Which roadbed is easiest to work with especially around turns
Cork or rubber
Do you use roadbed in a yard
I used cork on my last layout and didn’t like it. I am going to use rubber on my new layout. Checkout the thread on AMI VS Woodland Scenics roadbed to answer your question. Yes, use roadbed in a yard but roadbed the WHOLE yard, not individual tracks.
I use cork - everywhere.
I have no experience with rubber.
Pls6,
I think you’ll find roadbed is one of those passionate subjects that has no common answer, and just depends on the preferences of the modeler doing the work. I’m like Mark… love the cork. Have tried the WS foam as well, but like the sturdiness in the cork. It’s very easy to work with and easy to lay around corners (when you split it down the middle). As much as I like it (and wouldn’t use anything else) I’ve seen plenty of posts from guys who are just as strongly satisfied with other types.
Something else to confuse your choices, I used R1 blue foam. Its 1/4" thick, used behind vynel siding, comes in fanfolded units 4 ft x 24 ft.
Easy to mark a curve, with centerline, and cutout. I used caulk to attach track to foam. Elmers glueall to attach R1 to OSB sub base.
In my yards, I used R1 and 1/2" blue foam in my main yard. Worked well and very economical.
Randy McKenzie
HO Virginia Southern
27x32 triple deck
I use the foam rubber by WS and am very happy with it. It’s sound deadening qualities are a little better. Either should work well for you. Once it is down and the track ballasted, there really isn’t much difference between the two.
I used California Roadbed precut homosote roadbed (advertises in MR) over plywood ribbon sub-roadbed I cut. Prime reason was that I want to hand lay my HO ties and rail and turnouts, and homosote is good for spiking. I did not want the mess and health problems in cutting the roadbed from sheets of homosote. The California Roadbed lays same way as cork (in two pieces against the center line, has slits on strips to be used on curves so it makes the desired radius, and has slanted edges for ballast in two angles based on newer or older era RR’s. In the yards I used California Roadbed’s small sheet sizes to cover the entire yard.
I am very satisfied with the results, have finished almost all of my ties, and will soon be ready to spike rail. I did latex paint the homosote after installing, and before laying ties. They also have homosote shapes to underlay all the normal turnout sizes.
Hal
I am going to be using Vinylbed on my new layout, because it is sturdy like cork but doesn’ t dry out like cork, and sound absorbant like foam rubber but more substantial than foam rubber.