Track Bed Foam vs Cork

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Neopuron

Neopuron

NooB
I've been searching through the forum here and haven't been able to find a lot of information about the Woodland Scenics foam trackbed.

Is this stuff if fairly new, hasn't seen much use, or really inst a good idea?

Most posts I come across about the trackbed is cork, cork, and more cork. Also seen that cork can break down and wear in time. I just finished my bench table yesterday. And ready to get some trackbed laid soon.

The cork profile seems a little high to me, I like the lower profile the foam offers. So before I run down and pick up a bulk of this stuff; either (cork or foam) I wanted to get some of your opinions about it, if anyone has any.



Thanks

Derek
 
I've used both. I guess I've never had one layout long enough to see any problems with cork drying out. Maybe because of the average humidity here? Dunno.

Each has pros and cons. I use cork for my HO layout, WS for my N scale layout. Others will post their experiences, I'm sure.

You might want to get a chunk of each, lay down a test track on it and compare for yourself.
 
On my layout that my father built me, we used cork. It eventually (about 12+ years) dried out, and was unusable as of a couple of years ago (around 20 years old). It had also been exposed to high temperatures in the attic.

I went with WS roadbed on the recommendations of some folks here. It's very easy to put down, especially curves. It should be put down on level subroadbed (your benchwork or foam) because sanding it isn't easy.

The large sheets of WS roadbed are a pain to keep glued down (when you're doing large areas like a yard). I prefer the 2' strips of roadbed over the rolled stuff.
 


I have used the foam road bed and found it to be easier to deal with than anything i have used yet. and if you are using bachmann easy track it works out well if you snap off thie connector on the end of the track. matches up well and dont look very bad at all.


e will see how it stands the test of time i guess...LOL

Just my 2 cents
 
My friends at the Durand Union Station Model Railroad Engineers group told me definitely cork for the roadbed. They haven't steered me wrong on anything yet. I'm using Atlas True Track on top of 1" foam insulation board, and am getting good results too. They said that and the Kato Unitrak is the next best choice. But definitely lay some foam insulation down on top of your benchwork to keep from making so much noise as the trains go over it.
 
I like the WS foam roadbed because it's easier to work with and I think the profile is a little better than most cork. The downside is the you can't easily sand it down to provide transition points between higher and lower track. The most important thing with cork is make sure you can hold it in your hand before you buy it. If it's fresh and flexible, it will last along time. If it's been sitting in a hot warehouse for two years, you'll have to soak it in water just to work with it and it will fall apart in a few years.
 
My dad and I used cork on my first layout when I was young. On a layout I just built I used WS trackbed. I like the durability and ease of installment of the WS trackbed, but there is something nostalgic about the smell of cork that I miss. I am really happy with the WS trackbed and am content knowing it'll never dryout.
 
Foam. On average, 30 cents a foot compared to 38 cents a foot for cork, both bought in quanity lots.
 
So I went and got 48 feet of this stuff...:D Going to give it a whirl. Do I really need to buy the High Dollar, WS Foam Glue it says on the box, or is there something cheaper/better from the hardware store that will work just as well.

Also can I still use the latex caulk for the track to the foam, or is that another hurdle?

Thanks
 


I've used this almost exclusively for my layout. It probably transmits less than 50% of the noise that cork would. I used carpenters glue with "much success." The only thing that needs to be looked after is- when the foam roadbed ends, it needs to be held down while the glue dries, or it curls up.
 
Neopuron said:
So I went and got 48 feet of this stuff...:D Going to give it a whirl. Do I really need to buy the High Dollar, WS Foam Glue it says on the box, or is there something cheaper/better from the hardware store that will work just as well.

Also can I still use the latex caulk for the track to the foam, or is that another hurdle?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I used white glue, aka Elmer's Glue All available anywhere, and tacked it down with tacks for 24 hours before putting down tracks. I bought like a 5 lbs bottle and 200 thumb tacks. I never used the WS Foam Glue. Not worth it.

For the track, I used Liquid Nails for Projects. I only used it though after I had trains running and made sure everything is level and runs well. You only need a small amount per piece of track. Work at about 2 ft at a time and put a thin bead down, then take a putty knife and flatten it down so you can almost see thru it. Put track on top. Youve put too much down if your ties get liquid nail above them. Just make sure your happy with your layout before you use the liquid nail. You can still pull it up, but youll need to be careful so you dont damage the track gauge. There are parts of my layout I have not done this too bc I plan on expanding a bit by adding a yard, changing out some switches,etc.

good luck, have fun
 
Cheap latex caulk will work for both the WS roadbed and the track. Any of the other things mentioned will also work, but nothing is cheaper or goes farther than latex caulk.
 
You should still be able to use caulk to lay the roadbed. If you haven't bought the caulk yet, read the label carefully. Make sure it says "latex adhesive caulk" and "safe on foam", or words to that effect.

I'm not sure about glueing the track to the foam roadbed, although I don't see why it couldn't be done. Remember, though, that the foam roadbed is spongy. You will need some weights when you glue down the roadbed and when you glue down the track. Don't leave the weights on any longer than necessary as it might crush and deform the foam roadbed.

Also, when you use adhesive caulk, you only need a very thin layer for glueing purposes. Apply the caulk where you want it and spread it out thin with a putty knife or similar object. 1/32" is probably thick enough for the roadbed, maybe 1/16" thick for the track. You don't want the caulk so thick that the track ties sink into it very much.

Hope this helps.

Darrell, quiet...for now
 
FastTrack & Accessories

Not sure if this is the right thread, but I was wonder if it's possible to place Lionel accessorie preasure plate under Lionel FastTrack. The brief instructions for accessorie doesn't mention FastTrack and installation. Please advise! Thanks...
 
This really isn't the right thread, you have posted in the O Scale subforum. However, from my limited knowledge of Lionel accessories, the pressure plate is activated by the downward pressure of the track ties. I don't think the Fast Tracks system has enough downward pressure for the accessory plate to work.
 
So yeah,

I went with the foam for WS and I must say it went down with ease. I ended up using the wood glue and tacked it down in place while it dried. I must say it came out very well. I laid down the turnouts first, then followed up with the flex track to get the main line and branch line installed.

So far I haven't glued the track down with the latex caulk. I used the rail nails to pin the flex track in place as I laid it down. Positioned it around the entire layout and made all the cuts to get everything to fit nicely. I think at this point I may for go using the latex on the track and wait until I Ballast everything.

Once I get the base coat of Ballast down then I will go back and removed the majority of the nails, leaving only about a quarter of them in place; the key ones (just for added support). :cool:

Hoping to get the last of the track work laid this weekend, and start wiring it up for some test runs. Make sure the track work is working good then I will move onto finishing the wiring, control board, scenery and then ballast.

Derek
 
Too late, but I think you've made a terrible mistake with the foam roadbed. We recently took ownership of a Free-mo balloon module that was built using foam roadbed. Every single piece of track and the underlying roadbed (14' X 10' footprint, triple tracked) is going to have to be removed and replaced. The foam roadbed isn't dense enough to support any weight. A gentle push on the track (elbows, forearms, etc) and the track is pushed into the foam roadbed popping off ties, ruining ballast, and bending rail. It also doesn't provide a sufficiently stable base to keep track consistently in place.

We had a few members considering foam and after one look at this module they quickly decided that cork was the way to go. I truly hope your results are different then ours. This isn't a mess I'd wish on anyone.

Good luck.

Jacob
 


I am curious, I tried using latex caulk to lay some foam roadbed over 2" foam as a test. It seems to me that the roadbed came up unusually easy when I took it apart. Will the caulk hold in place once I set my foam roadbed down and then ballast?

Thanks in advance!
 
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