A former thread talked of a transition from 1/4" mainline cork roadbed to 1/8" flat foam for sidings. Why go to 1/8" at all ? Just go from the mainline roadbed to the layout
[quote user=“Blind Bruce”]
A former thread talked of a transition from 1/4" mainline cork roadbed to 1/8" flat foam for sidings. Why go to 1/8" at all ? Just go from the mainline roadbed to the layout
I use transitions a lot: mainline is HO cork roadbed, sidings are N roadbed, and spurs or yard tracks are on the deck. The transitions between each level are 12" or more long with a gentle radius at top and bottom. I use an orbital sander and do a little at a time as the heat from too much sanding pressure will soften and lift the roadbed glue or distort the foam deck.jc5729
On my first layout, my sidings were the same height as the mainline and were installed on cork. Then I discovered that a company called California Roadbed makes transitions from Homasote that allow you to go from the mainline height established by cork roadbed down to “grade” for your sidings. Go to www.homabed.com and you’ll see their products. For a couple of bucks each, they save a lot of time and look great. Click “shims” under the products drop-down. I use their #10 mostly which is straight. They also make curveable shims. Realize that the thick end of the shim is actually a little higher than the cork roadbed. All you have to do is lay the shim next to a piece of cork and cut accordingly. For my yard, the shims worked great…a couple of shims at each end and the whole yard is down to grade. It certainly beats trying to lay cork all over the yard to get it up to the height of the main like I was planning to do.
Hope this helps.
Mondo