Sub-roadbed for a large flat-ish yard

[Bendtracker1]

Tar paper?

[mu26aeh]

Tar paper?

Maybe he is talking about the ice/water barrier style of tar paper that has a granulated surface ? 

[nkalanaga]

Many many many years ago O gaugers using inside third rail track used to use the "granulated shingles", whatever the proper name is, for ballast.  Just nail the 3-rail track down on top of it.  Primitive by today's standards, but their trains ran, and looked a little better, so they did it.

[mrhedley]

I understand the foam is noisier than the Midwest cork product. I made a small logging line once and laid it right on white styrofoam. It was crazy noisy. The woodland scenics stuff is less dense so I imagine it would transmit less sound but still I'm hesitant to use foam as roadbed. Perhaps someone which experience in that product can weigh in.

I'm leaning towards cork for the mains and the yard on ceiling tile.

Thanks.

Craig

I guess I should have paid more attention to your initial post citing your noise concerns.  My entire layout base is foam board insulation, and while there is some noticeable change in the noise level, it appears to improve once the track is ballasted and scenery base is added.  Having built layouts in both methods, I've found that working with a foam base in shaping the contours is faster and easier, which is a big advantage to anyone who's doesn't get to spend as much time working on the layout as we'd prefer.

[Blazeman]

Friend used "rolled roofing" material from HD. One side has an aggregate "finish"...he used the other side. Thick enough to be close to the height of roadbed. Roll has a lot of feet...you would only use a small portion.

[peteski]

I wonder what is the advantage of using unusual materials like roofing for roadbed instead of just getting a sheet of cork gasket material from an automotive parts store?  Does the roofing (type of a tar paper?) deaden the sound better than sheet of cork?  Or is is it simply a case of some model railroader just wanting to be different (or using whatever they had on-hand at the time)?

[nkalanaga]

More likely "whatever's on hand", and others followed his lead.  For most people, roll roofing would be more likely to come to mind than cork gaskets from the auto parts store.  I didn't know cars used cork gaskets until someone else, years ago, suggested it for roadbed.