Shaun,
I also use cork. The price I recently paid was $184/3 feet section.
Shawn, have you checked out Bluewater Hobbies in Port Huron?
All they carry is trains & they should have some in stock.
Gordon
CORK:
Trains run better. Look better. & smooth’s out wood imperfections.
I have sound, so even use Double thickness (‘HO’ gauge on top of ‘O’ gauge). If you visit your favorite main line you’ll find this is also how it looks - double profile.
Do you want to play trains, or model after the real thing?
I have used both cork and Woodland Scenics foam roadbed with great results in N scale. The foam seems to stay flexible and is easy to fit to curves. Cork is more rigid. Once the ballast is down, I believe the quiet running is reduced. I have two unopened cartons of cork plus nearly two cartons of homasote. Anyone interested?
Shaun you also use the cork used for floors or bulletin boards more work to cut but may be a solution to your problem.
DT
personally i think the cork looks ugly!!! the tracks looks lke it’s 10 feet off the ground. I know mainline tracks are up higher than the rest but it still looks funy to me. Most of the tracks in my area even the mainline dossen’t look like it has a “roadbed” underneath
Well if you don’t like the looks of it, it’s your railroad, don’t use it. It’s really that simple. But it occurs to me that you asked the question to start with. [%-)]
Looks to me like the ballast profile on your signature photo would be hard to achieve with just track on plywood, but hey, what do I know. You could try using a thinner thickness of cork (not sure what scale you model in) than the commercially made cork roadbed for your scale. I’m building my yard and sidings without cork, but Í’m using it on the mainline. It’s all personal choice. Do what you feel comfortable with.
Regards
Ed
ya i may not use the cork roadbed. On my previous layuouts i didn’t and it looked fine. Also i model in HO
Cork is getting expensive.[:D]
I am guessing it was $1.84/3 feet.
In N scale I use HO cork under main lines, N cork under sidings and secondary lines and no cork under spurs and industry tracks. That’s what looks right to me.
The photo in your signature doesn’t show much depth to the roadbed, however there is some. If it is typical for your area, I think I would at least use thin cork cut from a sheet under the track.
I used cork on my last layout and it is easy to cut, shape, etc. It helps a great deal. I used cork over homasote - this combination worked well for driving and holding spikes (nails).
I use cork. I find it easy to use. With a suraform plane it is easy to smooth. I think it’s quieter than just putting the track on bare plywood.
Enjoy
Paul
Hi Shaun, Cork is great. I’ve just finished researching about this topic, and just starting laying my track in my new layout. I was tempted to use Mastic Tape, but I didn´t like how it looked and I like my track nailed. I bought cork sheets and cut them myself using a special tool to have the 60° profile. For mainlines i use 5mm and for spurs I use 3mm. For transition I use a small sheet of stryrene. In yards I cut a whole sheet of cork, I found no need for profiling ballast here. It’s a matter of taste. I really like the visual effect of ballasted roadbed, even if it is not prototypical. Is more about proportions than perfect scale.
I got my HO cork cheap from Standard Hobby online. it was only 4.5mm thick instead of the more common 5mm, and it was a bit softer than other cork roadbeds I’ve seen. Both of these seem to be good things to me 
If you want to run quiet don’t use nails or spikes, use glue to hold your track down, and choose something that dries flexible. Likewise when gluing ballast - a rigid glue just transmits the noise.
If you want a lower trackbed profile, just build up the surrounding area with some plaster or dirt or ballast, with a flexible adhesive. Make sure you don’t run a hard inflexible scenery shell right up to the track, else you are back to square one on the noise thing again
Real trains don’t sound like they are running on a plywood table