I'm on a budget for my layout and I am thinking about installing a roadbed on my layout. I seen cork roadbed and rubber roadbed. I was wondering if there is something I can use from my local lowes or Home Depot for roadbed.
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I was looking in HD recently for the same thing. The carpet padding I saw was too soft to be used as roadbed. I then looked at a black foam material used under fake wood flooring to reduce noise. It was $42 for a roll, and the foam was 1/8" thick. Next I looked at foam sill seal. It was only $7.00 for a roll of 1/8" thick, pink foam. Something that thin would need two layers, but the product was 5" wide, and could easily be cut in half and doubled up.
Carpet padding can be cut up for roadbed and does deaden the train noise. You can fasten the track down using 2 electrician's wire ties to further silence it.
But I found that it was a pain to cut accurately, plus it had to be painted (and took a lot of paint).
I have a homasote base or noise already. I wanted to raise the tracks so it would look nicer ballasted that way then having it ballasted on the homasote.
I use the cloth kind of carpet padding and haven't tried to buy any for a long time but am convinced it quietens the best. I glue it to the roadbed with white glue and use silicone as glue to fasten the Gargraves to it. I hope it will still have the good sound deadening after ballasting.
