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Read an article in MR Planning 2010 (I think) about using cheap 2X4 ceiling tiles laminated paint side down to extruded foam for roadbed so I thought I'd experiment a little.
Picked up a 2X4 tile for about $3 at HoPo, tacked a length of C100 flextrack to it and had it with a Surform tool.
The tile does not hold track nails well but since I caulk down my track, that wouldn't be an issue. The tile contours pretty well and quickly with the Surform but it does generate a lot of dust eek: inhalation hazard?). I think a metal brush would do a good job too.
The layout owner in the article sprays his with water to keep down the dust but I wonder about the dimensional stability if you do that. OTOH, foam dust is probably an inhalation hazard also.
I might shoot it up with some brown waterbased spray paint to see how it looks and reacts. I'm also going to try cutting a couple of strips with a utility knife and see if I can bevel the edge by hand (I have no tablesaw).
Anybody have any experience with this stuff? Seems very similar to Homosote at a lower price and it's cheaper than cork or WS foam also.
I'll tell you a few problems you will have w/it. Whatever you do, wear a Respirator & safety glasses(not a dust mask) when you cut, sand or scrape it. It's highly toxic. I've been(in the past) using it to make mountains out of for years. A friend used it for the base on his layout glued down on plywood like foam board. he never had any problems w/it as track base, but he had a slight dampness every morning in his shed from dew & after awhile the ceiling tiles started swelling on the edges. I had him to paint the whole layout w/latex paint & it stopped the problems.
I've used tile for years and from what I gather it is made of pulverized paper, I was told news print and treated with an anti-flame agent. I have used it as a layout base, I have carved it, cut it and stacked it and haven't ran into any specific problems with it. In fact I found in initial construction it held track nails quite well and allows you to easily reposition the track when the plan doesn't translate to the real.
I hope that helps and personally I wouldn't avoid it.
I've used tile for years and from what I gather it is made of pulverized paper, I was told news print and treated with an anti-flame agent. I have used it as a layout base, I have carved it, cut it and stacked it and haven't ran into any specific problems with it. In fact I found in initial construction it held track nails quite well and allows you to easily reposition the track when the plan doesn't translate to the real.
I hope that helps and personally I wouldn't avoid it.
I agree it's a real nice base for a layout & makes real nice mountains. I never used any of the fireproof stuff because it didn't work as well as the other stuff. BUT, it's still very toxic. I learned that the hard way. Spent about 3 days trying to get the dust out of my system the 1st time I used it. The dust will get into your throat & it acts like a cutting agent & is very painful. It's also bad for the eyes, ears & nose. I started out wearing a simple dust mask & that didn't stop the dust contamination. So, I went to a full contaminat respirator w/full enclosed goggles & put ear plugs in. That was just cutting it w/a knife in strips. Then brushing it w/a wire brush to remove the access particles. Then I would paint it w/a good 2 or 3 coats of latex paint.
It appears there are mineral fiber and wood fiber tiles on the market. One (or both?) can have some silica and / or gypsum in it. The really nasty stuff with asbestos was pulled off the market in 1981 or so.
I'm trying to find the MSDS for the different products although it looks like HoPo here only carries US Gypsum. Their Tivoli is wood fiber but is T&G and comes in 12x12s so there'd be extra cutting, etc. if I used that.
I also noticed that spraying down the tile I bought with a little water virtually eliminates the dust when using the Surform.
Update - found the MSDS for USG products. Wood fiber is a carcinogen (inhalation) as is the formaldehyde in the tile. So is the silica in the mineral fiber tiles. But I'd guess extruded styrofoam has nasties in it too. <sigh>
eek: inhalation hazard?). I think a metal brush would do a good job too. 
