# Foam roadbed...



## fairbanks (Sep 17, 2015)

Saw this at my hobby shop at half the cost of cork,supposedly much quieter than cork.Anyone use it ?


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

I use the Woodland Scenic's foam roadbed in 2' sections. I like it. It's easy to lay and follows curves well. I glue it down with DAP Alex Plus clear latex/silicon caulk. Some people say it's too easy to push track nails in too far and distort the track. Just go easy on the track nails and you'll be fine.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

I am building my first layout since the 70's and tried the Woodland Scenics Foam Roadbed but did not like the way it looked after adding ballast, just was not appealing to me so I tore it up and I am laying the track without roadbed.

The rails that run near my home and work the roadbed is not consistent, the height changes with the terrain, it is 2' - 3' high in some areas and in other areas the track is right on the ground.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Appearance is a personal thing, but you don't need to have the roadbed perched on top of your terrain like a well-groomed mainline. Take some Sculptamold, or whatever material you prefer, and build up the surrounding terrain.

For myself, I really like the foam roadbed. I buy bulk packs of the 2' strips.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I use the foam road bed on my main lines, but lay
the spur and yard tracks flat onto the table foam overlay.
Foam roadbed has the same beveled sides as cork. You have
to use sticky glue to hold ballast to it until the glue sets.

But Foam vs Cork in the hobby is same as
the old Ford vs Chevy arguments. There is no
definite answer.

Don


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## Jacobpaul81 (Jan 24, 2015)

I liked it in O scale and now that I'm going HO, I'll be using it again. It installs easy with t-pins and an adhesive or caulk - I like pl-375 or as another stated Alex Plus. I glued O right down on it without nails or screws. We'll see about HO.


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## santafealltheway (Nov 27, 2012)

I would say the sound difference is minimal.

Cost is about the only reason i would buy it. 

I DON'T like how pliable/Flexible it is after it's installed. But maybe that's just me.

I like to nail my stuff down.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm using foam on my 4 x 8 N-scale layout which I am very SLOWLY building. I've got trains running, and like the foam. It's easy to work with and goes through curves very easily. I can't speak for sound deadening, since I can hear the clickety-clack of the wheels on the rails, but it's not distracting or noisy.


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## MikeB (Feb 11, 2016)

I'm sort of interested in this after reading this thread. I'm using cork for my roadbed. Is it possible to use the foam on the Spurs to go from each cork height to table top height?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MikeB said:


> I'm sort of interested in this after reading this thread. I'm using cork for my roadbed. Is it possible to use the foam on the Spurs to go from each cork height to table top height?


You can certainly mix roadbed types, but for this application, if I understand what you're trying to do correctly, I would either just shim the track as it gradually slopes down, or take a piece of cork and sand it into a gradual slope.

You could do the same sanding with WS foam panels or extruded foam panel, but not foam roadbed. It's foam rubber and doesn't sand.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

CTValleyRR said:


> You could do the same sanding with WS foam panels or extruded foam panel, but not foam roadbed. It's foam rubber and doesn't sand.


That is not correct.
I sanded my WS foam roadbed into slopes where it exited the mainline into the yard and it sanded very easily using emery cloth. 
I just did not like the look of the track on roadbed and removed it all.


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## RonthePirate (Sep 9, 2015)

I use it, bought it from Hobbylinc.com.
Yep, the same two foot sections.

I also like its reuseable quality. Most of the tie imprints disappear when moved.


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## PaulPerger (Feb 4, 2014)

DonR said:


> I use the foam road bed on my main lines, but lay
> the spur and yard tracks flat onto the table foam overlay.
> Foam roadbed has the same beveled sides as cork. You have
> to use sticky glue to hold ballast to it until the glue sets.
> ...


Ford is the definite answer, but is 

Foam = Ford or is Cork = Ford... 

That is up to you...


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The Ford guys foam when they meet a corky Chevy.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

NAJ said:


> That is not correct.
> I sanded my WS foam roadbed into slopes where it exited the mainline into the yard and it sanded very easily using emery cloth.
> I just did not like the look of the track on roadbed and removed it all.


Really? Well I learned something today.

I tried using a 220 grit sanding block and shredded it. I guess the abrasive was too aggressive.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

PaulPerger said:


> Ford is the definite answer, but is
> 
> Foam = Ford or is Cork = Ford...
> 
> That is up to you...





DonR said:


> The Ford guys foam when they meet a corky Chevy.
> 
> Don


Not to start an argument/debate that can never be won but...
whichever one is best is absolutely a Mopar.



CTValleyRR said:


> Really? Well I learned something today.
> 
> I tried using a 220 grit sanding block and shredded it. I guess the abrasive was too aggressive.


I used a 6" long piece and lightly sanded by hand using emery cloth and it was beveled in 5- 10 minutes time.
Did 4 of them, just did not like the way it looked on the layout.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

Have foam roadbed left so I just beveled another piece just to show it can be done.

BEFORE


















EMERY CLOTH









SANDED PARTICLES IN SINK









AFTER


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

NAJ

No debate...I am a long time Dodge Ram driver.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

DonR said:


> NAJ
> 
> No debate...I am a long time Dodge Ram driver.
> 
> Don


So how do you deal with the conflicting message:

The word "Dodge" on the front is good advice.

The word "Ram" on the side suggests that the lettering on the front might be some sort of challenge.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Mine is a bright red 2009 1500. Those things are BIG.
You better Dodge, or you'll get Rammed.

Don


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

That was a Valiant post, Don.


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## PaulPerger (Feb 4, 2014)

DonR said:


> NAJ
> 
> No debate...I am a long time Dodge Ram driver.
> 
> Don


Funny, bizarre, but true story involving two Dodge Ram drivers. They are twins, Robert and Ronald, who had for many years both driven Ford F-150 pickup trucks. Both blue, basically exactly the same except for the wheels. Both brothers hated they both drove nearly identical trucks... They got teased about it all the time... "Matching was cute when your MOTHER dressed you boys, but you're in your 40s.. Aren't you a bit old for the 'matchy matchy' thing?" They both swore that they did NOT plan this...

So, one day, Ron decided he was done being teased and he was going to put an end to the commentary at the Masons lodge. So, he went out and bought a truck. A Yellow Dodge Ram. And he never told his brother Robert about it.

The NEXT DAY, Robert was driving home from work and passed by a Dodge dealer and saw a yellow Dodge Ram sitting out front. His first thought was, "That's a good looking truck, Ron would NEVER drive a yellow truck". So, he stopped, traded in his blue Ford and unknowingly bought a truck that was a perfect match to the one his brother bought the day before.

The teasing hasn't stopped even though those two dodge trucks both saw the end of their lives some time ago...

Robert is my Father In Law. He now drives Chevys...


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

PaulPerger said:


> Robert is my Father In Law. He now drives Chevys...


And now you see the depths of insanity to which incessant teasing can drive a person...........


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## PaulPerger (Feb 4, 2014)

flyboy2610 said:


> And now you see the depths of insanity to which incessant teasing can drive a person...........


Very True.

Unfortunate for me, or fortunate if you only look at it financially, he sold me two of his cars rather than trade them in for about half of KBB value. And then he had so many points on his GM credit card he couldn't use them all on one car, so two years ago I got a brand new Cruze. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but it had 13 miles on it when I drove it off the lot and it was fully paid for.

Moral: A really good financial deal can make one as crazy as incessant teasing!


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