Model Railroading > Add roadbed to a switching layout?

I'm building a small 10" by 8' switching layout based in the 1950s somewhere on the SP line (undecided where). I have the track plan in place and am beginning to cut the track. My question is, should I add roadbed, or since the layout is the end of a branchline would placing the track directly on the bechwork suffice? Thanks
Travus

photo 1: left (eventual west) side of the layout coming from "staging"
photo 2: right (eventual east) side of the layout. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/16 21:35 by suvart.

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If it's the end of the line, you probably won't need much. But you could put one end on roadbed and slope down to the rest of the tracks to suggest that this end heads back to the mainline.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Yards commonly don't have any elevation from ballast. Branch line mainlines especially at the end are not much better though you may see a little more crushed rock than you will see in the yard which may be hints of cinder cover to keep the weeds down.

Posted from iPhone

I have limited model railroad building experience but I would strongly recommend using some sort of base layer such as sheet cork which can be readily purchased at craft and automotive stores.  You could also use sheet foam building material that typically comes in 4' X 8' sheets in blue or pink colors sold at Home Depot or Lowe's.  I wouldn't secure the track directly to the wood account it will be very difficult to make necessary fine tuning adjustments that will most surely need to be made to get your track to handle your equipment properly enough for reliable operation.  Also, fastening the track directly to the wood will amplify the sound of your locomotives and rolling stock traversing over top to the point if you are considering sound in your locomotives it will drown out your ability to enjoy hearing it.

Just my $0.02



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/16 22:20 by Wizard.

Spurs and switching leads generally have tie tops that are close to level with the ground, both for crew footing and cost purposes. Personally, I laminate sheet cork between the plywood and the track as a sound-deadener. I like Nathan's suggestion about giving the track on one end a little relief to suggest it is connected to the main.


Otherwise, how do you get your trains to stick to wall-mounted tracks? Lionel Magne-Traction? (-:

EO

I would use sheet cork as others have suggested. You can find 12x12'" tiles at  big box stores in the office supply section for cheap. 

I found rolls of thin sheet cork at staples stores.

Posted from Android

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Have a similar portion on my layout.  What I used was a black kitchen drawer and shelf liner I found at Home Depot.   Its not very thick somewhat rubbery, keeping the track elevation low but more importantly like mention in an above post, provided a buffer to eliminate noise if directly on the wood.  Comes in a roll easy to work with and its not expensive.  Good luck.

Thanks for the replies, I'll be sure to get some foam board. 

If you are going to use cork, I strongly recommend against using any cork that is packaged as a rolled-up tube.  It's nigh impossible to get it to lie absolutely flat, and flat is what you want for track roadbed.   Sheet cork is available.   I found mine online - 1/4 inch thick cut into 2 x 3 ft rectangles.  Cork is very easy to cut with a sharp utility knife and does the job of deadening sound.  For things you want to have a solid mount, like ground throws, just use longer nails so they stick into the wood a bit.  This is one reason I don't use foam.  I like ground throws and there is no good way to mount them securely on foam.

As noted in the posts above, a branchline would likley have some elevated mainline ballast.  In HO, use some N-scale cork to get half of the elevation.   It still looks better than having everything flat on the ground.

- Norm

I purchased cork sheet made by Midwest (same company that does cork road bed) at my local hobby shop. It comes in 6"x36" I believe. 

Yep, I'd go with some sort of sheet material and then a dirt style covering for the SP. I haven't figured out how to simulae the yard area but I know it's not a well ballasted area in those days. I'm also looking to simulate a good old fashioned mud puddle on the access road.

For my LAJ layout and since its 100% industrial, I just laid the track directly onto the foam.  You do lose a bit of the sound-deadening qualities of cork doing it that way, but since this is low speed switching and my engines have sound, it doesn't bother me.