Cork roadbed widness

[csxnscale]

Recently I received my "Midwest" cork raodbed from 4nscale.com.
The height looks o.k., but isn't this roadbed to wide for N-scale or am I missing something ?

Paul

 

[sapacif]

Check your prototype roadbed. There are cross-section drawings available on the web, somewhere. Also, I would say that, in general, the roadbed will take up about twice the space you allotted. If you look at any prototype, it is really very wide. In modeling, I think the extra width/shape is made with the ballast itself.

 

[Matthyro]

I have used a lot of the Midwest cork road bed and once the track is on and ballasted it looks fine.

 

[MCL_RDG]

Roadbed...

...cork or otherwise...

I see trains running on track and roadbed burried in mud. While structural engineers have designed and calculated the liveweight to mass ratios and forces acting upon railroad roadbed I think as modelers we acccept what looks right.

You didn't receive HO roadbed did you?

Mark

 

[csxnscale]

Thanks for the reply's,
Mark the cork I received is N-scale 1" 1/8 wide, 1/8" thick. But with a tie width of approx 5/8" it looks overkill to me.
I used to build a diorama and on that one I cut the cork from sheets myself just a bit broader the the tie width and this looks more prototypical than the "Midwest" product after balasting.

Paul

 

[SD90]

I cut my cork 3/4" wide, I think once it's ballasted, it will look fine.

 

[SD70BNSF]

Cutting your own

SD90,

Did you bevel the edges? is the top profile 3/4" wide or the bottom? If you did bevel the edges, how did you go about doing it?

 

[SD90]

No, I didn't bevel the edges, I'll just use a bit more ballast. I'll take a picture of it and post it. Hang on...

 

[SD90]

Here is a picture from the side...

 

[SD90]

and here is one from the top.

 

[SD70BNSF]

I think I see

I think I see... I thought 3/4" was a bit too thin (at least looking at my own track samples and a ruler). But, by keeping the base less wide, you'll be able to profile the ballast to look the same, it'll just take a little more ballast.

I assume you figured out the cost per foot or inch is less than say Midwest's products.

Thanks.

 

[SD90]

The cost per foot is alot less! This cork was $6 per foot, and the roll was 4' wide, so at 3/4" wide, I got 16 peices of 4' long roadbed for $6! It works out to 10 cents a strip, and that's for a 4' strip not 30". I'll spend a bit more on ballast, but it will still be much cheeper.