Cork on plywood or cork on foam on plywood


Which is better?

  • Cork on plywood

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Cork on Foam on Plywood

    Votes: 0 0.0%

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taholmes

Member
HI Folks:

Hopefully going to start cutting wood and building in the next day or 2, and I have been wondering if cork roadbed on directly on the 1/2 inch plywood or if putting 1 inch of pink foam under it first (allowing me to carve creeks and rivers and other depressions is the way to go.

in my other thread about cork / homosate ive gotten a variety of opinions, and I've decided that Homosate is out for sure, but I'm curious about using foam, and how to secure track if I do?

Thanks
TIM
 
I just use cork roadbed directly on 1/2" plywood. If I want a creek I just drop the plywood down and use Hydrocal to form embankments. I basically model flatlands prairies anyway, and I have no grades.
If using foam over plywood, the cork roadbed must be glued to the foam. The track can be either glued or nailed to the cork, but needs to be ballasted using glue to ensure a solid bond to the cork. Nails can work loose in cork alone unless they protrude far enough through to embed in the plywood. Homasote is just too much trouble for me, although others have had success with it.
 
If you use plywood as sub-roadbed, and then cork atop it, you can raise the road quite a bit and generate relief that way, plus stacking carved layers of foam for hills or embankments, even rock cuts along the right-of-way. If you want a river or lake, same thing. Mark it out, then cut and stack foam at the boundary you drew, and you have some depth.
 
UNKNOWN QUANTITY - unable to vote
How large a layout are you planning?
HO or N scale?
Are you using an "L-girder" or a box type frame?
Are you using a cookie-cutter type roadbed or solid tabletop?

If it's a tabletop layout - I would 2" foam (for creeks/bridges) on 1/2" plywood - then foam/cork roadbed.
If it is a "cookie-cutter" - I would use homasote on i/2" plywood - no roadbed needed.

Hope this helps?
 
I should have looked for your posting as I remember it now!
For that plan, I would just use 1" foam on 1/2 ply and roadbed only on the main lines - not sidings and yards.
Glue the track directly to the foam with a caulk type compound.

I don't know the difference in cost for 1 vs. 2 inch foam - your choice there?
 



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