Dark Cork Base (9.8 m)

Dark cork bed for track, 9.8 meters

A large box of cork strips in a dark finish with a total length of nine point eight meters. The strips are assembled under the track into a bed with beveled slopes onto which the ballast is then poured. Compared with the light version, dark cork has the advantage of not showing through the gaps between the grains.

What a bed solves on a layout

Two things at once. It creates the profile of a real permanent way, that is, a raised surface with sloping sides, without which the track looks laid straight on the ground. And at the same time it separates the track from the baseboard, so that the noise of a passing train is not carried into the whole structure. Both are noticeable after the first run.

How to lay the strips

• Draw the route on the baseboard and glue the strips along the line
• Glue with PVA glue and weigh them down until dry
• On curves, nick the strip slightly on the outside
• Sand the joints flat
• At turnouts and station areas, make up the shape from a cork sheet

Who it is for

For layout builders who are laying out a longer line and want the bed from a single delivery. The manufacturer is a German company specializing in scenery accessories, and production takes place in Germany. Before covering it with ballast, test the line with the longest train you count on, because repairing unevenness under glued ballast is extra work. At turnouts and station areas the strips are made up with a cork sheet cut as needed, because the ready-made profile does not suit there.