One side was fat, the other thin ... now no more?

[OldEastRR]

In the 50 years I've been in N scale, the cork roadbed has always been cut in strips that separate into a fat half and a thin half -- definitely different in width, no matter who made it. Today I bought a length and when I split it both sides were exactly the same width. Is this the new N scale?

[robert3985]

In the 50 years I've been in N scale, the cork roadbed has always been cut in strips that separate into a fat half and a thin half -- definitely different in width, no matter who made it. Today I bought a length and when I split it both sides were exactly the same width. Is this the new N scale?

Maybe this is your first experience with Midwest Cork Products N-scale Cork Roadbed.  I've bought thousands of feet of it over the years and I've never noticed one side being fat and the other thin...and I've never used another brand as long as I've been in N-scale.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

The cork roadbed I have dealt with (on friend's layouts) was sliced diagonally (but not all the way through) in the middle.  Separating it created 2 equally wide roadbed halves.

[Doug G.]

Do you mean fat and thin vertically or horizontally? Vertically doesn't make sense. Horizontally means its just because of the diagonal cut as Pete described.

Doug

[peteski]

This is the roadbed I am familiar with.

[jpwisc]

That width irregularity was one of the reasons I stopped using Midwest Cork. It was so annoying. Midwest Cork was also too wide. I had to remove 3/16” to get it to a usable width. It’s so much easier and more cost effective to cut my own from sheet cork.

[wm3798]

Keeping in mind that the cork is a base, and not a finish, I like it to be a bit more than I need.  After gluing it down (and letting the glue set) I usually go over it with a sanding block anyway to remove the rough edge, and reduce the profile to where I want it.  I believe it was @davefoxx who also took that opportunity to sand in minor superelevations and eliminate subroadbed bumps and irregularities to great effect.



Once it's trimmed out with finished ballast, the time spent sanding and shaping shows its value...



Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I came to the realization about 9/10 of the way through Windsor St that I'm never using side by side cork again.

But I'll happily put a single strip along under the track (and then sand it).
I'd rather use more ballast and have more control of the profile.

[robert3985]

I don't know about @davefoxx and his treatment of cork roadbed, but I've been using Midwest Cork Products Cork Roadbed since I got into N-scale back in the early 80's.  One of the reasons I use it is because it sands so easily, so that after sanding with a sanding block cut from a 1X3, it forms an excellent base for C55 and C40 track whose thinner rails are more susceptible to slight vertical bumps than C80.  I also started sanding in superelevation originally using an old inclinometer regulated by gravity.  I now use a digital inclinometer I got from MicroMark.

Photo (1) - Superelevated mainline trackage at Echo Curve achieved by sanding the cork roadbed:


I also sand and shape the sides of Midwest N-scale Cork Roadbed because it is wider than the standard U.P. ballast profile for mainline trackage.  At turnouts, I add to its width in accordance with U.P. System Common Standard Roadbed and Ballast at Main Track Switches, where the extra width is welcome.

Photo (2) - "Union Pacific System Common Standard Roadbed and Ballast at Main Track Switches":

On my layout sections where there are sidings and spurs which are lower than the mainlines, I use HO-scale Midwest Cork Roadbed (a single piece) for the mainline roadbed, sanding transitions to lower N-scale Midwest Cork Roadbed under the siding and industrial spur trackage. 

To get the proper ballast contour, I've made several contour tools from plastic sheet for C70, C55 and C40 rail heights, which are particularly handy for contouring ballast that is under my mainline trackage that's on top of a single strip of HO-scale cork roadbed.  They also work well as a gauge for shaping my N-scale cork roadbed to get clearance for the edge contour with ballast added to it.

Photo (3) - Ballast contour tool:


IMO track is just as important as the trains that run on it and the scenery surrounding it and should be treated as a model with equal attention to detail.  Foam, sticky asphalt and rubber compounds for track roadbed just don't allow the leveling, superelevation and contouring that is easily accomplished with roadbed made of cork.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

Another typical Google glitch - the 2nd photo from the top is not showing up (I see the dreaded gray "do not enter") sign.

[chuck geiger]

In the 50 years I've been in N scale, the cork roadbed has always been cut in strips that separate into a fat half and a thin half -- definitely different in width, no matter who made it. Today I bought a length and when I split it both sides were exactly the same width. Is this the new N scale?

Mandella effect.

[chuck geiger]

I don't know about @davefoxx and his treatment of cork roadbed, but I've been using Midwest Cork Products Cork Roadbed since I got into N-scale back in the early 80's.  One of the reasons I use it is because it sands so easily, so that after sanding with a sanding block cut from a 1X3, it forms an excellent base for C55 and C40 track whose thinner rails are more susceptible to slight vertical bumps than C80.  I also started sanding in superelevation originally using an old inclinometer regulated by gravity.  I now use a digital inclinometer I got from MicroMark.

Photo (1) - Superelevated mainline trackage at Echo Curve achieved by sanding the cork roadbed:


I also sand and shape the sides of Midwest N-scale Cork Roadbed because it is wider than the standard U.P. ballast profile for mainline trackage.  At turnouts, I add to its width in accordance with U.P. System Common Standard Roadbed and Ballast at Main Track Switches, where the extra width is welcome.

Photo (2) - "Union Pacific System Common Standard Roadbed and Ballast at Main Track Switches":


On my layout sections where there are sidings and spurs which are lower than the mainlines, I use HO-scale Midwest Cork Roadbed (a single piece) for the mainline roadbed, sanding transitions to lower N-scale Midwest Cork Roadbed under the siding and industrial spur trackage. 

To get the proper ballast contour, I've made several contour tools from plastic sheet for C70, C55 and C40 rail heights, which are particularly handy for contouring ballast that is under my mainline trackage that's on top of a single strip of HO-scale cork roadbed.  They also work well as a gauge for shaping my N-scale cork roadbed to get clearance for the edge contour with ballast added to it.

Photo (3) - Ballast contour tool:


IMO track is just as important as the trains that run on it and the scenery surrounding it and should be treated as a model with equal attention to detail.  Foam, sticky asphalt and rubber compounds for track roadbed just don't allow the leveling, superelevation and contouring that is easily accomplished with roadbed made of cork.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

Where has this layout been?...Please show more. Holy 8th Sub Batman!

[chuck geiger]

BTW first time even I didn't use cork or foam roadbed. Just track and foam. Way easier to work with the surround landscape. I wasn't
doing a heavy main line either. I get that you would use it to elevate and for drainage on heavy duty mains. I thought it would be weird
and it wasn't. Did some GOOGLING on it.

[DKS]

In all my years in N, I've never seen cork roadbed that wasn't symmetrical.*

*To be honest, I only ever used cork when helping other modelers on their layouts. Me, I always "rolled my own" roadbed from double-sided foam tape...

http://davidksmith.com/modeling/wrn2-3.htm

[tehachapifan]

In all my years in N, I've never seen cork roadbed that wasn't symmetrical.*…

Funny, I don't remember any cork roadbed that was symmetrical. I seem to recall a side that was always a little bit narrower (not that it ever had a negative impact of any type). That narrower side has always been the "away" side as it typically had the rougher-looking beveled edge to it, if you just tear them apart like I always did.