base materials

[up34141]

I have a layout base made it is 6'X17'. Some people say to put a sound absorbing material on top of the plywood, like  "homosote". I am using E-Z track. Should I  do this?

[Flare]

Personally, I would not use EZ Track.  The plastic vibrates with the wheels and gets quite noisy.

My modular group uses 2" sheets of insulation foam as the base with wood framework to support it.

On top of that we use cork roadbed and flex-track, the combination is quiet enough for use at train shows.

There is now foam roadbed that may be even more sound-absorbent, though I haven't tried it myself:  https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/HOScaleTrackBedSystem


If you still want to use EZ Track, there was a discussion earlier this year which had good tips:  https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,35966.0.html

[Terry Toenges]

I use E-Z track. A layer of foam is good. It makes it easier to poke in trees and carve rivers or gullies.
On top of that I have used rubberized shelf shelf liner. I just cut strips of it to lay under the track and dribble a little white glue over it. It works to deaden the hollow sound.

I just started trying a new method by using foam window weatherstrip under the E-Z Track. I get it from Lowe's and it's 1/4" high and 1/2" wide. You have to do each piece individually and you can stick 3 strips side by side under the track. It also takes away the hollow sound. The good thing about doing it this way is that each piece will have it's own insulation if you use it for temporary set-ups like Christmas.

[Terry Toenges]

I know that blue and pink board don't do anything for sound but the rolls of gray foam window weatherstrip do quiet it under the E-Z Track because I've tried it. Filling in the space under there does make a difference with whatever you use to fill it with.

[Terry Toenges]

That was very educational. I had no idea about the actual scientific data involved.