Roadbed material question. (Homasote ?)

Has any one used: Homasote for there rail - roadbed ??

I was reading a construction article where they were using "Homasote" for the track bed.

Looking for it on the the net. "Homasote" is the company name, and they sell many
construction products. Mostly from recycled material.

Homasote is:

A densely compressed-paper product from recycled newsprint, and is usually
sold in 4' x 8' x 1/2" construction board.

I have only seen cork being used for this application, but was wondering if
this material would make a solid base, easy to work with.. and reliable (More that cork)

I'm all for improving things if it works well.

Any comments on this material ??

Homasote has been used for years by the larger scale model railroaders. It is fine for laying track on and is fairly easy to carve with a sharp knife. Only disadvantage I see is the thickness and weight of the material. In Z we want to keep things as light as practicable yet strong. I think other building materials would serve just as well.

2 cents,
Loren

Homasote, which is manufactured by the Homasote Company headquartered in West Trenton, New Jersey (a couple of blocks from where I used to live), has been a popular roadbed material in the larger scales for many years. It's used both to add sound-deadening properties and provide a surface that's easier to spike than plywood. It can also be carved to simulate a roadbed profile. However, it cannot be used as a subroadbed material, as it is does not have the strength to support itself across any distance--even just a few inches. Normally it's laminated to a plywood subroadbed.

Although Homasote can be used in its raw form, which is typically a large sheet like plywood, it's also remanufactured by some companies into a product specifically intended for model railroad roadbed. The most widely-known of these companies is the California Roadbed Company, which makes a product called Homabed. This product resembles cork roadbed in that it's made in half-strips (which allows it to be curved more easily) with sloped sides that simulate the slope of ballast. Homabed is preferred by many modelers over cork as it's more dimensionally stable, providing a sturdier base under the track; it also does not deteriorate like cork.

The Homabed website ( www.calroadbed.com/ ) claims they supply roadbed for all scales, including Z, but finding their Z products seems to be a problem.

Myself, I'm not all that fond of it as the material is quite heavy, and since it must be fully supported, it adds significant weight to a layout. My preference is always to reduce weight, as well as make things easier to modify down the road, and a layout that's built using traditional methods (e.g. L-girders, risers, plywood subroadbed and cork/Homasote roadbed) is a bear to modify.

Thanks for your 2 cents and your info Loren now I'm up to 4 cents.

Soon I'll be able to buy some Homabed:) -- Can I get any using my "Z" points.?

Thanks for all that info Dave, and for pointing out a unique product
called Homabed, I will look into that for sure.

I have to confess that my use of the product is not for "Z" but rather "N" scale.
Sorry for using the "N" word here.

By your description, you should get a commission for making a fine sale for calroadbed.

Weight is not an issue for me. (I Will not be lifting it any time soon.)

As for easy modification.. Well, this is going to be a one shoot deal, no mods..

This will be the most research I have ever done for any lay out..
I want it to be durable and last for years.

It will be small, only 4x6 max.

I say small because my father's Lay-Out was "L" shaped (5x12 - 5x12) each leg.

I want it to be interesting, and pleasing to look at. and going all out with the DCC
It will also have a fully automated mode.. (I hope)

I've Been involved with 5 "HO's" from start to finish..
3 with my Father over the past 40 years, starting with the 4x8 plywood deal.
1 at the local town history museum.
1 for someone localy who my father and I helped get started.

Each time we have used cork. (Run of the mill peg-board stuff.) Very hard to bevel.

He was "Old School" and never looked for any new Ideas or materials.
Most of the old methods are still great.

But this one is now "Just Me" as my Father has passed away.

Homabed looks like it's going to work just fine, Thanks again.

Kevin

Hmmmmm........David, I'm not sure if using the N word constitutes treason or not?

What do you say.......shall we let him live to tell his tale?

Kevin, no joking, you might really like Z scale if you tried it. You can do amazing things with Z, even DCC and as John Paul Jones was famous for saying......."I've only begun to fight"

You ain't seen anything yet in Z scale.

Be that as it may, I'm sure you will do a great job in your new layout and I'm glad you can remember some of your dad's great techniques that are now considered somewhat antiquated. Sometimes the older things of life turn out to be time tested and without fault.

Best to you,
Loren

tealplanes wrote:

Hmmmmm........David, I'm not sure if using the N word constitutes treason or not?

Being a lifelong N scaler, I have no problems!

As for using older techniques, there's nothing wrong with them; they still work fine, and many modelers still use them. It's my personal preference to try new materials and techniques to leverage them for possible advantages. After having moved many times, I've found that even a permanent home layout can benefit from being as lightweight as possible. I've also found that alternate techniques can accelerate layout construction many times over. I've used the old-school approach, so I know for myself that the months it takes to build traditional benchwork can be compressed down into weeks or even days using newfangled stuff.

For instance... in the time it took me to build this--



I was able to build this--

David,
Yes, sometimes the old is better in some ways, but with today's many new products, building time can be reduced drastically and to good advantage.

Take for instance, if you built a 2'x4' layout using Hydrocal rock work, vs light weight Sculptamold and plaster cloth, well, the weight difference would be huge.

As it is, I'm still surprised how quickly weight adds up on my modules. Fortunately, my whole forest weighs less than one power pack and thank goodness as I have enough trees to cover acres of land.....scale wise.

Having been there and done that in the days gone by allows us to sit serenely with a cool drink and reminisce about those old techniques while being thankful we now have the 'new and improved' method.

After all, we need to get this done so we can go watch our favorite TV show and eat 2 minute microwave popcorn.

BTW, nice modeling you have there.......in any scale.
Loren

tealplanes wrote:

Homasote has been used for years by the larger scale model railroaders. It is fine for laying track on and is fairly easy to carve with a sharp knife. Only disadvantage I see is the thickness and weight of the material. In Z we want to keep things as light as practicable yet strong. I think other building materials would serve just as well.

2 cents,
Loren

My experience over 25 years with a layout on homasote is that it needs a good structure under it as over time it sags and becomes washboard like. I have had to go under the layout and jack up the 1 foot square frame with 6 inch grid frames and screw and glue them into place while pushing up the centers of each one foot square. Not a nice task. I had built it originally using 1/2 inch homasote board on 2 x 4 ft module sections with 1 x 4 outside frame and a 1 ft square grid of 1 x 2 under the homasote on my home layout. After about 12 years I went under the layout and everywhere the track ran I installed a 6 in grid piece in each 1 foot square. Homasote certainly makes a very nice quiet layout.

Homasote can make very nice rock walls. when score and broken and wire brushed before painting with plaster mix or sculptamold to seal the surface and then using a putty knife or other edge to enhance he detail.

Now when I use homasote I use one foot grid covered in 1/8th plywood to prevent the sagging. But I prefer a light plywood frame around 2 inches of pink foam for a 2x4ft module base as it ends up much lighter and after David's metal wall stud frame that just might be even better.

cheerz Garth

tealplanes wrote:

BTW, nice modeling you have there.......in any scale.

Thank you! It was really hard letting go of a layout that was 80% finished. It had a lot of character...

David K. Smith wrote:

tealplanes wrote:

BTW, nice modeling you have there.......in any scale.

Thank you! It was really hard letting go of a layout that was 80% finished. It had a lot of character...

Dave,

A lot of character? That's a slight understatement. Your work is all about character.

I have become firmly convinced that in most cases---the more the scene is 'junked up' and I say that is a respectful manner, the more realistic the scene looks.

If we stop, look, and listen, and examine real life we find that our environment is very junky in most cases. If you detail some scene to the max and then ask folks to go on a treasure hunt at the train shows, or home visit, they have a great time looking for the treasures you have hidden.

I think we should all begin to do the "where's Waldo?" theme in our scenes. Not necessarily hiding Waldo, but some little details that folks have to go looking for.....imagine the time they will spend in the process. Gives great opportunity to 'talk' them into model railroading.

Matter of fact, at the Z convention I am going to have just such a scenario. Folks will be asked to look at something or for something and take a guess. There will be a nice prize for the winner.

Something to look forward to.

Loren

One more comment on Dave's layout.

And this is not to go and toot Dave's horn until his head pops.......but.....
I invite all to really examine Dave's pictures closely and look at all the detail that he has included in the scenes. You won't find those kind of details in most model railroads.

I think this is a worthy goal of us all and that is to detail up our Z so that folks of a different scale persuasion will see what can be done in this Z scale we all enjoy so much. And being that there is little to work with in comparrison to other scales, we can all rise to the occasion to some extent and turn it on so that folks will be wowed.
In other words, let your imagination and building skills run wild.

I think we all want the viewing audience to say "WOW"

Loren

Actually Bill (in El Toro) and I was studying Dave's modeling skills for years before he joined to our scale. The only disappointment is, his examples of outstanding detail work and focus on realistic railroad scenes (generally speaking: good, quality modeling) are grossly ignored by many "celebrities" of our scale. That disturbing trend leads to too many questionable projects by the followers of our noisy "celebrities". I hope, more Z-scale modelers will study and follow David's and a few other true modeler's firm standing on high modeling standards. One more note. If you feel, you're a "celebrity", don't take it personal.

Lajos