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I am getting ready to build my bench-work for my staging yard. I am going to lay the track as well as it will be much easier to do so without an upper level present. One question I had, and would like some pros and cons is the question of roadbed in the staging yard. It seems like a waste of money to be honest, I don't really care if the trains are loud coming and going into the yard, and I am not doing any scenery down there.
Most freight yards I've seen don't have elevated track beds. I'm using cork roadbed on routes but not in the yard.....unless I decide to cover the whole yard with thin cork.
Yeah, I wouldn't worry about roadbed in the yards. Without roadbed, you do have to deal with the transition in track height, but that can be taken care of with a slight grade on the yard lead. Another idea eliminating the transition: I have one yard that I covered in foam board that was almost the same thickness as cork or WS roadbed. That allowed me to run track anywhere at any angles without the fuss and CHEAPER.
I use homasote in the yards and staging yards. Just a lot easier than cork roadbed and adjusting the track after the first installation is much easier. I also just nail the track down with small brads. When everything is where I want it, I put a layer of ballast over it all.
For my yard I just used rolls of 1/4" cork from Michael's. It's essentially the same height as the regular cork roadbed. No transition on yard leads, and nice level surface in the yard itself.
