When I did my son’s 4x8, I used the HO track and HO scale roadbed…
Looking at some of the pics that Bob grech has done, and also some pics from other modeler’s, it appears that the track isnt raised up any when compared to the surroundings. so it looks like no roadbed has been used.
not using roadbed, and just having the track down on the subsurface of the layout and then just having the balast sprinklied around it, seems like skipping a step, but some, well, all of the results i have seen of “low” track look great.
is this a method many of you use?
I am thinking of doing my own shelf layout of 1’ wide by 18’ long and I am contemplating going with no roadbed.
First I always recommend roadbed for layouts for smooth and quiet running.
Now…As for me…I have gone both ways depending on the type of layout.On my few main line loop layouts I have use cork roadbed EXCEPT in yards and industrial sidings…On my past 2 branch line layouts I use N Scale roadbed for a low profile look…I do not use any roadbed as such on my industrial switching layouts but,have use Woodland Scenics 12" x 24" Track-Bed Super Sheet (ST1477) as I did on my Jackson yard section.
In addition to raising the track above ground level, as most main line track is, roadbed is/was used for noise reduction and being an easier material to fasten track to than the subroadbed. Most roadbed materials cannot support themselves without deflection for more than a few inches, so a subroadbed (plywood, foam, or spline) is used to support the roadbed.
You can glue track directly to foam and plywood, but this tends to be quite noisy. Other alternatives commonly used are to achieve the “at ground level” look are to fill in the between roadbed spaces with thin foam, and use thinner roadbed materials (N roadbed in HO for example).
when you use the cork for the main line and no roadbed for the yards, how did you transition the descent from the main to the yard? i cant imagine that there is this sudden drop in track height. if you raised the yard up to the height of the main line, isnt that actually putting a roadbed under the whole yard? using a sheet say 8" wide?
That is one of my thougths, getting sheets of cork, covering the entire layout sub base, and then cutting away the cork where i dont want it. it may sound like a waste, but since the layout is only 1’ wide it made sense to me.
The problem isn’t the roadbed, as most mainline ballast has a high profile. It’s the surrounding scenery that’s different, even the most flat places aren’t perfectly flat.Try using n scale roadbed, it has a lower profile,also don’t get into the trap of a perfectly flat world of table top layouts. Foam and plywood type layouts naturally tend to do this. Try using thinner foam and even pieces of corrigated card to creat little rises in scenery.If you’re using foam, you can even cut in gullies,creekbeds, what have you. Just look at real trackside details and create the same.
Kevin,I use short cardboard strips to “feathered” the incline for a smooth transition from roadbed to the yard or industry since the track was lower then the main line.
I am aware of the possibilities of using the foam and creating a non flat world…i used foam sheets on my son’s 4x8
One of my other thoughts on this switcher layout was to use the foam, and no roadbed, lay the track out and then shape the foam, digging down to create the real earth…this would allow the track to be level everywhere, and have the earth naturally hilly with dips as well, but that brought up the question of “should i put roadbed down anyhow?”
the layout is only 1’ deep remember, and when keeping that perspective, the depth can be kept mostly dead flat without it looking odd.
What i think i will end up doing is laying the track out on 1" blue board, drawing the outlines of the track, remove the track and take a metal wire brush and lowering the earth where i want it to appear that the track is raised on a roadbed. the first section of this layout is only 4’ long so this will be a managable test area too.
On a shelf layout you should be fine, one other thing I;ve toyed around with but haven;t tried is using 1/8 cork that’s sold in rolls at walmart and craft stores. It’s used for bulletin boards, its lower profile might work and transition to flat would be minimal.
I like road bed everywhere and fill in between the roadbed in yards with my version of ground goop. It gives a nice texture and alows me to have a little uneveness in the terrain.
when you use the cork for the main line and no roadbed for the yards, how did you transition the descent from the main to the yard? i cant imagine that there is this sudden drop in track height. if you raised the yard up to the height of the main line, isnt that actually putting a roadbed under the whole yard? using a sheet say 8" wide?
That is one of my thougths, getting sheets of cork, covering the entire layout sub base, and then cutting away the cork where i dont want it.
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You can sand cork if it’s well adhered to the subroadbed. I’ve used a fine-toothed hacksaw blade to “plane” down a ramp also.
I am told that you will get a lot of noise if you glue track directly to foam or plywood. I haven’t tried it myself, but I have nailed track directly to Homasote which was pretty quiet.
I am currently using WS foam roadbed on “pink” foam - strips for the mainline and sheets for the yard. I did pretty much what you suggested - I glued WS sheet down over the whole yard area and will cut off / out what I don’t need once the yard tracks are laid. But I only needed three sheets at $2.99 each since I’m doing an N-scale module.
When I’m building a layout for myself, I don’t worry about different track heights. I have the track all on the same level.
When I’m building a layout for someone who wants different heights between their main line and yard, I use cork roadbed that has been sanded so it has a tapered end. It starts off at regular height and gradually drops until it’s at, in my case, plywood level. Some modelers don’t lower the track at all. They trick the eye by raising the land. There are many techniques that can be used. I can’t possibly list them all here.