Retrofitting Benchwork on Existing Temp Layout from G to O gauge.

Pat

Prior to my construction a friend kept saying to me, the more solid your foundation the less vibration….

My track is mounted on 1/4” styrofoam bed, layout is covered with 1 1/2” sheets of styrofoam.  The support structure is bolted with glue. The sheeting is screwed and glued to the structure. Size is 12’ x 24’.

My thoughts for you, and your question is definitely not the first viewed on the Forum….

Keep in mind in the future age 55 and above the hearing goes for many adults. I wear two hearing aids. You will be having family, friends, visitors viewing the layout in the future.

Even with my two hearing aids I cannot understand any conversation whatsoever with the engine moving with consist around the track and layout.  This is a terrible and frustrating situation I experience.

Many in the Forum have their layouts for several years.  We should plan for the future.

If styrofoam is recommended on top of the base surface it’s for a good reason. Your time and expense will not be wasted.

I’m not the mathematician so I attach all track with curves together and lay the track out on the floor to see the dimension or on the top so you won’t need the cutting, mess, & sawdust but once.

So please enjoy yourself.  Mike G. Says “it’s all about the fun” 😊

Seth

Seth, thank you for replying so quickly.  Great advice and insights.

Pat

Pat,

What brand of track are you using?

Mike, it will be Lionel FasTrack

Okay.  FasTrack is noisy and there’s only so much you can do about it.  It’s due to the hollow plastic roadbed.  As long as you have something between the FasTrack and the plywood (homasote or rubber road bed), then that’s all you can do.  It will still be loud by comparison to other tracks.  With track systems such as tubular, Atlas, Ross, or Gargraves, if you put down rubber road bed first, it will be very quiet.

If you are concerned about the sound with the fast track (it is very noisy) You may want to consider using two types of material for sound deadening.  I first put down foam core board. Evan the cheap stuff in the dollar will work .  Cut the board in strips of 3 inches. Glue it down with white or hot glue.  Next place on top your cork.  You can glue it to the board if you want to.  But when you screw in your fast track it will be secure.  The key here is the more sound absorbing base material under the track will alleviate the sound from the FT'  This is the method I used.  The base foundation was 1/4 inch luann plywood.  The sound is pleasing, not distracting or irritating when running trains.. 5 X 13 layout o42 curves....

@Patrick Haymarket VA posted:

...2. Adding homasote (or other soundproofing material) as subsurface roadbed on top of the plywood.  Several questions: a Must?  Is it overkill (other than cost) to cover the entire plywood surface area with 4' x 8' sheets instead of cutting to conform to the track plan (in work).  That's a lot of cuts and a lot of dust is my point.  If I did cover the entire area, will that make it harder to add buildings, figures, scenery etc. ...

Search the forum for "homasote" - you'll find a lot of opinions.  That's probably the best place to start.

Speaking as someone who used homasote, I would probably not use it again - expense, weight, and effort outweigh any benefits, IMO.  Many people disagree.

If you search, you'll find methods for cutting that greatly reduce the mess - IIRC, a knife blade on a saber saw.

on my old Fastrack layout, I put a layer of indoor/outdoor carpet down over the plywood.  I also only screwed down a few of the track pieces.  THe screws can transfer the sound to the plywood. The room was also carpeted, which helped reduce some of the noise.  Good luck with your project and keep us informed!