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here is what i want to do. i would like to have a layout going around my basement walls (3 of the 4) for the sole purpose of displaying the trains. i am not interested in scenery, landscape, etc, i just want to display trains in motion. i am thinking N-scale. i would like a 3 inch wide shelf for two tracks (both directions) which would be a giant skinny loop with 20" turnaround on each end. i was thinking of laying the track right on stained poplar to match the trim, etc.
has anyone done this? any suggestions? will laying track right on wood be problematic without roadbed?
You can but its going to be somewhat noisy, Not as bad as HO and above but still louder than normal. The wood shelf has a tendency to amplify the sound. If you are running sounded engines, you want to hear the engine and not 'wheels on rails on wood'. If you don't mind it go ahead. If you want a cheap sound barrier, add a thin layer of foam board. You can still add the roadbed later or change things without destroying the woodwork all with glue.
Plan ahead because I saw 3 layouts start this way...LOL...You say no scenic,,,..next it's one building, a figure, a car, and a road...and it goes on and on...Have fun!!...That's the main thing....There is no rule for what YOU want to do.
well, i already have a HO layout with all the goodies..... so i just want this to be a place for trains to cruse around. i have thought of putting some scenery on the turn arounds because they will be somewhat empty space. i want the shelf to be just wide enought for two tracks and thats it.....
what if i went with kato unitrack instead of atlas flex. that should quite it down a bit. i am just trying to avoid foam, ballast, etc. i want it to be clean and neat looking.
Ballast is an option. You don't have to add stones just because it is on the roadbed. The plastic base even acts as an amplifier directly on wood. I've seen nice clean layouts both on and off roadbed. You can even paint the roadbed gray and it appears as ballast. I saw guys liquid nail the EZ track down but it still resonates on the wood. Some even added foam in the cavities to try and deaden the sound. N scale prob won't notice as much as HO,S,O etc. Not trying to steer you away from your idea, I just know how other guys battled noise problems for quieter operations. And even a thin foam base will help this.
Check out my thread, "Return of the D&J Railroad" which is in the layout design and construction section here. I'm rebuilding my layout with this very same concept.
