Form Board and Mianne Benchwork

Haven't worked with Mianne Benchwork before, but I've heard some great reviews. Would recommend using a high grade 5/8" plywood, and glue the foam board on top. 

Carpeting or Cork/Rubber roadbed will certainly help reduce any track noise. I would say set it up temporarily with the Plywood & Foam on top of the Mianne benchwork, and see how noisy it is.

Good Luck

Bruce

I would stay away from using the foam board as a track base.  It is VERY noisy and does not offer stability for screws or fasteners when attaching track.  I'm sure others will disagree but I would use 5/8" or thicker plywood.

My .02

Dave

Dave,

I know you have two awesome layouts so you would use plywood for a base and cork or rubber roadbed?

Joe

I went a little crazy with my Mianne benchwork - 3/4" birch plywood, 1" Styrofoam and cork roadbed.  It felt bad covering up the good side of the birch with Styro, so flipped them and the A side is down.  At least when I wire switches and work below, I get to look at a nice piece of wood <g>.  It is solid and VERY quiet with GarGraves track.  I have yet to ballast the track.

My layouts are on Mianne benchwork that are topped with 1/2" (approx.) plywood.  Final track on the main layout will be on foam roadbed, which I like because it's very easy to lay.  The tinplate layout has marine deck carpeting on top of the plywood for more of a "toy train" look, and it also quiets things down a bit since it has a foam underlayment.

Allan,

Is that the pink insulation foam you will use for roadbed?

Joe

From a quick review of the Mianne website.  It apears that surface board support is 24" X 24" recommended minimum thickness 1/2"  It appears you can add additional surface support. My scratch build benchwork was done with 2"X 4" framing lumber 16" OC, a better grade of white fir and 1/2" MDO board for the surface.  I would think a test would be of any build/table structure: Are you comfortable with your whole-self on it?   Frequently asked questions/answers.  From the Mianne website.  

Joe,

Both of my layouts are directly on top of plywood.  I would use cork or the foam/vinyl roadbed that Allan likes only if you want that "raised roadbed" look (which does look very nice).  You would still need something solid like plywood underneath. 

I have an HO friend who has a section of his layout directly on the pink/blue foam.  It is louder in that section.  He has also had to deal with fastening issues in that section.  

Another friend of mine makes roadbed out of homasote.  This gives an even more dramatic effect.

Dave

No!  It's Woodland Scenics foam roadbed, which I have used a number of times in the past (both O and HO).  I really like the stuff.

Allan,

Since it is intended to be road bed does it provide any sound attenuation?

Joe

JOE  I have lionel tubular track on Qwens pink 2" insulation board. Actually have 3" ,not for noise problems but for scenery elevation. The way I layed my track was to glue(liquidnails) cork roadbed on the insulation. Cut wood pieces to snuggly fit inside the track ties and glue(liquidnails) the wood pieces to the cork. When I experimented laying the track I found is was not neccessary to have a piece of wood under each tie nor was it even neccessary to screw the track to the wood although I did screw some locations where there was some motion and the switches. I made 1/8" wood pieces the shape of the switches and gluded them inplace. 1/8" basically the thickness of the cork.Not that much work if you are used to working with wood. No issue for me with noise; clickety clack clickety clack. Good luck what ever you decide to do.

Seeing as I'm one of those who isn't bothered by "track noise," I can't honestly give you a fair evaluation.  That said, I haven't found it to be any noisier than cork roadbed.

I should note that I also ballast my track with stone ballast when using this or any other roadbed.  It's simply the way I have done it for many years in several different scales and I've never really noticed a noise problem.

I hadn't checked this thrtead for a few days and see there were a couple of posts I hadn't seen or responded to.

Jackiejr:  I didn't realize the Owens-Corning pink foam came in 3" thickness.  Where did you get it?  So You cut wood strips to fit inside the metal ties on the tublar track?  Did you glue the wood into the ties then glued it to the cork roadbed orjust press fit the wood into the tie?  I know you said you didn't glue down every tie but did you put the wood into every tie?  What thickness of would did you use?

Allan,  Thanks for the input.  During a recent trip to a LHS I saw the Woodland Scenics Roadbed on the end of the shelf where it has been for as long as I can remember.  Never really looked at it and thought it was rubber not foam.

Joe

Purchased 2" and 1" foam. Glued wood pieces to cork; not to ties. The idea of using wood so you could secure the track with screws. Press fit ties onto wood. Did not put a wood piece at every tie. It was not neccessary; just used enough to keep the track from moving. What thickness wood did I use? 1/4 " works.