I am planning a switching yard with undertable switches.... My layout is based on about 8 inchs of foam. If I use a wood base for the yard will there be a big difference in sound? (using cork roadbed on both)
Thanks! Kevin Miller
Running a train at 200smph (typical speed of some people) across the yard area will mean that the yard section will be noticed but if you keep the speeds down to a somewhat more prototypical 40smph (still about twice as fast or so than the speeds should be) locos tend to become a lot more quiet as well as the noise of wheels going over the rail joints. The rail joint noise can be reduced by making sure that the joints are well matched.
-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works every time it is tried!
I use 5/8" plywood subroadbed with cork for my whole mainline and on all sidings. Recently, tho, I tried putting the spurs (and a whole town) on 2" pink extruded foam, again with cork roadbed.
I think there's a HUGE difference in sound -- the foam seems tons noisier. BUT... I have no scenery on it yet, and that could help deaden the vibrations. But right now, blindfolded, I could tell you the exact moment when a car or an engine --running at slow switching speeds -- crosses from wood to foam. It's that noticeable.
-Gerry Leone
I had that feeling... thanks for the tip.... Would you build a layout on just the foam? It's just so easy to do 'dips and valleys' and make the landscape more real looking...
I use 3/4 plywood and cookie cuttered the layout. Blocked with wood to make the rises and then filled with foam for the landscaping. Bought the foam from the lumber yard in the insulation dept ( $6 4x8 sheet 1/2inch ,1
1/2 for about $10). I get my plaster rolls from a surgacial supply house (6inch 5 yard rolls 12 to a case $27) and the hydocal (40lbs for $10) from a stucco building supply .I used Woodland Sciencs Foam track bed in the rolls. Layout is very quiet with the locos running.
One thing to be noted is that when you move from one system to another, the noise level will change and that can be more noticable than the absolute level of that noise. The nature of listening to things is that a constant noise of low level will tend to be ignored by most people.
-- Bob May Losing weight is easy! If you ever want to lose weight, eat and drink less. Works every time it is tried!
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