Dollar stores and craft store sell these firm black foam sections 8"X12", 1/4" thick. I'm thinking of lining my entire plywood table with them, then laying snap track on top. Seems like this would be a very quiet layout. I'll sprinkle ballast loose LION-style and slip a metal plate under when soldering. What you all think?
shouldn't cost that much to try ... might be okay??
if it's not, it wouldn't be too hard to replace with something different
You could also buy the thinest foam insulation you can buy, and cut roadbed out of that. The thickness of roadbed does not matter, as long as it is all the same. You would probably need to raise the scenry to get it higher.
Worth a try - you might want to take a scrape piece of lumber and put some on and lay some track on it before you tackle your whole layout, to see if it will work out.
It may depend on how squishy it is. I picked up some foam roadbed that at first glance looks like the Woodland Scenics stuff (on eBay, for a much lower price - and available in grey as well as black. Unfortunately it's all one thickness, the guy doesn't make a thinner version for sidings or secondary trackage), however compared to WS, this stuff is firmer, less squishy. I had no problem with WS, but for less and also being somewhat more dense, I am probably going with this.
Not as cheap as the foam sheets you're talking about, so give it a try, I see even the craft stores sell a 9x12 sheet for 99 cents, so it won't be an expensive experiment. Who knows, maybe you have found yet another viable roadbed option. Instead of covering the whole layout, it probably cuts easily with a utility knife, and you could probably even rig something to hold a utility blade at a 45 degree angle to easily cut nice slopes on the sides.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
We used hundreds of those dollar-store 1/4" foam sheets making pieces of scale-armour for CosPlay costumes.
They are surprisingly easy to work with and durable.
I even used them for the gasket on the outlet of my spray booth blower motor.
BARGAIN!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Is that the stuff known as EVA foam? Same/similar to the Woodland Scanics stuff?
https://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/Track-BedSystem
As long as it doesn't degrade over time I imagine it would be OK. You might want to see if you could get a larger sheet size and cut it into longer strips.
You would want to use a caulk or other adhesive method to secure the Snap-track as spikes would transmit the sound to the sub-roadbed.
https://www.amazon.com/Sheets-Craft-Cosplay-Thickness-1-10mm/dp/B07BSWRCQM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=eva+foam&qid=1600235499&sr=8-5
I have good results using gray 1mm EVA for replicating asphalt paving:
Chem_pave-tar4 by Edmund, on Flickr
My layout track is "old school" with 3/4 plywood and Midwest cork. There's probably a few times I would have ruined a foam roadbed when I forgot to turn off the drip on my CMX track cleaning car
Good Luck, Ed
Don't expect miracles in the noise reduction aspect of the foam. It's better than track directly on plywood but I am sure there will stll be some noise.
Dave Nelson
dknelsonDon't expect miracles in the noise reduction aspect of the foam.
My experience with any roadbed material is that all the noise-level-improvements go away as soon as the ballast is glued down.
Mister Mikado Dollar stores and craft store sell these firm black foam sections 8"X12", 1/4" thick. I'm thinking of lining my entire plywood table with them, then laying snap track on top. Seems like this would be a very quiet layout. I'll sprinkle ballast loose LION-style and slip a metal plate under when soldering. What you all think?
I'm not familiar with the product, but I would want to be sure its dense enough.
At only 8 x 12 inches, I think lining the entire table top would fail the cost/benefit ratio in terms of time spent alying it and gluing it down all over.
Preformed roadbed seems more efficient.
I'm using the same product Randy will be using. I've previously tested it on one section of the layout. I've started permanently laying it and forming curves with it and it is working out really well.
- Douglas
Good to hear - I only got like a 30' order to test first, but I haven't actually tried attaching any to wood and putting track down. I need to remember to pick up one of those small squeeze tubes of caulk - I don't want to open a full tube because it will still be a while before I need that much so it will end up going bad sitting around. But the time to order a large quantity is approaching.
Mister Mikado I'll sprinkle ballast loose LION-style
I don't like the idea of loose ballast, regardless of who thinks it's a good idea.
LastspikemikeI found rubber caps for these caulk tubes which seal out the air as effectively as the factory seal.
Love the details! Would the 1mm cork work for going between the track? If not what size thickness is necessary.
What do you need anything between the tracks for? You will be filling in the area between tracks with ground cover, vegetation, roads, buildings, etc.
Found those same caps on Amazon, have to give them a try. Seems some manufacturers have taken the obvious path and given them a slightly more colorful name, too. Part of the problem is, I never cut the nozzle to any of the marked bead sizes, even the smallest is too big for layoung roadbed and track. I nip off just enough to stick a piece of #20 wire in to puncture the inner seal. That makes it east to get a thin bead for the roadbed and track - and that's all you need. On the track, the caulk shouldn't ooze up around the ties, if it is, you're using way too much, and I can understand then saying there's no way to get the track off without damage after the caulk sets.I've been using the clear type, it comes out of the tube white but turns clear as it sets. When spread out, even before it sets, you can easily see through it to see a pencil drawn centerline for example. That's how thin a layer it should be. Not a big glob.