New to Track - is Atlas quieter than FastTrack?

I am not sure any track is louder than FasTrack. I should say FasTrack is what I use. Their Command Control switches have me hooked.

IMO, Atlas"O" track is the quietest track system I've come across or used. It is solid rail, mounted on fairly rigid plastic tie-strips. Mount it on Woodland Scenics foam roadbed, and all you'll hear is clickety-clack.

This is not the best system to just throw down under the Christmas tree for three weeks, but could be done as long as something helps stabilize the curves from movement under the tree.

Wither you use fast track or not, to most it a personal preference. There are ways to make it quieter but will take some work. I ran fast track for a long time. I made the switch to Atlas and have not looked back. Only real noise I get now is the sound of the wheels running on the rails, even at fast speed is not very loud. 

FT is the noisiest Track, with out  a doubt .  I have used Atlas Track on Vinyl Roadbed for the past 15 Years & there is no better or quieter !!!!!

Our club layout uses Atlas track, and I use Fastrack here.  Atlas is MUCH quieter than Fastrack.

Just my opinion but, EVERYTHING is quieter than FastTrack!  Our whole layout is all Atlas solid nickel silver, glued to vinyl (Flexxbed) road bed. Nice and quiet.

I went with Atlas due to the appearance and found its also the quietest.  FastTrack is the noises the.

Art

YES.

Everything is quieter than FasTrack. I concur that Atlas is the quietest. Especially when you put it on Rossbed.

When I was building my layout, I had 100% of the FasTrack I needed to build it. "Playing" with one car rolling it on a piece of FasTrack on my new benchwork, my wife commented "no-way, not in this house. I'm not listening to THAT!". Before laying the first piece, I sold everything $0.50/$1.00 and bought Gargraves/Ross. 

No regrets.

I'll have to agree with the majority.   It is LOUD!  But then again I've watched videos of layouts with Gargraves  (spelling)  that are very loud also.   If you run your trains at 120 scale MPH then the sound is awful!  But when I run mine at slower speeds its not an issue at all.    And I think it will be less of an issue when it is fastened down with screws and or glue of some kind.

Atlas track is very quiet, possibly the quietest track available. Fastrack is quite loud, possibly the loudest available.

I agree with D&H 65 above and what he says about using Atlas track and it's use for a temporary layout. 

I like the looks of Fastrack, but I use Atlas because of the noise (or lack of). However, I have a permanent layout so I don't have problems with it trying to come apart. 

Might be a good idea to purchase a small loop of Atlas track and give it a try to see for yourself how it performs under your tree. Some folks say that Fastrack is much quieter if you put carpet or carpet pad under it. I have never tried this so I have no experience here.

Having a wooden floor with Fastrack is EXTREMELY LOUD. I used moving carpet to knock the noise level down and it worked.  I am looking into getting Atlas, Gargraves or Ross for next layout build, not this one coming up.

I'm pretty sure a basketball game being played on your layout is quieter than fastrack

Matt no true words have been spoken about Fastrack. The only thing that comes to mind that is louder is 747 at full power during take off on a short runway.

nvocc5 posted:

Matt no true words have been spoken about Fastrack. The only thing that comes to mind that is louder is 747 at full power during take off on a short runway.

Not true, 747 is quiet compared to a fully loaded C5 at full throttle taking off, and fast track comes pretty close to that. 

I use Atlas on my home layout and FT for around the Christmas tree.  The FT is laid on the living room carpet for around the tree.   It is still noisy.  I haven't found anyway to reduce train noise around the tree so that you can talk and listen to music.  You have to either enjoy the trains or the music but not both at the same time.  Trains on any track system make noise.

NH Joe

Hi There

If you put carpet under the Fast Track on a train table .  It Runs more quiet ! 

I have owned Atlas track . It is great track !  It is designed different from Fast track .  

Please Note Atlas track is not good for carpet layouts ! the fibers from carpet will get into your gears !  Use a Board for base for Christmas Layouts ! 

Thanks for these replies, all.  I'm definitely not looking to quiet the consist itself, just minimize the residual plastic "roar".  Great advice to use a solid base with Atlas track - if I switch out my FT out I'll put a modular base to good use.

Fun forum, thanks!

Tommahawk,

   Right out of the box with no sound suppression, FasTrack portrays much louder sound when the trains are running, Guns is absolutely correct.  If you have FT and want to deaden the sound, use sound suppressant ceiling tile as your layout base, with inside/outside carpet over it, deadens the sound completely, so much so that my wife actually ask me to remove the sound suppression on the upper two levels of our living room Christmas layout, she wanted to actually hear the trains being run around our Christmas Tree.

PCRR/Dave

Atlas track an Ross switches work like a charm for me.  I do think Fasttrack is fantastic as far as reliable running of trains.  And it's great for those not so permanent layouts.  But noise?  Yeah..that can be an issue.  BigRail

If you are using Atlas O track, I highly recommend the Ross roadbed. It fits the track sections like a glove, is payable so many like myself paint them with fleck paint, and makes the track more quiet wile gripping the carpet better and preventing the track from spreading apart!