# Tapering Foam Roadbed Thickness



## Stejones82 (Dec 22, 2020)

Greetings all, 

For you WS foam roadbed users: 

My recently completed turntable sits lower than the standard thickness of the foam roadbed so that the Code 70 (HO) tracks will be higher than the bridge track of the TT. 

How best to taper that thickness? Or better to cut slightly into the foam base? 

Any advice most appreciated, thanks! 

Steve


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Tapering foam roadbed would be about as easy as 
convincing a die hard DC'er to go DCC.
I would suggest using wood shims sanded to your
measurements. Once covered by ballast, who could
know the difference.

Don


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Stejones82 said:


> Greetings all,
> 
> For you WS foam roadbed users:
> 
> ...


It would not be the case that a graded lead led to the bridge of a turntable. If anything, the bridge would be accessible only via a slight ramp that climbs, maybe at a 0.5% grade. This is to prevent rolling stock from accidentally rolling into the pit when the bridge is not aligned to the lead.

I would suggest shimming under the lip of the turntable. I have done this on all of my installations. You can make a shallow graded berm of soil from a couple of inches away toward the lip of the pit, but the pit and bridge will be at grade to the lead.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

What Mesenteria said. Shim up the turntable to track height, or even a tad higher.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I have to agree with mesenteria, it would be easier to raise the turntable than lower all the tracks coming into the turntable, and it will look better


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## Stejones82 (Dec 22, 2020)

And that is the beauty of this forum. So obvious but I didn't see it! Thanks, gentlemen! 

So my first thought is to use some of the sheet foam roadbed to cut curved pieces to shim up the TT. It will be a tad tricky on the sector where I have already glued down the service tracks to the Roundhouse, but I'll give it a try.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Stejones82 said:


> And that is the beauty of this forum. So obvious but I didn't see it! Thanks, gentlemen!
> 
> So my first thought is to use some of the sheet foam roadbed to cut curved pieces to shim up the TT. It will be a tad tricky on the sector where I have already glued down the service tracks to the Roundhouse, but I'll give it a try.


That is precisely what I did two layouts ago, and it worked very well. They will elevate to grade, but...they will also seal the volume under the lip of the pit and allow you to backfill and taper a gentle grade or berm of 'soil' back from the pit lip without having to fill that by jamming 'soil' under there, and also having a lot of it spill through the gap and onto the floor under the TT.


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