I plan to use extruded form sheet as my layout base; over open grid benchwork with cork roadbed. I used this method before, but some have mentioned the dreaded "drum-effect." I honestly never noticed it on my previous layout. Is it something I should consider, and if so - how to ameliorate it?
My previous N layouts were on just 1/2" plywood and that did have a lot of drum-effect. No foam or cork. The cork did help on hollow core door. The foam board will absorb a lot. It's one of the reasons it's used for wall insulation. It's more flexible and absorbent. It's also like a shock absorber to slow down the vibrations. Have fun. Rich
Not in my experience. I use 2" thick for my base. I use 1/2" for my inclines. If I intend from the start to have a lot of inclines I will put down my 2" and the 1/2 inch over that.
Myself, I have never had any such issue. I have been model railroading for six decades. People don't seem to understand that real trains make a lot of noise, so models are going to also have at least some minimal effects upon their environment. It is not something to fear. You can experiment some, before you really get into the serious building phases. A solid framework, with plenty of support for whatever surface you choose will help immediately. Roadbed makes a difference and scenery does, too! If you are modeling plywood plains, you will have much greater chance of generating some sounds. The thinner your surface, whether plywood or foam, the closer you get to emulating a real drumhead. Cookie cutters have less connected surface to resonate and an open framework can have barely any at all.
Well put, @BoxcabE50 - Methinks I'm overthinking this. If it didn't bother me 10 years ago, my ears aren't likely to be any better now. I'm building a shelf layout, so it's not exactly plywood plains, but N-Scale make it easy to use foam for my elevations.
I used 3/4 inch Birch plywood for the base on my N scale Boston Mountains Sub Division layout. On top is 1/2 blue insulation foam and one inch pink foam, the blue foam acts like a warning track when carving foam below track elevation. Also used cork roadbed, there is some sound but it's very minimum. Most of the sound is from the motor inside locomotives and rolling wheels from railcars. The layout is on top of L gerder frame. Joe
I just competed building my N Scale train table comprised of hollow core doors with 1/2" pink foam glued on top and using Kato Unitrack. I set up an oval of track today and set four pieces thick of loose notebook paper under half of the oval. The train noise is definitely diminished in the section with the loose paper beneath it, but the noise in the area without the paper is hardly objectionable. This was an interesting experiment.
@Joe Lovett - your photo made me dig up more about your layout. Fantastic! I landed on the Frisc.org website, but need to create an account I guess Where else can I go to see a trackplan and more photos? I model "parts" of the Frisco too. I worked in the Frisco car shop in Springfield MO one summer. One of my favorite jobs ever.
Hi Frisco Kid, here's an Excel drawing of my layout. It's based in northwest Arkansas from Ft. Smith to Winslow from 1948 to 52 during the transition years, that way I can run steam and first generation diesels. Layout is 11 modules 12 inches wide and 32 to 58 inches long, it goes around the 9.66 by 13 feet spare bedroom. You can see more photos in my build thread on this forum or frisco.org. What is your first name? Joe
Hardcoaler, Do you think post board would work as well? It's about that thick and softer. May be easier to scenic as well. Rich
That might work, as long as I could fix it down somehow without glue hardening it, perhaps with something like (rubbery) contact cement. You might be on to a good idea.
Will the cork roadbed rest on the foam board? Our club noticed a definite sound emanating from a module with foam as a base instead of plywood. We could not hear any similar noise from our other modules. Maybe we were so used to whatever sound the other modules made that it became just part of the background and made the foam base module sound more noticeable. Anyway, we decided that our modules would use plywood as a base. The sound was only part of it. We also wanted the plywood base to add strength to the module. Also, I have been told that unsupported foam, like unsupported plywood, will sag over time because gravity is relentless. So, use intermediate supports.
There is glue made for tacking down cork road bed. Paint the plywood first, use glue made for tacking down cork roadbed and press in place with a rolling pin. You can get a little one in the wall paper dept. Maybe a glue stick would work. Walmart and Amazon offer 22"x28" sheets 0.02" thick for $1.12 in white, black and light green. At Amazon there's also 0.51" thick for much more. HO cork roadbed would do instead. I'm still trying to find what will work within my budget. Rich.
I'm wondering if Woodland Scenic's Foam Tack Glue as used by @Tony Burzio might provide a thin insulation layer between the edges of Kato Unitrack and my 1/2" foam top when I glue the track in place, producing less noise? I'm not upset by the noise, but if I can easily reduce it a bit, I'm game.
It'll be a while before I fix track in place, so we'll see. I read that Aleene's Tacky Glue remains flexible when dried and can be removed, so that might be worth a try too. I'd like to avoid glues that dry white in color and harden.
Are you going to add any ballast to your track? If so, fixing it in place using either white glue or matte medium will also hold your track in place. Despite its name, white glue dries transparent. Some matte mediums contain talc which will add a white color.
