Staging Yard Sub-roadbed

[MGAMike]

My search function doesn't seem to be working so I apologize ahead of time if this has already been addressed in the forums, but....

I am planning on having a run-thru unsceniked stagging yard.  What is the best treatment for the sub-roadbed plywood?  Should I just use yard mats of the same material my roadbed will be (likely cork or maybe gray foam) and cover up the plywood completely?.....or......Keep the individual tracks on their own raised roadbed, giving a nice profile, but allowing some of the plywood to show? 

If I go with option #2 above, should I paint the plywood, and if so, what color?  While the stagging yard will not have any scenery, I still would like it to look good and function well.

Thank you for your input!!  

[Pruitt]

Assuming you don't want to lay the track directly on the plywood, I would go whichever way is cheaper - sheet or individual roadbed.

Paint the plywood or not; unless you use something that will actually seal the grain, the paint will do essentially nothing except change the appearance. Completely your preference on that.

[BigDaddy]

No problem, search doesn't work here.

I would go with a sheet of cork from one of the big box hobby stores, with an online coupon.

If you go with plywood, go to Home Depot or Lowes paint department and find some of the returned premixed paint, I'd suggest brown for the yard, but Tony Koester recent recommended painting everything green.

[cuyama]

BigDaddy

Tony Koester recent recommended painting everything green

I believe that he was talking about visible layout, not a secluded staging yard. He and others have painted staging yards flat black.

[BATMAN]

I bought the cheapest dark brown paint that Walmart had and found that any track I put down directly on the painted surface even years after it had been painted, adheres itself to the paint and holds as well as caulk would do. So be aware. It does come up easily. There must be some sort of interaction between the ties and paint.

[doctorwayne]

MGAMike

I am planning on having a run-thru unsceniked stagging yard....

If it's not going to be sceniced, why bother with roadbed?

I put all of my five staging yards directly on plywood, pre-painted black....

Wayne

 

[mbinsewi]

I used the returned paint from a Home Depot, nice cheap price, and they had enough browns to get the job done.  I used  it on scenery base, and everything.  I did balast the yard, because it shows and is part of the layout.

A lot of yards look like everything was put a a single base, not much track profile, except maybe the mains that run through.

I guess it's your choice.  I'd probably go with the track on painted plywood.

Mike.

[Pruitt]

doctorwayne

If it's not going to be sceniced, why bother with roadbed?

I put all of my five staging yards directly on plywood, pre-painted black....

Wayne

Have you noticed any difference in noise level with track directly on plywood vs. cork or other roadbed?

[MGAMike]

I too am curious about the sound issues when laying the track directly on the plywood.  Since I am having run-thru staging, that is the reason I was planning for cork or foam sub-roadbed....to deaden the noise.

[mbinsewi]

Then use it.  Noise issue never bothered me, but to some, it does.

My small layout sits on a layer of 2" foam, but the under the main track and passing siding, I still use a road bed, mostly to achieve the track profile, that I like, and nothing to do with sound.

All of the yard areas, switching leads and spur tracks, sit right on the foam. Gives the yard a flat profile, like real yards, along with the leads and spurs.

So, through your run-through yard, just use the foam or cork, and paint it, like you would plywood, and set your tracks right on that.

Gives you sound protection, and a realistic yard with a flat profile.

Mike.

[doctorwayne]

Pruitt

Have you noticed any difference in noise level with track directly on plywood vs. cork or other roadbed?

Not that I've noticed, but it is yard trackage, so there's not much speed involved.  The only noise I really notice is that from metal wheels, but other than particular trucks bought for specific cars (or included with particular kits), most of my rolling stock has plastic wheels.  
Metal wheels on HO scale rolling stock sound nothing like metal wheels on the prototype, and if they're not painted appropriately (wheelface, front and back, and the axle, too), they don't look very prototypical, either.

Wayne

[BATMAN]

doctorwayne

Metal wheels on HO scale rolling stock sound nothing like metal wheels on the prototype

I have a section where the track runs across cement board. The only noise produced is that from the wheels on the track. It is very loud and there is nothing you can do about it. That being said having other sounds from the various choices of benchwork we choose is somewhat insignificant compared to the volume of sound the wheels make. 

Speaking from experience, what is on the floor under the layout is the biggest factor as far as noise goes. Carpet is very quiet compared to porcelain tile or cement. 

Maybe MRR could do a sound test running trains on different styles of builds, it would make a good article and in a video, you could listen for yourself. 

[Water Level Route]

Same here.  My staging yard is single ended laid directly on the plywood, but the tracks are long enough to accomodate two trains each.  When pulling a train out the full length of a track they can get up to track speed, but not really any noisier than the rails laid on cork roadbed. Then again, the staging yard rails are not nailed down like the rest, but rather only held in place by dabs of caulk every 12" or so.  Could play a roll.

[riogrande5761]

MGAMike

I am planning on having a run-thru unsceniked stagging yard.  What is the best treatment for the sub-roadbed plywood? 

Should I just use yard mats of the same material my roadbed will be (likely cork or maybe gray foam) and cover up the plywood completely?.....or......Keep the individual tracks on their own raised roadbed, giving a nice profile, but allowing some of the plywood to show? 

If I go with option #2 above, should I paint the plywood, and if so, what color?  While the stagging yard will not have any scenery, I still would like it to look good and function well.

I chose option #3, which is to fasten sheet Homasote (sold as "soundboard" at my local Home Depot) to half-inch OSB using 1-inch drywall screws.  I do paint the Homasote to give it a smoother surface and a bit of a seal.

Here is my former layout staging yard throat on one end:

Here you can see a sandwich of OSB and Homasote on the upper level, main yard over the staging tracks.

I'm currently working on a new staging yard using the same method.  BTW, I don't plan on using a profiled subroadbed on the main yard either as yards tend to be farily flat, as oppose to mainline which is built up on a grade.

Here you can see some of the OSB is not covered yet with Homasote:

[jjdamnit]

Hello All,

If you are not using a roadbed; foam, cork, Homosote®, the plywood under the yard will need to be raised to match the level of the rest of the roadbed.

Or, a transition will be needed between the height difference of the roadbed and the plywood.

How many ladders or tracks will be in the yard?

My preference would be to use a roadbed to keep the benchwork and track(s) at the same level.

If there are only a few tracks then I would use individual pieces of roadbed. If there are more than 4 or 5 ladders and the mainline then I would use sheets of whatever material you are using for the roadbed.

Hope this helps.

[riogrande5761]

jjdamnit

If you are not using a roadbed; foam, cork, Homosote®, the plywood under the yard will need to be raised to match the level of the rest of the roadbed.

Or, a transition will be needed between the height difference of the roadbed and the plywood.

The former is easy to do.  You simply mount the subroadbed with the cork on it at level flush with the yard material, be-it Homosote®, sheet cork or what have you.

example: