Stick some sound absorbing mat (like they use for car audio installs - there are cheap knockoffs of the Dynamat brand which is expensive) in some of the empty box sections (ones that don;t have switch machines, if you use under-table switch motors). Against the bottom of the plywood. That will dampen the sound.
Scenery on top will help - anything with some stiffness anyway - just paint and ground foam won't do a whole lot. The idea is to change the resonating characteristics of the boxed plywood sections.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I reserve the right to reply to this thread once the ballast dries on the SIW and operations resume.
Joe Staten Island West
mrnimblewill the addition of scenery and ballast absorb unwanted noise?
Most likely yes. The original section is scenicked and the new is not? That's going to make a lot of difference. Scenery generally muffles and suppresses sound.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Well Friend, the only thing I could suggest would be to hang cloth material from the bottom of the layout supports to absorb sound waves.
Would anyone have any comparity experience with this type of caulking??
Dave
I am in the process of expanding my current layout by creating a yard. My exisitng layout is L girder with 1/2" plywood, WS foam roadbed and a mix of Atlas and Peco Code 100 flex-track using Loctite Polyseamseal adhesive caulk. The expansion area, due to a number of construction constraints, is primarily box-frame with 1/2" plywood, 5/32" cork roadbed, all ME code 83 flex-track and turnouts and ditto on the caulk. Unfortunately, I went the cork route in the new yard area as I wanted a lower ballast profile in the yard than the WS roadbed gives for main line track. Now the existing 6 year old layout has always been completely satisfactory from a running noise standpoint. So far, in running a couple of locos to test the new expansion sections of track, turnouts and curves I have laid I have found the running locos really really noisy. Since I laid all of the roadbed and a significant length of track before noticing the noisy operation ripping out and starting over is not exactly an option.
My question here; is there anything I can do to deaden the sound once I am this far along? e.g. - will the addition of scenery and ballast absorb unwanted noise? Adding additional support members / struts under the plywood? Attaching non scenic foam strips / sheets under the plywood? Any kind of special sound isolation foam? etc.