Type of Material for Skirting

I used painters drop cloths, 4'x24' That seem to help the noise, I tried dying them black but that didn't work so good. To make it look good on the cheap use landscape cloth , 3' or 4' rolls by 100' or 50'. I put that over the drop cloth. If you pleat it. It looks better. Now if I can only do something about that ceiling thats to low.

I don't know how much noise it keeps from coming out....but it sure hides the clutter

Paint it all flat black.  It will disappear.

Yes that would help a lot, thinking of taking all that tile and beams out of there than black  paint on everything. The black skirting sure made a big improvement. I need better lights also.

I painted the ceiling in my bar and game room flat black, made a huge difference. It will on the layout as well, especially if you have lots of bright lights and skirting to cover the open bottom area. It forces your eyes to the layout.

Depending on the height of your layout, there are websites that sell "banquet table skirts" that aren't too expensive.  Real cloth, pick from lots of colors.  They are usually about 17' long per section (or 21' long).  Velcro on the back.

We have cotton cloth at our club, but most of the noise is from the trains running on top.  Protosounds, wheel sounds, etc.  We do have a "hard" room.  Tile floors, glass windows, tin-style suspended ceiling.  (I think changing the ceiling to sound absorbing tiles would make the greatest difference)

Ed

Hi  eddiem,

I like the idea of the "banquet table skirts".

I went online and to cover my 110 feet I need, it would cost me around $180.  That's not bad at all.

Thanks for the idea.

Corvettte

I use green burlap attached with Velcro.  Helps carry out my landscaping and makes it easy to access under the layout.

I use the banquet-style table skirting on my layouts.  One was custom made by a friend of mine, and the other was ordered from a place, in Florida as I recall, that makes the skirts to various lengths and on various colors and materials.  I needed a long length for the layout that is 42" above the floor.  Very satisfied with what was provided.

Skirt on the tinplate pike is a deep forest green color.  Skirt on the regular O gauge layout is dark brown.

I installed Velcro along and behind the wood fascia on the layout.  The Velcro already provided on the back of the fabric holds very well.  Easy to get to things stored under the layout (it's jam-packed down there) when necessary.

I used craft felt and attached to the train table using staples.  It also comes in 10 yard length X 72" rolls in a variety of colors you can purchase at Jo-Ann's Fabric and Craft stores.

I painted my ceiling flat black and used black felt for skirting. I picked it up at Joann etc. and I did the entire layout skirt for about $35 With Black above and below the layout it forces your eyes to the layout, like a stage.

For a toy train layout I prefer lighter colors.  I bought some cloth and my wife spent a lot of time pleating it.  It is attached with velcro.  I am quite happy with it.

Al

Al,  I do like that tan color over black.  Thanks for showing it.

Corvettte

I use the cheapest shower curtain (outer shell) I can find.  they come 72" square.  since my layout is over 4 ft I had to find something bigger.

Al, I never would have thought to use tan.  I'm currently debating what route to go re: skirting so your pic was interesting.   Looks very nice!

- Mike

Mike

While I would love to take credit the fact is my wife is an artist.  She makes those choices.

Thanks

Al

My wife did a very nice job on the train room skirts.  Thanks Dianne.  

Click on the underlined phrase for a slideshow.

As you can see, I used a combination of cotton cloth skirting, hemmed for me by a seamstress, and applied by me with a staple gun, with staples placed on the inside of the hand-formed pleats, alternated w/ sheets of 3/4" plywood, affixed for portability with "carriage-bolts" so I can have access and storage where and  when I wish it but good for keeping curious hands and eyes out from under the layout at key spots, such as where great gaggles of wiring are festooned and within reach.

All of the floor is broadloomed to make my crawling around tolerable (sort-of) and to give something of a more "finished-off" appearance to the trainroom in the basement.

FrankM.