Dampen Track Noise

[Quakersam]

Is there any way to dampen the track noise.  I have ET&WNC Passanger cars that seem to resonate the track noise.  Any thoughts?

[grumpy]

Why would you want to dampen the track noise it is part of running a model railway The noise adds some reality to you railway.
Don

[Matthew (OV)]

One way to dampen the noise is to put some kind of sound absorbing padding under the track and above the benchwork.  That way the benchwork doesn't amplify the noise.  (Listen to a real train going over a long iron bridge, and you'll immediately hear the difference from the track insulated by the ground, and the track resonating to the bridge!)

I used carpet underpadding on mine, available from the local carpet store pretty cheaply ...



Cuts down on the noise a great deal.... and still leaves enough in the near field to be entertaining.

Matthew (OV)

[Quakersam]

Thanks, guys.  I was hoping that there was a way to insulate the wheel trucks from the car bed since this "noise" is only coming from the passanger cars and box cars.  The tank car and flat bed don't seem to resonate nearly as much, if at all.

[Terry Toenges]

That was like a lightbulb for me.
I never thought about sound "inside" the cars maybe contributing to the noise. I guess a hollow box car would sound different that a flat.
If the trucks were insulated from the body, I guess that would help.

[Quakersam]

Terry -

Glad I could help to turn the bulb on....now get busy and find something that works for us.  I'll be watching....

Quakersam

[gbbari]

Quakersam, the easiest way to reduce what you are hearing is to dampen the sounding box, i.e., the boxcar. Get some pieces of soft moderately dense foam like seat cushions are made out of and stuff it inside the box car - either side away from the door if you leave the doors open, or stuff it full if the doors are normally closed. With the foam squeezed against all 6 sides, you will effectively remove the box's ability to reverberate.

Passenger cars are obviously more of a challenge since they have windows and interior details that you want to remain visible. I don't have a solution at the moment. Perhaps my boxcar solution will spur someone's thinking.

Al

[granpab]

In brass HO engines, we have used childrens' plasticene putty to dampen the resinated noise within boilers. 
Now, the home construction industry has introduced a plasticene-like putty  that is hand moulded around electrical boxes to dampen sound between rooms.
Strategically place under the seating, it would be invisible, lower the center of gravity and at very least reduced some amount of unwanted resinated sound.
NOTE: This is all in theory -- because we like the sound in our trains.

[glennk28]

perhaps some foam inside the cars??

[glennk28]

putting the track on the ground helps.