Silent running...

[Pete 75C]

...not totally achievable, I know,

I've just dragged myself out of the 20th century, invested in a decent DCC system and purchased my first sound-fitted loco (well, it's actually a unit, quite an unusual one at that).

A small 2 x 4ft x 1ft layout is on the cards, so I can perhaps push myself a little with tracklaying and scenic detail without biting off more than I can chew.

In the past, I've covered the ply baseboards with 3mm cork tiles and used neat PVA between the sleepers when ballasting with Woodland Scenics or Green Scene ballast. Result... the rock hard nature of the PVA negates any sound-deadening properties of the cork.

This time, I'm considering laying the track onto that chamfered Woodland Scenics foam ballast strip and trying a latex mix for the ballast. I'm pretty sure this will help but...

Can only WS foam tack glue be used for fixing the the foam strip down? I don't want to pin the track as I don't want to see little metal pinheads every scale 25 feet. Can the same foam tack glue be used to secure the track to the foam? Finally, assuming I use Copydex (unless there are any alternatives), what is the ratio of the mix?

I'm sure someone must have experimented. Any advice would be much appreciated. An alternative would be to "suck it and see", but I don't fancy ripping sections of track up all the time if I'm not happy.

Thanks.

[Guest]

After a quick rethink, there is no noticeable ballast "shoulder" on the low-speed yard/station area that I want to model, so perhaps the Woodland Scenics foam underlay is not such a good idea. Depth is 5mm and would therefore create a very noticeable shoulder. I know WS do sheets of the foam as well as strips, but am I right in thinking it's just a "closed cell" foam and could be purchased cheaper elsewhere as an alternative to covering the ply baseboard top with my usual cork tiles?

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Yup, something quite soft in a closed cell foam would be right.

 

Stick it to the ply with a contact type adhesive; you don't want anything that soaks into the foam and stiffens it. Double sided tape will do the job, but no idea on longevity.

 

The Copydex for ballasting, wants about the same volume of water added. You want to get to a single cream consistency, that will only just soak through the ballast, not go into the foam to any extent. Looks wretched when applied, but don't panic, it will be OK when dried out. Another thing with Copydex, I would suggest buying fresh at the moment you intend to use it, and completing the job quickly. Stored for some time, and especially after opening, I feel it looses some of its water miscibility.

[6029 King Stephen]

As advocated by Norman Solomon, I have previously used 3mm grey foam from Hobby Holidays glued down with a Frebond PVA glue obtained from Tool Store.  I spread the glue over the board and then put the foam on it and smooth it out to get rid of air bubbles.  I have used it for C&L/SMP OO with thin sleepers and with my current Peco Code 55 N gauge track.  I haven't go round to ballasting the N gauge yet but am thinking of using a powder glue mixed in with the Woodland Scenics ballast.  For the OO, I mark the areas where the ballast needs to go, spread Febond PVA over that area and then lay the track down in position.  I then cover the lot in Woodland Scenics ballast and wait a few minutes before hoovering it off and leaving ballasted track.  The only downside I have found is that it is almost impossible to have attached dropper wires to the track and then hope to feed these through the board as you lay the track on the glue.  This is the problem that I am facing with the N gauge so I have fixed all the track down by dropper wires going through the baseboard and want to hold it down in place by the ballasting process so that I don't have to resort to using trackpins.

 

Regards,

 

Steve