jhz563 posted:Donald,
can you tell any appreciable difference in noise levels with the rubber vs the granite?
JHZ563
Hello JHZ563.
A short answer, No.
Both layouts shared the same construction techniques. Either table top or open grid / "L" girder wood framing with a 3/4" plywood top. All glued and screwed together. Then I used Midwest cork products followed by GARGRAVES / ROSS track with wood ties. I screwed the track to the plywood with small Atlas track screws and then applied the ballast.
I never removed the screws.
Truth be told, I never worried about the noise level. I like it but with topics like this I am usually in the minority. When I have guests, I typically run 3 or 4 trains at a time and it does get a little loud in my 25' by 35' train room for normal conversations. I have acoustical ceiling panels and 5/8" foam interlocking floor panels that may help to "soften" the decibels a little.
Donald
