Track underlay

[Robofleeds]

As an alternative to the commonly-used cork sheet as track underlay has anyone used vinyl floor covering/cushionfloor type material? I had an off-cut having had some laid recently and found that the reverse is excellent for marking out the track plan as seen in the attached photo. It is also easily cut to give the chamfered edge once ballasted, and can be stuck to the baseboard in the same way as cork sheet. In all aspects it seems suitable and I’m sure off-cuts or roll-ends would be readily available from carpet shops, but has anyone actually tried and tested it and can confirm its suitability as a long-term solution?

[Campaman]

I tried some on my shunting puzzle but had problems gluing it down so it stayed down, I used No More Nails, maybe a contact adhesive or the spray on type of carpet glue would have worked better as long as it doesn't dissolve the underlay.

 

I stopped using it because of the glue problem as I then expected to have problems gluing other stuff to it.

 

Maybe test the type you have will glue before using it as there seems to be many different types of underlay.

 

 

[ISW]

Robo,

 

I am using an underlay on my layout currently under construction. See link in footer to Burton-on-Trent South.

 

On 05/02/19 I said: [1]

"The underlay material I used is, errr, underlay. Literally. It's for under wood flooring and came from Homebase about 2-years ago. As you can see from the photo below, it's 3mm thick and I paid about £30 for the 10m2. That's plenty to complete my plans. I'm sure cork would have cost more, and I think this stuff has a number of benefits. Firstly, it's quite soft so you can put fishplates onto flexitrack without having to remove the end sleeper. I just cut off the 'rail fastenings'. The slightly lower sleeper (due to the fishplate) is absorbed by the underlay. Second, PVA glue sticks to it, but when forced if peels off without leaving any damage or residue. Guess how I found that out ... Third, when you drill holes through it into the baseboard (eg: for droppers) the underlay seals back up the hole."

 

There is a photo of the underlay I used in the same posting.

 

In a posting on 07/11/19 [1] I listed the steps I'm using to install the underlay and set out the tracks.

 

[1] - If I knew how to put a simple 'link' to the posting I would, but it keeps changing it to a 'window'. Really annoying.

 

So far it has worked as I expected it to, with no problems with 'debonding'. I also found that tracks can be lifted from the underlay (using adequate force and a knife) and the glue comes away quite cleanly. Quite a benefit.

 

[Sir TophamHatt]

I use vinyl flooring instead of Cork.

It's much easier and cleaner when having to change things, is cheap and easy to cut. No dust or tears from Cork. 

[Philou]

Hello,

 

I too use underlay for flooring (the green stuff), which I think is wood fibre based. I agree that it sticks well with PVA and things stick to it too. The only downside that it blunts cutter blades fairly quickly. Here are a few of before and after photos:

 

Green underlay pinned in place waiting for the PVA to 'go off'.

 

 

Track being pinned in place waiting for ballasting. (Yeah, I know - not prototypical - facing crossovers).

 

 

Now you see it, now you don't! Done three years ago and still holding good despite being moved from place to place.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Robofleeds]

Thanks for sharing your experiences of using alternative track underlay guys. I think I will give it a go, but probably follow the good advice to try a test sample first before doing the whole layout with it!!

[NINJA]

What benefit is there laying cork over the full width of the baseboard, I can see laying it directly under the track to give an increased shoulder height maybe.

 

I had laid cork under the track and ballasted it  but I found in the fiddle yard without cork and ballast the running was much quieter.

[The Johnster]

I don't use underlay at all, and the track is pva-ed directly to the baseboard.  Running is very good, and it has been easy to achieve level trackwork.  Order of construction being as follows; build baseboard, mark out the trackplan, clean the baseboard (sealing it with grey paint will help, both to eliminate and highlight dirt) and the underside of the track meticulously, and lay the track flat in position, fixing it lightly with pins.  Test run thoroughly for derailments and electrical continuity, remove the pins (remember you only put them there very lightly to stop things moving about while you did the testing), carefully remove the track, then pva the trackbed leaving gaps for tiebars on points.  

 

Then replace the track, weighting it down if necessary to ensure level and pinning any flexible sections that might want to 'spring' a bit before the pva goes off.  You are now ready to ballast the running lines and anything else needed.  

 

This method may not be suitable if noise is an issue, but on my small BLT where speeds are low it isn't.  The track stays where you put it both horizontally and vertically.  I have not experienced any problems with expansion and contraction, but if the layout is in a shed or attic, anywhere outside the heated and ventilated living area of your flat or house in fact, it may be worth putting expansion gaps in.

 

I have cut notches in my rails at suitable intervals to take advantage of the sound created by wheels going over them; it's a good guide to realistic speed!

[Sprintex]

I haven't used underlay either for the simple reason railways are noisy places in real life. 

 

Seen too many layouts at exhibitions where a long steam/diesel passenger train passes through at high speed with almost no noise from the coach wheels at all. That's not my experience of real railways even nowadays, there's always a loud "shooshing" noise from all that metal-on-metal contact.

 

 

Paul 

[Philou]

The reason why I laid underlay under what seems to be a large area was that it is an MPD (of sorts) and the whole area has been ballasted in sand with just bits of chipping  here and there and then dirty up - there was no need to have any shouldering between tracks - indeed the less shouldering the better. As speeds are very slow there are no sound issues (for me ).

 

Bit like this:

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Philip