# Just a couple of questions.



## confused (Feb 24, 2013)

1. Should I use just the plywood top with a cork roadbed or use pink foam?
2. Should I glue the cork down or nail. I remember from a long time ago that trying to pull the cork up after it was nailed was almost impossible to salvage any good pieces. 
3. Should I glue the track or nail? 
More questions to follow once I start building the layout.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

confused said:


> 1. Should I use just the plywood top with a cork roadbed or use pink foam?
> Either will work it's just a matter of choice.
> 2. Should I glue the cork down or nail. I remember from a long time ago that trying to pull the cork up after it was nailed was almost impossible to salvage any good pieces.
> Glue...Well Latex caulking , easily removable if you want to change.
> ...


Latex caulking again.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

confused said:


> 1. Should I use just the plywood top with a cork roadbed or use pink foam?
> 2. Should I glue the cork down or nail. I remember from a long time ago that trying to pull the cork up after it was nailed was almost impossible to salvage any good pieces.
> 3. Should I glue the track or nail?
> More questions to follow once I start building the layout.



Above in red? Did you mean to say that after it was glued it was almost impossible to salvage the cork. If you just nail it down it should come back up easy. 

Are you planning on some type of water on the layout?

With the foam you can carve things out.
The blue foam board is OK to use too.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

If you use the 2 inch foam, you can "nail" it down with stright pins and very easly change later. if you glue it, you are "stuck" with it. [sorry pun intened]


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I would say use whatever you like, both ways are accepted. First and foremost have a plan and try it out before securing everything. This way you can be sure all your components work. It takes more time but in the end is faster then ripping up and redoing it. If you have accessories or plan to add them, make sure they are accessible. I put something in a spot that I could just about reach, I didn't think it through. Most of all have fun. It's your layout do what makes you happy.


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## confused (Feb 24, 2013)

*elavating track*

What do I use to elavate the track going from the plywood base up into the foam, and how do i allow for the different elavations in the foam? The track will have lows and highs throught the layout. Do I just carve the foam and lay the track or is there another way of doing this. If I go from the wood to the first foam piece, what do I use to eleavte the difference in height.


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## Steve S (Jan 7, 2012)

confused said:


> What do I use to elavate the track going from the plywood base up into the foam, and how do i allow for the different elavations in the foam? The track will have lows and highs throught the layout. Do I just carve the foam and lay the track or is there another way of doing this. If I go from the wood to the first foam piece, what do I use to eleavte the difference in height.


What kind of layout are you building? A layer of foam on top of plywood sheet is good to use if you're building a fairly flat layout like an urban switching layout, or something in the flatlands. If you're building a mountainous layout where the track elevation has a lot of variation, you're probably better off going with using risers and narrow roadbed like in the pic below (not my pic). You won't need to use a sheet of foam. You would build up your mountains with screen or strips of cardboard and cover with plaster-soaked paper towels.

http://www.csme1959.org/img/construct/AB-IMG_0343.jpg

Steve S


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## confused (Feb 24, 2013)

Thats how I started to build my layout, but not very eays to change once I started. I might be poor planning but ideas change after I started. That is why I was looking to go with foam, its alot more forgiving then wood.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I'm sure others can help more then me as I only built one layout. I used foam sheets on top of plywood. To transition from different elevations I glued smaller thickness foam on top and then used plaster to smooth it out. I also started with the wrong foam, you need the pink( or blue in some areas?) solid core foam. The cheap white stuff with the little beads is no good. I also had a problem trying to secure the track to the higher elevation foam, you can glue, use ballist , but I chose to glue down some 1/4 inch plywood in a groove I cut in the foam. I then attached the track with screws my layout is o Guage track. What Guage are you using, that might be helpful. I don't know if what I did was the best way but it worked. I carved the foam with a multitude.


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## confused (Feb 24, 2013)

I am building a HO layout. The layout is a U shaped layout. So I want different elevations on the layout.


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