Later today I plan to give the roadbed a coat of grey paint to match the Rokuhan ballast and form the base for additional ballast I may add later. Since the sub-roadbed consists of 2 - 3/8" layers of plywood over a 3/8" base I'm not planning on using any cork underneath. Is that a mistake?
Some of the raised sections may get noisy when a train rolls over them, without roadbed under the tracks, from previous experience.
There is z scale cork roadbed in the market. For example here: https://www.hobbylinc.com/itty-bitt...k-18-5-z-scale-model-train-track-roadbed-1005 However, particularly for larger areas it is more cost effective to get cork sheet "on the roll" (is that the right expression?), for example here: https://www.amazon.com/roll-cork/s?k=roll+of+cork Just watch for thickness - 2mm is advisable. I got a roll of 10 meters, 50cm wide for around 30 US Dollars. It will last me a lifetime, probably. Matt
Thanks for the link, Matt. I've been looking for IBL roadbed, especially the large squares. I ordered up. Jim
Mind if I ask the size of the base? It's looks like a 4 x 8, but it isn't is it? In Z scale? Either way it looks amazing. And I would think roadbed would be a must for sound? This for sure is a must follow. Great job so far.
Sorry for the tardy reply. The board is 5' x 12'. I tried to fit things on a 4' x 8' for obvious reasons but couldn't fit everything I wanted to include.
Having laid at least 350 feet of MTL flex track over a span of 10 years on my 10 modules, I highly recommend using cork as a sound insulator. You don't want to hear the noise that track on plywood makes, but a nice 'click, click' of metal wheels on insulated track. Buying a roll of cork is the cheapest way to procure all the cork you will ever need. The only draw back I think is the tedious job of hand ballasting all the flex track after it is painted. Keep in mind the #1 rule for smooth running is track work, track work, track work. perfect it before you lay any ballast down.
Matt, Did you get self-stick? Seems it would be easier, but not sure about durability over applying my own adhesive.
I did not get mine from Amazon but from a local supplier here in Holland; no self-stick variety available. Gluing can be done with many types of glue, depending on the base. I used woodglue but I guess you could use something like Gorilla glue on foamboard. However, than corkbed would not be necessary so much for noise reduction In any case it is advisable to weigh the corkbed down until the glue has set. @Z train things, what did you use for glue? Matt
Matt, you asked what used for glue......I used contact cement. It was kind of a long drawn out procedure, but it worked for me. I first took a black felt pen and marked where I wanted the flex track to go. I then taped down some waxed paper over the black line and then drew lines on either side of the black line onto the wax paper to indicate the width of the cork to be put down. I then cut out the wax paper pattern and taped it to the cork, then carefully cut thru the paper and the cork. I ended up with a piece of cork that I centered over the black line after applying contact cement to both the underside of the cork piece and over the black line. Laying the cork down carefully centered over the line gave me a piece of cork as though it was designed to fit that particular curve. Straight sections were easy. I had very little straight lines of track so there was a lot of curves to make. Having done this over a period of several years as I built more modules it didn't seem such a chore when only doing one module at a time. Clear as mud huh I did have to take a sharp blade and cut the cork at an angle to simulate the slope of the ballast. Contact cement can be fairly easily be removed off the surface if you decide to change where the track goes. For what it is worth, I cemented my track down using medium body CA. Once ballast was placed and glued down with white glue/water mixture, the track was very secure.. Interesting side note....I never once allowed for any expansion between long runs of track and even though I stored my modules in a trailer during the heat of summer and dead of winter, no track ever warped out of position. Maybe I was lucky, but as I said, my system of doing track work did indeed work for me. I began my module building about 2005, the year of NTS in Cincinnati and could only run trains at train shows because I had no room at home, nor had I built two end modules so I always looked forward to train shows with the BAZ and NWPZS groups or the NTS shows where I joined up with Zocal. After NTS in 2015 in Portland, I retired my modules, sold my trailer and set up my modules plus two new corner modules permanently in my family room. As you can see, the corner modules never got completed. I haven't run trains for almost two years now........maybe someday.
Thanks for sharing your method. Seems like the way to go. My layout (gone by now) was about the size of one of your modules, so a lot less work. I am now planning a new layout, about 6'5'' by 1'9''. Base will be multiplex with 3/4 inch foamboard. I consider using cork under the track just for elevation. On my earlier layout I used strips of cork as well, with cuts to allow for curving when needed. I hope you will pick up where you left and get back into Z-ing? For me, it is an on and off process - limited by time, space and secundary priorities such as work and family life Matt