WS Roadbed

T

trainwhiz20

Member
Aug 9, 2004
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Tampa, FL
Okay, a few roadbed questions!

I recently got all my Snap-Track together and laid it out in a plan I like. Then I put the Woodland Scenics foam roadbed underneath, just to see how it would look.

I think it will look great when it's done. But first, there are those pesky questions...

To start, I should mark the track, pull it up, and place the roadbed where the track will go, correct? I'm just afraid I'll glue the roadbed down and it won't match where the track is going... :p

Can I use Elmer's white glue to glue the foam to the homasote base? Or is Elmer's not foam-friendly? What about gluing the tracks to the roadbed?

How do I avoid kinks in the turns? Should I split the roadbed in half, and stagger it throughout the corners?

Should I extend the foam so that it goes under the switch box on Atlas Snap-Switches... (Hehe, I think that's a no-brainer... :rolleyes: )

Some of you don't elevate your sidings and yards, right? So how do you transition from the elevated roadbed to the sub-roadbed? (In my case: homasote.)

Thanks. Pretty soon, if I get this done, I'll have some ballast questions... :thumb:

P.S. After seeing what's been going on here at the gauge, with all us "noobs", I just want to sincerly apoligize for coming in. It sounds like you all were a little, tight-knit group of modelers, and we came in and spoiled that. I'm sorry, but your advice and expertise is desperately needed... so share! :p (Just kidding, just kidding...)
 
Welcome on board.
I'll answer what I can, from your post.
Don't worry about questions. We all (well, most of us) can remember when we were starting out. And we all like to guide an innocent on the path of righteousness.
I'm not sure about white glue. It's not hostile to the foam, but I don't think it grips. I use a green contact cement, but it grabs very fast.
Make sure your track layout has no kinks in it. Look at all the joints carefully. check curved joints by putting a spare curved section over the joint. Sometimes the rail ends are not even; the rails may not be the proper length.
Mark the center of your track (you probably have nail holes there) and lay one side of the roadbed up to that line. Smooth out the roadbed so that there are no lumps.Then lay the other side. Doesn't matter if the ends line up. Little kinks in the roadbed don't matter unless they're up-and-down. You can then go back and put the tracks on, matching them to the line down the middle.
I think there are a number of threads about laying and gluing roadbed.
Put a bit of roadbed under the switch machines.
 
I use white glue a lot on foam. Never glued foam to homosote, but it should worrk as well or better than foam to foam, as I use it now. Often I use an acrylic latex caulk for foam and also for gluing the track to the roadbed. Make sure it is spread very thin and even. I use a few track spikes to hold alignment and weight it with some scrap wood and books while drying. Then I remove the weight and pull the track nails if I remember.)

Bumps in the roadbed can be dealt with quickly with a Sureform tool, a handy raspy scraper invaluable for working with foam.

Wayne
 
There is a trick that I have used for years. After you have the track all laid the way you want it push some pins or thin nails into the foambase. Use the holes in the track. Do not push all the way just a little. Now take the roadbed and split down the middle. Apply some glue to one half, lift the track up and slide the roadbed
under the track and align it in the center. Do the other side then glue or spike the track down.
I hope this makes sense.

Switches are a little tricky. Draw out a template to cut the angles on.
Dave
 
Okay. Thanks guys. Appreciate it.

When I start, I'm going to cut the foam into manageable pieces and stagger it throughout the corners and such. I already have the track layout drawn on the homasote, so everything should line up fine. I'm just going to use white glue, because of convience and if I mess up to badly, I can fix it. Also I don't think I'm going to glue the track, but rather nail it in place.

One thing, should I put roadbed under my sidings? Or just leave it "prototypical" as some say and leave the sidings & yard directly on the homasote? And if so, how do I transition nicely from the elevated roadbed to the sub-roadbed? (i.e. homasote, in my case...)

:D I never would've figured this out without your help. I didn't want to use the wrong materials...

Thanks guys! :thumb:
 
I would be tricky and build the scenery base up level with the roadbed or even the top of the ties on your sidings. Trying to bevel the roadbed is tricky.
A 4% grade is 6.25 inches to go down 1/4 inch. a 2% grade would be a foot.
You could raise the homasote up to the roadbed.
 
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