N scale road bed (foam tape)

Mopar4wd Oct 31, 2018

  1. Mopar4wd

    Mopar4wd TrainBoard Member

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    I really dislike cork roadbed. Not sure why but I never liked it. So in the past in HO and N I have used mostly Homasote cut as needed or flat for yards etc. I'm thinking about trying foam tape for the new layout. As I recall back in the early 90's MR ran an article on splitting 3M foam tape with a hobby knife in a fixture to replicate the standard cork profile. This also allows you to use centerlines as you have two pieces of tape. I have also found online a later MR article on using foam cap tape which seems similar (but with only one sticky side). Any one else ever try this or have any thoughts? it would be on a pink foam base if that matters much.
     
  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Do what works best for you. What feels the most comfortable.

    Cork has always worked for me. At times it's height and the bevel of edges has bothered me, somewhat... I have some double sided carpet tape, which I am going try next time. This will have a minimal lift and ballast edge.

    I guess my point is to experiment, until you find what fits best your scenario. You do not need to build anything substantial. Just a small segment on scrap, at your work bench.
     
    steveparkinson likes this.
  3. John Moore

    John Moore TrainBoard Supporter

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    Probably read it somewhere but I now soak all my cork roadbed in water for about 30 minutes before laying it down with water based glue. The cork is easier to get to conform to curves while wet and I find a few track spikes work to keep it conforming until the glue dries. For my sidings and yards I use sheet cork made for drawers and shelves that is self adhesive and cuts easily to shaped with scissors.
     
  4. bill pearce

    bill pearce TrainBoard Member

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    I have, and will continue to use cork. I remember the article about cutting foam tape, but why? I like to use techniques that reduce excess steps and make it easier to get things going. So why not use cork, you can put it down with yellow carpenter's glue and weights, and you will be ready to lay track in 45 minutes.
     
  5. CarlH

    CarlH TrainBoard Member

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    I had used some black-colored spongy roadbed for an HO layout about 12-15 years ago. It was not as easy to get it to "sit" into the curved paths I wanted to lay it down into, as what I had experienced with cork. And the spongy roadbed did not create as rigid a height above the main board. So when I did an N scale layout about 8 years ago I went back to traditional cork.

    I am not sure what it would be like to get the foam tape you mention to "sit down" into the desired curved path on a table. Maybe it is something you would want to test.
     
  6. NScaleKen

    NScaleKen Permanently dispatched

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    I am using a variety of random materials I had on hand from industrial design prototyping. The roadbed on my landscaped layout is shelving cork, its half to a third the thickness of N scale specific roadbed products, I have some woodland scenics foam roadbed but have not used it on the layout yet.

    The shelving cork comes in wide rolls and is somewhat difficult to deal with due to the bend from being in a roll unless one has a generous supply of pins and it's on foam, but its very cheap and a roll goes a long way. I like that it can be layered into a tall roadbed or used as a very thin roadbed in a single layer. I have a thin strip under the track and a wider strip under that creating shelves for the ballast on either side.

    If I were to deal with it on plywood I would probably do printer paper templates on the layout, cut the cork using the paper template, and immediately glue it down. That should eliminate struggling with the bend in it and getting lots of cork dust from the edges everywhere. It lays flat nicely once glued down with weights. I cut it into thin strips for curving road bed and lay one next to another tightly, at around 8-10mm width strips they will curve and lay flat while dry without issue. I deal with it dry, but might try the soaked in water and glue methods mentioned. It's all glued together bits of cork and the water I suppose allows realignment of the internal glue/cork bonds to the curve as the glue dries.

    For me, I think I miss the clatter of the trains over rail gaps on the bare foam core of my prelayout benchwork, it sounded like a bunch of real trains. silent running is weird and I am thinking of filling little notches in my track to get the correct clickety clack sound for American tracks.
     
  7. jpwisc

    jpwisc TrainBoard Member

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    I tried the foam subroadbed. It was a massive let down. Way to springy and I couldn’t make transitions as easily as with cork. If I put any pressure on it the ballast would bust off. I haven’t had any problems since switching to cutting my own subroadbed from sheet cork. I cut it narrower than MW cork, so I don’t get oversized ballast shoulders.
     
  8. Mopar4wd

    Mopar4wd TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks maybe cork. Just like the idea of the tape. Curves were the issue I had with cork. I might try the tape on a section and see how it goes. We have some fairly dense foam tape at work I can try.
     
  9. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Curves are easily made using cork. Just draw a centerline of the curve. Then lay the cork, one half side, at a time along that pencil line.
     
  10. bill pearce

    bill pearce TrainBoard Member

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    I've used the foam tape a lot in my photography work. If anyone thinks it will be easier to bend than cork, I suggest they buy a small roll, under $5 and try it. Good luck!
     
  11. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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  12. bman

    bman TrainBoard Member

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    I don't like using it on top of foam though. Matter of fact, I don't like foam as a base
    for laying track on period whether using cork or any other material for the road bed.
    Given a choice though, I prefer cork over the foam. Just a personal preference though after using both.
     
    mtntrainman likes this.
  13. bill pearce

    bill pearce TrainBoard Member

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    OK, maybe I'm clueless. I'm familiar with 3M foam tape, which does have some uses in modeling, but I'm unfamiliar with WS tape. It wouldn't surprise me, though, if it was just repackaged 3m tape.
    All I can say for suer is anything smaller that a 20 inch radius will make for wrinkles in the 3M tape.
     
  14. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Back in the day...with the first THERR...I used the WS foam trackbed on 32 in. HCD's.
    [​IMG]

    It worked great..laid nice and flat. It had 11 and 13 radius track.

    Never used foam as a base so cant say how that would work.
     
  15. Mike C

    Mike C TrainBoard Member

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    I used Homabed on my latest HOn3 layout . Curves easly to 18" radius and should do fine for tighter curves . Plus it makes driving spikes or thumb tacks easy and they stay put . I used Liquid Nails PL300 to lay it and the Micro engineering flex track , it grabs fast and I only needed a few thumb tacks .....Mike
    https://cascaderailsupply.com/
     

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