Comment section always so helpful on these videos, full of gems of ideas and info. In this video alone; heating the felt with a hair dryer to help it stay flat, using a roller to create a good bond, using track screws instead of pins, where to get the felt, what the points user are and using felt in a garden railway (brilliant idea because it will obviously be water proof). Always so helpful and I’m getting a lot ideas. Its been worth coming back to many of the previous videos and reading the comment section. Brilliant stuff here. I loved the painted roofing felt in another video, think it was painted grey under the track, really good look.

Thanks for commenting. I find its so much quicker and also easier for points , we are still having trouble with our exhibition layout that's ballasted , every time we move it we seem to get more bits loose!

I have used roofing shingles before, they work great leaving the tracks clear of rubble. A black sharpie or marks a lot provides the appearance of oil stained ballast under the tracks as well...

You have done it again . . . materials ordered and about to start a first shelf railway . . . wow . . . thanks for the help . . . Keep em coming.

Great informative video again, but forgive me I think there is a much easier way to do this.. As I watched you trimming and adjusting the felt round the layout features, it gave me an idea... why not just layout a single piece across the whole board then lay component parts on top? This will save any joints or adjustments, and will aid holding the felt down.

My late father built my brother and myself a large double track loop over and loop under 32 Foot circuit Super 4 layout back in 1972 totally ballasted with roofing felt. It gave a great effect and had some noise dampening properties. The layout also had a central hump shunting good yard. The felt was held down with large head grey galvanised roofing felt nails which blended in with the felt.

Good idea and the thickness saves on road bed as well.Another method I've used on many shelf layouts over the year's is to lay sheets of bird cage sand all over.Just stick down with dilute white glue or wallpaper paste.Can be brush,roller or spray painted to represent any colour ballast you like.Use emulsion paint ( latex to any Americans reading this).This is an easy,dry ,no mess method so you keep in wifeys good books!.John Bailey.

Roofing felt looks more realistic than the brand ballast. Thanks for the tip.

VVery helpful - thank you!

It’s a very good idea! I like it a lot and will try to use it as well!

I'm watching this in 2023. I also am testing out felt for sound deadening but without nails and using rubber cement.

Great idea 👌

Maybe you could do a bit of dumpster (skip) diving where a roofing job is being done. Some pieces too small for the roofers might be just right for this type of project. C'mon , what could possibly go wrong?

I think this is brilliant, absolutely superb idea and I will definitely be using this on my layout.... I noticed a pop up to make your videos better... would you be able to put a link up to where you get various items like the roofing felt? That would help a lot.

great tip thanks for sharing ade

Hi, thanks very much for your informative video. I was looking for some of the grey roofing felt for a garden railway- would you mind saying where you got yours from? Many thanks, David

Double cut the joint, like you do when repairing a pool table, or wallpaper. Bob

This kinda reminds me... If it's not been mentioned already, perhaps elsewhere, I'm using laminated flooring/lino underlay for my track bed and thanks to a 2 for 1 offer I got 30 sqm for 12 or 13 quid so you could say I've got plenty but it's useful for lots of things, even with no offer it's still a bargain and works great. It's laid using the appropriate spray can flooring adhesives, under a fiver a can, and the track can be firmly fixed but still lifted with care if needed with a decent double sided tape. Ballast over it in the usual way, I'm looking at options but budgie grit is currently looking good, and being waterproof it won't absorb the watered down PVA and go completely solid like cork can so seems to retain at least some of its sound proofing qualities. The spongy stuff that comes in big rolls, it's easy enough to get 🙂

The roofing felt looks good but maybe a bit too coarse for n gauge do you think? Would 60 grit wet and dry paper do or would there be a problem because of what’s it’s made of?

Many people use Britta water filters. As an N modeller, I use the contents of them as ballast for between the rails. I paint, using plastic compatible brown automobile primers paint, and then weather the rails using a black wash, then ballast; the rail height disappears. Sometimes a small paint brush will suffice to hand paint the rail sides.

Did it stay stuck down? Roofing felt is bitumen based so I wondered about which adhesive you were using, maybe a solvent based adhesive would give you a better hold?

I use a wallpaper seem roller to help get the edge down and a little pva

It's a great idea but you'd need to ballast between the sleepers just to give the uneven effect.

Lovely Jubbly.

Nice idea.

Is this noisy? I like the idea but when running trains would it sound in the room below?

I used to use dirt/sand from outside and glue....

After watching this video again, I took everything off the table and laid the whole thing in roofing felt I had left over from doing the shed. I only glued where the track holes were, then weighted it down with paint tins. I'll wait a few days to ensure the glue has dried. I used PVA, will it hold? Then I'll paint the felt in a lighter colour, and once that's dried re-lay the track, and then cut off the excess. I've got removal scenery, so can cut up to that. Any comments, tips etc?

I wonder if using a hair dryer or heat gun would assist in laying out the edges flat.

Can I suggest when using the Stanley knife use a straight edge instead of your hand it’s a bit safer and less likely to end up cutting your fingers tendons and nerves. I saw a lot of this type injury when I worked in A&E and plastic surgery

Hi mate, quick question instead of roof felt could you use coarse grade wet and dry paper?, cheers Bob

Looks very nice but will the felt melt in a very hot location like a loft.? It might get very sticky!

You may get a better result using a wallpapering seam roller

I cannot help but notice your surface mounted point motors in your video. In fact I could not fail to notice also that you were manually changing them. They look very similar to the Peco ones but I am not aware that you can use them manually. What ones are you using?

Hi , can you tell me how long this baseboard and wide and thick is please ?

the trouble i am finding is actually anywhere that sells it let alone any going spare, everything seems to be now in green, looks like it has to be the jarvis mats for me any views on them?

Can the roofing felt be pinned down using a heavy duty staple gun? Maybe electric! Also my roofing felt is green, what type paint can I use to change it to grey.

Does anybody know what this material is called in the US? Thanks. Great video.

Hi, Have you tried small screws instead of track pins? works for me and if I need to change things you can

Roof material should be applied using construction caulking.

Ingenious!

What colour shouls you use Black or Grey ?

great video, terrible noise!

Great video. Hate the muzak and it's too loud!

what roof felt is it

i cant find this for under £5..

Roofing felt where I am is super expensive.

Sorry had a look no comparison to using ballast it's quick and looks that way. Regards David

Sorry, 👎🏼. Where is the ballast holding the rails? Not a Rivet Counter, but my track is part of my scenery and you’re just laying track on sand. What’s next, green shag carpet for grass?