Handlaying w/foam roadbed.....

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m in the middle of planning/starting a layout and will be using flextrack w/ (probably) Woodland Scenics foam roadbed. Intent is to use available prefab turnouts. However…digging through some old boxes a few days back, I came across about 12 BK turnouts, about 100 ft of c83 weathered RailCraft rail and a couple thousand Keppler Sugar Pine ties (stowed away years ago left over from previous layout). Would like to use these turnouts/rail/ties but unsure about handlaying 'em on the foam roadbed. Any suggestions on how to go about it. I have a sheet of Homasote (also a leftover from way-back-when) that I could use but could present a problem cutting it in to the foam (non-matching height).

Suggestions? (sorry for long post/question)

Charlie McCullough

2

Hello Charlie,

Foam won’t hold spikes in place, an ability Homasote has that makes it so well-suited for handlaid track.

If you want to use both materials, devise a transition from the Homasote to the foam using shims or risers under the subroadbed to match the vertical height. Handlay track on the Homasote, then lay pre-fab track onto part of the Homasote and over onto the foam roadbed.

Hope this helps,

Paul Schmidt

3

I started with foam roadbed but found that when you drive the track spikes in through the ties the foam compresses and can break the glue bond between it and the ties. Now I use flex track on the foam roadbed and have put cork under my handlayed turnouts. Hope this helps.
Chris