# Indoor Roadbed options?



## MatthewB (Nov 12, 2008)

Hello railroaders!









Is there a good option for roadbed that can be used indoors around a Christmas tree? I've seen the LGB roadbed that was available a few years back but it seems to have gained collector status as the prices are extemely high for what it is (if you can even find it). I've considered trying to make some, but it seems that with the amount of trains that are used around the holidays that someone somewhere would have made something similar by now.

Thanks,
Matt


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I used a 36" dia. replacement tabletop from Home Despot in the past, thats HLW 32" track circle on it, but I didnt like the track - very noisy. If you put some foam under it that would help quiet it down a bit.


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

The round replacement table top is nice, you can even cut your own and make them bigger if 36" is a bit small, especially if you are using standard LGB track (4' diameter). I use homsote sound insulation board from Home Depot. It comes in 4x8 sheets, either black or brown and this fiber board can easily be cut with a saber saw or table saw. It is 1/2" thick and scales out nicely for a road bed. Very light weight. It is easy to add ballast to as well, but that may not be to your liking for under the tree. I find that cutting it in 4-1/2" widths normally gives you the realistic ballast bed and saves a lot on having ballast all over the place. Not good for outside use, but works great inside. Ed


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

A scrap of carpet cut to the size you want would work. We have carpet in our living room and the train runs fine on it under the tree.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Being I am building an indoor layout, I've been trying to find something to put under the track or to cover the complete table. 

At first my thought was to install 1/8 inch thick cork over the whole table surface. Being my railroad is going to be primarily a frt yard, the brown cork color would work great. Little did I know how expensive cork is. 2ft x 4 ft $9.99 

So I looked at in door / out door carpeting in tan. Cost to cover the whole layout, approx $135.00 Too much for me. 

So I started looking at styrofoam and found this: http://www.lowes.com/pd_304092-210-...oam&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=styrofoam&facetInfo= 

$41.25 for a 50 ft x 4 foot roll. 

I'd rather use 1/8 inch thick styrofoam, but haven't found anything but 1/4 inch thick. 

So, with it being 1/4 inch thick, I'm thinking the foam should only be as wide as the rails otherwise it will be hard to ballast the track without the foam showing at the end of the ties.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

i use styrofoam/styropor.
either completely covering the table like here: http://www.largescalecentral.com/LS...p?id=17297

or just making a border beside the ties and filling with filtersand, that is coloured with black powered colour for concrete.

http://kormsen.ko.funpic.de/forumpics/bahn/blech11.JPG

http://kormsen.ko.funpic.de/bahn/forumpics/bergalt2.JPG


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## ezaircon4jc (Mar 31, 2012)

Time for a resurrection......... 

Would that fake snow batting stuff work? Or would the loco tend to suck up the fibers and jam the works? 

TIA!!


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## TOM_1/20.3 (Mar 28, 2013)

Hi Matt,
I'm using felt underlay (carpets & wood floors) about 1/4" thick. I got the first roll at Lowes but they no longer carry it.
The kind Home Depot carries is thicker, too soft and not well sealed (fuzzes) and very difficult to cut.
I finally found the best kind at Lumber Liquidators. Cuts very easily with utility knife.

TOM


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I use homsote sound insulation board from Home Depot. It comes in 4x8 sheets, either black or brown and this fiber board can easily be cut with a saber saw or table saw. It is 1/2" thick and scales out nicely for a road bed. Very light weight. It is easy to add ballast to as well, 


Wow! What a blast from the past! When I was a little kid (40s-50s) my brother and I had a 4x8 American Flyer layout on our ping pong table. Dad had the homasote cut into two 4x4 pieces so it was more manageable. The homasote kept the noise tolerable for constant running (the table resonated). We could get the layout running in an hour and then start putting up all the Plasticville buildings, the skaters on the mirror, hook up all the action accessories. Easy to dig a hole thru to hide wiring for the lights, etc. (I still have most of it.) 

Homasote will last you forever (indoors only).












JackM


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