By now, most of you are familiar with the WalthersTrack HO scale product range, which features turnouts, flextrack, and related accessories. We recently got a sneak peek of the latest addition to the product range that has yet to arrive in stores — dense, closed-cell foam roadbed. Join Trains.com Director David Popp and Model Railroader Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy as they demonstrate how to use the product on our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy East Troy Industrial Park project layout.
The WalthersTrack HO scale roadbed matches most common cork roadbed dimensions. The dense, closed-cell foam provides a solid, stable foundation for track. The roadbed, which can be cut or split with a hobby or utility knife, features smooth surfaces, so no extra sanding is required. Track can be nailed or glued to the roadbed surface. The foam can be finished with ballast, adhesive, and paint.
The 3/16”-thick roadbed is sold in 36” lengths. Single-track roadbed (1-½” top, 1-⅞” bottom) is sold in a five-pack for $14.98. Double-track roadbed (3-½” top, 3-⅞” bottom), also offered in a five-pack, retails for $24.98. A 12” x 36” roadbed sheet two-pack lists for $24.98.
Trains.com Product Review videos showcase the latest new items from manufacturers of products in Z, N, HO, S, O, and large scales. In the videos, you can watch locomotives in action, take a close-up look at details on freight cars, see kit components, and much more.
If you are a manufacturer and have products you would like reviewed, please email Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cody.grivno@firecrown.com for more information.
I presume that even the extra dense material will not hold spikes the way Homasote does, so not useable for handlaying track.
Looks interesting. Maybe Walthers would consider presplitting the roadbed. For a short, curved section that the guys demonstrated, splitting a couple of sections of the roadbed as they did would not be a big deal. However, if you were modeling a large curving mountain layout, that would be a lot of extra work compared to the cork.