is roadbed all ballast, or ballast, and, something else in model railroad terms?
meaning do you lay down ballast then something else, or ballast then track?
Not building my layout yet just still researching.
The roadbed in “real” terms is as you believe in the raised gravel base, ties set, rails spiked then ballasted in and around ties and rails checked for straight, position, etc. Machines do this on modern RR.
We do something quite similar for modeling purposes. A roadbed (of cork, homosote, foam etc) is laid down under the track and on the “subroadbed” which can be a base of plywood, foam or spline. The roadbed, generally about 1/4" thick in HO, raises the track above the surrounding terrain which simulates the prototype and helps for sceniking surrounding landform, drainage ditches etc.
Once you have your trackplan centerlines transfered to the layout base, you set the roadbed. This is done in various ways, glued, caulked or tacked. The track is then laid on top and caulked, spiked or nailed in place. After you are satisfied with the track and it’s operation, you then ballast. Hope this helps out.
Ballasting is the LAST thing that you do in completing a roadbed. After all the surrounding terrain has been glued down and the ties with rails (attached and weathered), are either glued or nailed in their final position, one sprays on water with a few drops of detergent in it, and then using a tea spoon, one carefully sprinkles the ballast between the ties. Carefully, sweep any ballast from the top of ties, and rails and spray on adhesive. Vacuum the area to be sure that there is no loose ballast, that could ruin the mechanism of the loco. I like to cover the rails with a soda straw that has been slit,(to keep adhesive from the top of rails. Often, one waits to be sure that the rails are placed in their final position before applying ballast. To move a track after it has been ballasted is a very difficult job. Ballasting is a tedious job! Often, modelers ballast a small area at a time. There is a wonderful Video on “ballasting model railroad track” on your computer. Bob Hahn
As Bob mentions, ballasting is often the last thing done, though some folks do it before finishing other scenery. There are a few places it should be done early, tunnel entrances and other places that will be hard to reach once buildings, hills, trees or other taller scenic materials are added… However, as he mentioned, be sure the track work is flawless before ballasting, whenever you do it.
It’s good that you are asking questions as you plan. Will save a lot of going back and doing over. You will make mistakes, plan on it. You will also go back and do some things over, because your skills have improved. This is part of the learning curve and part of the fun of this hobby.
Good luck,
Richard
LION does not use built-up roadbed. Is not necessary for subway train. Ties set in concrete or bolted to overhead structures is the norm. On the Brighton Line, the train runs in an open cut. This is ballasted, but no roadbed is used, the ballast just covers the substructure as per the prototype. In one short section the tracks are raised on an embankment, and this properly should have a roadbed, but I did not bother, nobody will ever know the difference anyway.
LIONS are cheap. Did I ever tell you that LIONS are cheap. They buy ballast from Walmart in 25# bags. (Bags have picture of cat on them) LION must sift out and save the small stuff, the cats already know what to do with the rest of it. LION just pours it onto the tracks, brushes it off the rails and ties and it is done. No glue required, gravity works just fine thank you. It is not like the passing of trains is going to cause it to tumble off of the roadbed which as I said, I do nth have anyway.
If LION needs to redo a track for some reason, just vacuum up the ballast, make the repair, and apply new ballast.
ROAR
I’ve only seen one photo where scenery building, tie laying and ballast preceeded tracklaying on a model railroad. John Allen was the guilty party, and the result looked remarkably like an abandoned ROW. There was even a deer standing on the roadbed…
Unless you have skills to match John Allen’s, I would NOT recommend this method.
On my layout, ballast is on the ‘eventually’ list - for track that will be visible when the landforms finally cover the netherworld. In the meantime, the Chidori (and all the lesser trains) run on unballasted rails.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
LION may use loose ballast, but my layout is designed to be MOVED, as I will some day move from here. I would hate to have to vacuum up all that ballast and have to reset track again in the new location {though admittedly I may build a bigger better layout when I get moved!} {Kitty litter may be OK, but i find it too big to be of a scale representation, In my opinion.}
Follow the recommendations of laying out your foam, homasote, cork roadbed on the subroadbed and ballast After you are satisfied the track is ready for it.
BE SURE your track is “bullet proof” before final ballasting! It will save you heartaches later on!
I would recommend using latex caulk to secure the track before ballasting. Then use a LIGHT gluing mechanism to secure the ballast. HEAVY gluing is not needed. JUST enough to hold everything in place!
[8-|]
Track of LION looks more bullet ridden than bullet proof. LIONS tend to cut gaps in the rails all over the place (part of his automation system).
Guess what… The trains run just fine across my rails, so LION must have done something right, eh?
LION used roadbed on previous two layouts, him eschewed it here because of cost, the difficulty of re-routes, and because LIONS lay track down on table, and then decide where the tracks will be, rather than drawing nice lines. Drawing nice lines is ok if you own a pencil company, but LIONS like to let the track discover where it wants to be laid, and then him puts it there.
Ran out of Atlas #4, maybe these snap switches will work, and so the geometry changes.
Go ahead, build a few 4x8 layouts, discover what you can do and what is beyond you, what you like and what works. Before you can take shortcut de LION, you gotta know what it is that you are leaving out. Leaving out cork worked well for the LION, your railroad may be different.
ROAR