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What do you use for roadbed?  Cork on plywood only, homosote on plywood with track on it directly, both homosote and cork.  I have always used homosote and cork but I think that might be overkill.  I will be starting my new layout soon and woild like your input.  I use Gargraves and Ross.

 

Thanks

 

Doug

Last edited by Doug N
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Just beginning to replace a thin layer of cork with Woodland Scenics foam.  No issues with buckling here, although minimum curves are 072 and I separate the pre-scored halves.  The curves are also being super- elevated using the surplus cork.  I have a bare minimum of screws securing the track and roadbed and will remove those once ballast is laid.  There's a noticeable reduction in noise...still, not as much as I'd prefer.

 

Bruce

I actually tested several combinations to determine what was most quiet.  Different track types (Atlas O, MTH Scaletrax, GarGraves and Ross), no roadbed and on homasote.  Different track types on different roadbed materials (cork, Woodland Scenics foam and Flexxbed Vinyl) on plywood.  And other combos. I found it quietest to use Atlas O on vinyl roadbed on homasote.  

 

Peter 

Originally Posted by DMASSO:

Hi Doug. I hope you are enjoying your new home. The weather up here misses you.

 

My old layout was vinyl bed over homasote. My new layout is cork over homasote. All the yards are just track over homasote. I am sure you will be fine with just homasote. Good luck.

Hey Don I don't miss the weather up there, but I do miss going to Trainstock, York, the Big E the many train shows and, of course, all my train friends.

 

Doug

Last edited by Doug N
Originally Posted by john dellagrotte:
HI Greg, I was thinking of getting vinylbed. Is it easy to work with? Thanks JohnOriginally Posted by Greg Houser:
I use vinylbed...Greg

 

Our whole layout is Atlas O track & switches glued to Vinylbed, which was glued directly to the 3/4" plywood. The Vinylbed was extremely easy to work with, and came in two different thicknesses, i.e. 3/8" thick for the main lines and 1/4" thick for sidings & yard track. Once ballasted and glued with diluted Matt Medium, it would up nice and quiet too.

I've always used cork on sound board, and as far as the noise dampening effect goes I'm quite satisfied.

 

When I took up my last layout I found the cork had hardened and was brittle.  I didn't think that it was suitable for a new track design.  So, it got tossed.

 

So, I wonder if the WS vinyl roadbed would maintain its suppleness, and be able to be used on a possible future layout.  Does it maintain its supple qualities?

 

Alan

I use 1/2" thick black foam sheets I got from a grocery store in produce. I cut the foam 1/2" wider than the Fastrack  or Realtrax on both sides. I use foam glue to glue the foam to the green felt on the plywood and again use the foam glue to glue the bottom edges of the Fastrack to the top of the foam centered with the 1/2" overhang on both sides. I have all O-31 or O-36 curves & no problems but a great reduction in noise. Love it, works great for me!

In the past, I used cork over homasote, and thought it was good.  More recently, I put FasTrack right on blue foam for a temporary place to run some trains, and lightweight to move.  Even with the sound setting in my PS2 engines set at about 50%, I didn't notice track noise.  However Post War trains were noisy.  I can't get homasote or sound board locally, so I am undecided, but don't have to make a decision of what to put on a permanent layout once I start.

I don't build up a roadbed. But as a base, I'm not all that impressed with the noise suppression of foam sheets on plywood (choose green).

I do remember homasote being quieter, but messy. Like the old "horse hair" seat cushions of VWs, Mercedes, etc. As it ages, and produces a dirty feeling dust.

 If you've been happy with the homasote Id stick with it.

On one layout, Grandpa used some layers of old semi-truck inner-tubes (3+) and dowels under PW ties to keep track from shifting. That was very quiet. 

Doug;

One thing not often mentioned.

Cars like Reefers and Boxcars and loaded or covered hoppers act like speaker cones for the noise.

Put a block of pillow foam or some such in them and the noise level will drop quite a bit. The walls of the cars resonate to act like speakers. Foam stuffed in there will damp them out.

 

Track wise I'm putting WS foam roadbed under my Scaletrax on the new layout. The old one was Realtrax and had carpet under some of it. The rest had Sound board under it. that was less cost at the local Lumberyard than Homosote and damped more sound.

I'll be doing all these things to damp rail noise and make the sound fade better as the train moves away.

The Den / Christmas layout is still Realtrax and I lay green felt (farmland) or Quilt batting (Christmas snow) under it. This reduces the noise some but not enough for the main layout due to much increased size and therefor more speed on the main layout.

Last edited by Russell

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