Standard Gaugers, what are you using for your track's roadbed?

i've never done anything with Std gauge track other than create temporary floor layouts, but in O gauge i've used cork roadbed for all the track i've ever screwed down and i can't see why it wouldn't also be a good choice for the wider gauge.  unless you can find cork specifically made for SG, using O gauge cork, you'll wind up with a one inch channel along the centerline, but that wouldn't be much of a problem to fill and the more important shoulders would still have a good slope profile for ballast.

good luck...gary

Adhesive-backed cork strips under Gargraves phantom rail. Bought by the roll from McMaster Carr industrial supply.

At the present time my Standard gauge runs on the carpet  and Homosote strips under the track but I have considered this problem when planning a regular layout. I am thinking along the lines of Homosote with indoor/outdoor carpet on top.   Cost is a big issue.

My layout consists of 1/2" plywood, layer of Homasote and then indoor/outdoor carpeting.

NJCJOE posted:

My layout consists of 1/2" plywood, layer of Homasote and then indoor/outdoor carpeting.

 

I assume you screwed down the track past the carpet, homasote and into the wood... how is the noise level? How thick is your Homasote?

I don't remember the thickness of the Homasote. It is either 1/2" or 3/4". The track is screwed through the carpet and into the Homasote. It does not go into the plywood. It holds in place without a problem. Noise is not an issue. The layout is fairly quiet. 

I hold my SG track in place with 7/8" wire nails in to the Homosote. The only noise is the old tin with the old in wheels and old hook couplers rattling on the rails. I think it is neat, personally.  Sometimes a nail works loose but so do  spikes on real RRs. You put them back in.

1/2 Ply with I/O Carpet.. No homasote.  Noise level is fairly loud with 5 big trains operating, but not overwhelming by any stretch. The rumble from AF Wide gauge locos is impressive but can be reduced with mass (stations, freight platforms) or tighter supports on the table.

My home layout uses Johnson rubber roadbed. Not sure if still available. SGMA modules use green carpet with grey carpet under tracks. Simple cheap and effective. Many period layouts use contrasting light grey paint to simulate ballast. Vinalbed makes SG roadbed. I use it on O gauge tubular and it works great.

I know you are looking to stay as historically original as possible, so you should think about using vintage rubber roadbed. I do not have any pictures at the moment, but I'm sure the Google can help with that.

There are also some vintage offerings for noise suppressor and anti-skid track pads. These are the same concept as the rubber roadbed, but only go under the ties. I have a box of these, I will need to find them and take a picture.

ARNO

The Johnson roadbed is black. The vintage roadbed is grey. Plus the vintage stuff has a piece that fits turnouts and another for 90 degree crossings.

Do not forget there are fasteners to hold the track together. There are some of these on e-bay now.

I think Flyer made a plate to attach the track together. I have some of what Arno is speaking of. They kinda look like the pads that go under furniture.

For vintage I like the look another forum member did with the colored sawdust and grey painted roadbed.

track clips

To hold my SG track together I took the ties from a couple of pieces of old track, bent the sides together a little bit and used one, upside down, as a clip between two sections of track.  Make sure the sides of the "clip"  are low enough not to short the rails. On old SG layouts, did they use ballast like what is available today?  I can't remember but I doubt it.  When I make  a real SG layout I might put strips of gray indoor/outdoor carpet between the rails like I did on my O gauge.

My current layout has the track screwed directly into 1/2" sound insulating board, which I use instead of Homasote on top of the plywood. I am considering putting Vinylbed under the Standard Gauge track. My layout is a loop of Standard Gauge around an 0 gauge layout and I think the slight elevation would create a better visual difference. Vinylbed is no longer made (replaced by Flexxbed), but I have enough to do the job.

I have also made Standard Gauge roadbed out of sound board. You can cut it easily with a saber saw or knife. You lay out the curves with a trammel arm or just a piece of string and a pencil. 

I only run Standard Gauge at Christmas time and I use the black Johnson's rubber roadbed and old lionel tubular track  on a 6x12 framed layout under our Christmas tree.  The trains look great running on it and they ride quiet as well.  I also run a loop of Gauge using Lionel Fastrack.  Quite honestly for Christmas time I wish I had foregone the Fastrack for the O gauge loop and went with Johnson's rubber roadbed and tubular track for that loop as well.

If you are going homasote over plywood, my preferred method, don't screw the track down the plywood.  It loses the sound deadening qualities of the homasote, and also homasote can hold screws very well.  It is a very dense material, so much so you may find you have to predrill it for the screws.  You screw your track into the homasote, it's not moving.

Here's what I've used - Lionel roadbed:

Thats very attractive Ron!

On my layout I used 5 millimeter rubber athletic flooring underlayment over indoor/outdoor carpeting.   I purchased the rubber underlayment from a local installer of synthetic athletic flooring.  I made templates out of masonite for each diameter of curve track that I used, plus the straights, and then traced the template onto the rubber for cutting.

The tracks ( All are from USA Track) are screwed into plywood, and all screws have a rubber washer in place between the tie and the screw head to cut down the sound and vibration.  

Overall, the noise level is very tolerable.  The beige indoor/outdoor carpeting is very neutral and does not compete with the trains.

Howard Korenthal

Howard posted:

On my layout I used 5 millimeter rubber athletic flooring underlayment over indoor/outdoor carpeting.   I purchased the rubber underlayment from a local installer of synthetic athletic flooring.  I made templates out of masonite for each diameter of curve track that I used, plus the straights, and then traced the template onto the rubber for cutting.

The tracks ( All are from USA Track) are screwed into plywood, and all screws have a rubber washer in place between the tie and the screw head to cut down the sound and vibration.  

Overall, the noise level is very tolerable.  The beige indoor/outdoor carpeting is very neutral and does not compete with the trains.

Howard Korenthal

Howard, 

That's a great look. Love the speckled pattern in the rubber. Quite a stylized take on ballast! Looks fab.

Agreed, that looks really sharp.