Here I go again, I’ve been a modeler for 40 years and recently started my dream layout. I have got very good advice from some good people on here so here I am again with another question. I of course have used cork all my modeling life but I have seen Woodland scenics foam roadbed and wondered if any of you have tried this and what do you think about it. My layout is in a basement with some what high humidity in the summer but near constant temps all year. What if any are the draw backs of the foam. I’m very familiar with all aspects of cork (dries out, have to soak to turn radius’s, etc) and is the old stand by for us model railroaders. Or is there another material that you care to share. I’ve heard of most all so I welcome all comments. My layout is 9’-9" x 28’-9" with HO, HOn3 and HO 21/2 so I’m going to be busy for awhile. Thank you all for your input. Bryan
You can’t spike into the foam, plus if you use track nails (I don’t) you can deform the track easier.
Now having said that, I use the foam roadbed. I just like it better than cork.
It is really a matter of personal preference. Foam crushes if you use track nails, and spiking is not possible. Cork does dry out, but I have never had a problem. You mention soaking it - are you trying to reuse some old cork roadbed? My cork was always flexible and easily curves around 18"-22" radius curves. I have used Homabed for my mainline trackage and cork for the sidings/spurs.
Jim
Woodland Scenics Track-Bed is slightly cheaper per linear foot than cork roadbed.
S&S
For my ISLs I prefer Woodland Scenics 12" x 24" roadbed sheets.I simply glue these sheets to the board with Elmers white glue.I glue my track with Elmers glue and the ballast glue will also help hold the track-no need for spikes or track nails…No,the track or roadbed doesn’t come loose.
One advantage is you can save your track should you decide to rebuild.
I have used both and I’m not impressed with the Woodland Scenics product, No more to say.
I used the Woodland Scenics on my previous layout, and went back to cork on this one - and I probably should have just stayed with the foam. I like it a lot better. New techniques are really required - I glue everything down with latex caulk, NO NAILS. I had none of these issues of pressing down on the track causing the ballast to flake off because the WS roadbed has some give to it, once the ballast was wetted and saturated with glue, it stayed in place. Definitely quieter than the cork - both layouts use extruded foam as the base, and WS foam on extrdued foam was quieter than the present cork on extruded foam.
I also like the fact that the WS roadbed comes in long rolls - fewer seams. The sheets are great for yard areas. On my previous layout, I used the WS N scale roadbed for sidings, so they were lower than the main. Some pieces of shirt cardboard were used to make the ramp up between the different heights. It’s less extreme a difference than is strictly prototype, but it gives the flavor of the less trackage being less built up while not having such a huge difference that you run into trouble with too sharp a vertical curve.
It also helped that the layout with WS roadbed has 30" and larger curves - so forming it into curves was not a problem. They slit it so you can cut it into halves like cork, but for wide radius curves that is not needed. If you try to run say 18" radius curves without splitting it - I can see there being problems with it bunching and wrinkling on the inside of the curve.
If you are just planning to nail your track down - WS roadbed is probbaly not for you. Because it does give under pressure, maintaining smooth level trackwork is going to be much harder than with cork. However, I banished nails a long time ago. Cheap tubes of latex caulk allow for much faster yet totally solid trackwork. Having something between the track and the roadbed and base that does NOT dry solid and hard like typical glue helps a lot with the noise lev
I always use Midwest cork for mainline track or sheet cork for my yards from many suppliers. In all my years I have never heard of soaking cork to turn a radius. Cork is for a least 25 years in my experience and totally substantial during that time. I have looked at the Woodland Scenics product and it may be ok for some uses but the cork is solid but workable, very easy to glue down, quite running and quite reasonable if you have a lot of track to lay. Some products just can’t be replaced and to me Cork is one of them. Doug
I was going to reply, but Randy said everything I would have.
I don’t like the WS foam roadbed at all. It can deflect as you’re working on the track, so is more difficult to use in creating perfect track alignment that will stay that way. I’ve seen many a layout/module/display that used the WS roadbed only to have ballast crack away from the track over time, since the roadbed will squish but the ballast typically doesn’t. If you accidentally push too hard on the rail while cleaning it, or doing anything else, you can easily ruin the ballast.
Another issue is varying track heights for industry spurs or passing sidings. Firmer roadbed material like cork or Homasote can be sanded into ramps for transitioning elevations. The process doesn’t work so well with WS foam.
I install track with acrylic/latex caulk over cork or Homasote roadbed. It goes together solid and remains so. It’s also pretty quiet. I’ve never encountered cork that required soaking before bending into any curve in HO, but the only brand I’ve used is Midwest, so maybe others do or used to. I live in a semi-arid climate with low humidity, and have no problems with Midwest brand cork drying out.
I’m totally new to this, I bought two boxes of the foam stuff and just like the cork better…
matthew
For my new layout, I plan to use the foam roadbed. I like the idea of much quieter operation and no nails. A recent thread on this subject made a lot of sense to me. Something about isolating the track from the rest of the layout, so it isn’t constructed like a drum. Since, drums are loud.
Another point that was made, was to glue the ballast with matte medium instead of white glue, so that it stays flexible, allowing the track to have more give, and so a hard shell doesn’t also create a drum effect.
I’ve used both and have no problems with either. In fact, the lower staging level (and helix) of my current project is cork, and the visible level is WS foam. I used Elmer’s white glue to affix the cork and caulk on the foam. In both cases I used caulk to secure the track.
I guess my preference is foam simply because it comes in 24-foot rolls. I also found a pretty easy way to make turnout pieces for it, using of all things a paper cutter in my office.
On the mainline, I use 18-inch minimum curves on the main, 21" minimum in the helix (N-scale). I had no problem getting the foam to take the curve without binding, and I did not have to split it. I also did not have to soak the cork (nor have I ever had to do that). Some of this cork was 7 years old. It was a little stiff, but not nearly enough to get me to consider doing anything to “loosen” it up.
I sanded the top of the cork to ensure it is smooth. I’ve had no problem with the foam (since it can’t be sanded).
The foam is a bit quieter, but it should be since “all other things are not equal.” I think the dried white glue would transmit vibrations and noise more than the caulk, so the fact glue was used under the cork would probably make a difference.
Left to my own devices, I’ll continue to use foam. But, if somebody offered to drop off enough cork for me to finish the project, I wouldn’t send them away, either.
Ahhhh, another “Versus” thread! Just what we need to liven up the Forum on a muggy Sunday…
I’ve always used cork (since 1973) and find it perfect for my needs. I have never used foam or other roadbed myself. BUT, I have heard from a few that do use it and frankly wonder why they do.
This is an addition to the above (had to shut down due to excessive lightning)…
There are other excellent roadbeds (i.e. homosote, spline, etc.) but foam just doesn’t fall into those elite categories (in my opinion of course).
Hey, others may feel differently, and that’s cool!
I am using cork on my O guage layout. I bought sheet from
http://www.mantoncork.com/cork-sheets/roll_specs.htm
and it was very reasonable. You can get any widths and thickness that train layouts would need. It is very pliable.
Just thought I would throw this in.[:)]
Thanks Randy. This will be my first time in 40 years of using something other than cork. I have 18" and 20" radius on my layout using Micro Engineering code 70 flex and was wondering how foam might make it more difficult to lay an already stubborn track. So caulk is the way to fasten down both track and roadbed at the given radius’s?
I rarely reply to forum posts, normally I’m only a reader. I would like to state that this topic has been very informative! I’ve been an HO Model Railroader for over 62 years and I have used cork on every layout since 1951 and never been disappointed with the results. I visited this topic because I finally have an offspring interested in trains after after all these years. After raising 4 boys and 3 girls that produced 16 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren I have finally one interested in trains. He is only 6 but loves to come to grandpas house to run trains.
I’m going to help him build what I hope is his first layout and I was thinking of using foam roadbed, to help deaden the sound. After reading all the comments on this post I’m going to stick with cork for several reasons. First and foremost because it has never let me down in 62 years and I know how to install it from years of experience, secondly because I’d rather it be very durable for a super active 6 year old boy.
I did learn one very important thing from reading the responses to the original question and that is to use latex calk instead of Elmer’s White Glue! Never thought about that, thank you very much.
I would like to thank all of you for your comments, very rewarding read!
Mel Perry, PMFE (Professor of Miniature Ferroequinology Engineering)
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ferroequinology Literally “the study of the iron horse.” (ferros = iron, equine = horse, -ology = study of)
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The study of the history of railroads and railroad trains, especially for the purpose of model railroading.
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What a railfan practices.
My Model Railroad . . . . http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
I use Woodland Scenics Foam Track Bed extensively and exclusively on my layout.
I started using it 10 years ago when I got into HO scale and my LHS guys recommended it to me.
I nail the foam roadbed onto plywood surfaces. In my experience, it does not pull the rails out of gauge. The plastic ties break well before the track will be pulled out of gauge.
The real problem with WS foam track bed is that it is soft - - - too soft. The track can develop humps and valleys. Cork is firmer than foam and will support the track better, keeping it level.
I do not plan to use the foam roadbed on my next layout.
Rich
The real problem with foam is it is hard to fix mistakes, if you get it even slightly wrong, you put in another piece. If you are an expert or you don’t want perfect trackwork, then you can use the foam, otherwize… I just finished building a large layout and even though I was real careful, a few repairs had to be made. One was on a straight area that a piece of crud slipped under (sanding fixed that), another I remember was at the crest of a hill with a switch that had the frog end pointed down and the other leg pointed up, had to be perfect, a lot of sanding got it there, don’t even want to think of foam there. I love a lot of WS products and their customer service is top notch but there are a few of there products I question and this is one of them. Now don’t get me wrong, it is easier to use but near impossible to get perfect and who wants bad trackwork!!!
I want to Ditto Mel’s comments. Great discussion on both products extremely informative! My kids got out my model train stuff and loved it, so we are now building a layout together. I had initially gotten foam, but like other folks have said, while it is nice I found cutting into strips for the curves I couldn’t get the cuts straight and couldn’t get it back together tight. Plus it is really soft. Like with anything, pros/cons of each. I think I will take it back and get cork instead. Also, great techniques discussed here on gluing/calking. And this new DCC technology, wow where was this when we were kids…
Thanks all!
Eric