Many apologies for two posts!!

When I had my tablebahn layout the sound of the trains running on the
wooden table top sounded, to my ears, exactly like they do when heard
in real life. To me the sound of the wheels on the tracks is a huge
part of my enjoyment of the trains. I hear the same sounds in John's
videos. In my instance I wondered whether there was some additional
help, soundwise, from the fact that the track was laid down and not
attached to table top in any way. Try explaining screw holes to FD.
What surface do you use to lay your tracks on? Cork on top of wood,
rubber on top of wood etc?

Many many thanks,

Jeremy.

Me too. I buy the cork in rolls (2 ft X 4 Ft) and slit them with a razor knife as required. A lot cheaper than buying from a train supply. I get mine at Staples a office supply house.
Eric

Jeremy,
My k-tracks are layed straight onto "chipboard" > (biggest mistake), glued down with a hotglue gun at various points.
by drawing a continous line onto your board where your track should lay you slightly pick up one side of the track and put a small dot of hot glue down. continue it all along and than start on the other side making sure your straight line is straigt (use a long ruler, and place it outside the sleepers).
When you come across a turnout use the straight side and again put your ruler along the side of it.

Hot glue can be cleanly removed at any time, except cork.

I do like the sound of the carriages as you've mentioned like real life train sounds.

With the ballast (real iron ore rock + 50% woodglue + 50% water) it actually dampened the accustic.

So anyone using cork as an underlay (many do), I've decided against it.
Because of the size of my layout it would of been double work to lay cork aswell.
I'm very pleased with the outcome.
I'm more concerned about the sound of steamlocos, which dwindles into one sound.
Going back to your table top or my layout, this is exactly what I like about my layout, the sound coming from the tracks, cork is being used as rocks, moss being used as vegetation, real soil is being used as a foundation
Simple but very effective.


Chipboard: it does absorb moisture, to obtain strenght, the thickness interferes with underfloor solenoids.
after years, it does sag.
My chipboards getting on to 25 years and since than I've supported the boards with tubing.
Plywood would be my suggestion.

Fortunately or unfortunately, my layout plan was done "hands on".
All my calculation have been done on the board, e.g. radiius, curves, circles, straight, distances between tracks etc. etc.
for wide curves I used the 2274 track (does'nt form a true 1/2 circle) and used this 1/2 circle as a guideline for my outside flexitracks.
When using ballast with woodglue+water, stay away from track joints (early k-track joints made of brass-copper ?), as in later years the joints will corrode and contact could be lost.
We've drowned the ballast with the glue solution, this could also been a reason for this to happen.

regards.,
John

Plywood with a foam covering from Woodland Senics.

Peter

Hi all
I'm with Geoff on this one,Can't beat the sound of Loco's running
on M track screwed down onto 12mm plywood,using75mmX45mm framework.
Ian