Homosote

[riogrande5761]

Yes, I use Homasote. I can get it an a local Home Depot. I mainly use it in yard areas since it holds spikes and track nails well.

 

[MikeGTW]

I used it the same way till it got taken down You've got a good looking layout going there

Was at menards the other day and 4x8 sheet up to $34 a sheet

 

[JeffH]

My layout is 100% extruded foam boards.

My track (Atlas N scale Code 80) is held down with simple straight pins... that's it. It's been holding well for over 2 years now.

Midwest Products cork roadbed is glued to the foam using Elmers Glue-All. The Atlas Code 80 track is held to teh cork with straight pins in about every other pre-drilled nail hole, so about 1 every 5 inches plus a straight pin in the hole closest to a joint.

So I get the comments about homasote holding nails better, especially for hand laying your own track, but for store bought pieces (even flex) in my experience, extruded foam holds things just fine.

Edit to add, that half my layout is ballasted, so I can't really count that side, but teh other half is not ballasted, so even without ballast holding things in place, the straight pins have held just fine.

 

[glenng6]

riogrande5761,
Your layout looks like it is going to be damn good fun, to operate. I agree with everything you said about Homasote. All my track is mounted on Homasote and has been since the early to middle eighties. Good luck with your layout and I hope you have trains running in the near future. Glenn

 

[riogrande5761]

I've recently installed a prefab helix. It uses gator board and is 34" radius, rises 10.5 inches with a grade of 1.73%. I connected it to the main yard in Friday.