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 Posted - September 07 2015 : 3:24:43 PM
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I belonged to a model railway club some time ago.
HO Scale
The "benchwork" consisted of powder-coated square-tubing, plywood sub board, and homasote top-board with code 83 rail... this was a 12 x 36 foot table.
Trains ran relatively quiet on the rails.
Eventually, to add some realism, commercially bought ballast was going to be used.
Now, the homasote, to my knowledge and experience is/was used for sound dampening as opposed to having track laid on bare plywood.
Adding ballast must be done with glue or some sort of adhesive.
At each joint of track, there were some ties missing, and like I said, and were eventually going to be covered up entirely by ballast throughout the layout.
So, during the times I was alone with the layout, I proceeded to "ballast" these joints... with positive visual results with the covering the missing ties, and properly using "glue" to keep the ballast intact. Loose ballast was removed.
Now, remember... it is my knowledge that the homasote is used to dampen the wheel-rail noise... Right?
I ran trains on this track... and guess where the wheel-rail noise resonated most! Yeah, where the ballast was glued.
Okay. That's my thoughts. I'd like to read yours.
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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 Posted - September 07 2015 : 8:03:04 PM
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Definitely, glued ballast will conduct sound. The layout is probably still quieter than if the track were laid directly on the wood, though.
Carpe Manana!
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Posted - September 07 2015 : 8:42:28 PM
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My first layout used the Woodland Scenics Roadbed. If I remember correctly it's supposed to dampen the sound, but the fact that I used plain white glue (not the recommended WS brand glue) and then covered everything in ballast made it no quieter than if I'd used cork.
Once everything is coated in hardened glue and ballast any sound-deadening property the underlying material may have possessed is pretty much irrelevant. That's been my experience anyway. 
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Posted - September 07 2015 : 9:14:09 PM
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Same here. I used white glue, and noise levels went up a bit.
-Peter
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Posted - September 15 2015 : 11:45:26 AM
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Thanks you for your input. I needed confirmation of known experiences.
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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Posted - September 15 2015 : 9:41:28 PM
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Yep, this is not new news. The layout does get noisier when ballast is applied. I use Matte Medium, which is more flexible than white glue, but it doesn't really make much difference.
Regards, Vic B.
Vic Bitleris
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