I invested in some metal trucks for some of my less expensive polling stock and I am impresed with their ability to roll. But when I put a set under a metal framed tender, the noise is quite a bit louder than the plastic wheels. I notice this on my unballasted flextrack over cork roadbed over 2" foam. Are there any easy ways to quiet them down or shall I stay with plastic?
Bruce, I actually like the clickety-clack of the metal wheels. I don’t think that there is much you can do about it. For me the benefits of metal wheels far outweigh any downside from noise.
[#ditto] I really prefer that clickty clack , from the metal wheels.
But it’s a good noise. It will probably get louder after you ballast. If it’s just that one car, then put some plastic trucks on it. This is one of the reasons I went with particle board. I think it deadens the sound better than foam.
Edit-Oops. I thought you said metal trucks, not metal frame. Keep the plastic wheels on that one if it’s too annoying.
If you have metal wheels, metal trucks, and metal framed tender, I imagine that would get a bit loud. Plastic trucks might help a lot, or find some real thin rubber and fit a washer under each truck between the truck and the mount. I cannot remember now where I found some, but a double thickness of balloon material will work. I had to do this with several brass locos before I was satisfied.
Another factor you may already know. The better the trackwork, the quieter it is.
There’s nothing like the sound of metal wheels on metal rails. That’s what railroads are all about. In fact, one reason why I switched to O scale was because of the sound of heavy cars with metal wheels. I think that the rolling sounds blend nicely with an engine’s sound system.
Jim
I assume you are in HO? Metal wheels in N with long train is virtually deafening and somtimes drown over the engine sound if not turned to max volume. So I actually prefer plastic wheels except for Kato passenger trains where it’s kind of neat to light the interior.
It’s funny how everyone is trying to quite their trains. I had a sound engine going around the layout and after it pasted all I could hear was the metal and plastic wheels clicking and clacking and rubbing etc etc. At first I though “DAMN, I can here my engine”… Then I thought back to when I was train spotting at Bound Brook NJ and the engine ROARING by then a long train following making all kinds of noises, screatches, squealing, banging, etc etc. Wait… all that noise from our model trains is just prototypical.
So just let the noises happen. But be sure to switch over to metal wheels, the benefits out way the drawbacks. I have more then half my fleet switch over to metal and working on 100%.
I like the clickty clack too but when my northern pulls 7 cars with metal wheels it gets loud, i can’t even hear my TV somtimes
If you think that’s loud, think of in HO scale, 12 ore cars, 10x10 room. Then talk to me about loud.
I really like the sound/ noise as well. I just can’t figure out why so many are trying to have quiet trains. The real 1:1 versions are anything but quiet. Don’t you want to model the noise also?
I prefer a bit of noise as well. I don’t run sound (yet) on my N scale, so the roar of the wheels adds a nice touch. It’s also nice when you can hear a derailment take place… Trains are like kids… when they’re too quiet, you have to really watch out!
Lee
I like the clickety-clack of metal wheels. The sound of them going over the track joints is awesome, especially in Large Scale.
My wife even says she finds that the clickity-clack is soothing to her ears. It doesn’t bother me one bit…
Tom
Forget the ‘clickety clack’. METAL wheels make noise.
So do REAL trains. When rolling, trains ROAR and BANG. They’re supposed to. Models ‘whirr’ when rolling.
TOO MUCH?
Sound has to be mopped up. Common problem is vibration when transmitted to plywood - it acts like a piano sounboard.
(A). DECOUPLE.
NAILS going through cork or Homosote into wood transmits VIBRATION. So does glue that hardens when ballesting (Elmers).
THINK OF A SANDWICH:
Two 1/4" plywood sheets with 1/4"insulation in-between will resonate less than the same 3/4" solid ply (or foam) sheet will.
I also like the clickety-clack, but the noise can get really loud with metal wheels, especially if the train is going fast. If it gets too loud, you can’t enjoy the clickty-clack anymore, not to mention that $100 Tsunami you just installed.
There was an article in one of the MR magazines or special issues last year or so that showed how one guy built his roadbed system to be as silent as as possible. It involved using several layers of foam, WS foam roadbed, special ballast glue, etc. It looked kind of expensive to build, but he says it’s totally silent.
I haven’t ballasted yet, but everyone says that it will get even noisier after ballasting because the sound dampening effect of my cork roadbed will be cancelled by the hard shell of the ballast. Is there any way to overcome this problem? Does using matte medium instead of white glue help? If not, is there any other material that dries to a more flexible shell (maybe clear latex caulk?)
To eliminate the resonating soundboard problem with the trains running over plywood or foam subroadbed, I thought it might help to add a layer of foam rubber (like from a seat cushion) under the subroadbed to help absorb the noise. Anyone ever tried anything like this or have any thoughts on it?
My simple solution is to not run my trains so fast. I program the decoders to limit the speed so even the kids cannot run them up to the point where the wheel noise is too high.
I don’t understand how anyone can liken the tinny hissy noise coming from the models wheels to the thundering boom sound of a real train on real track. It has to be at least three octaves higher. Are my ears just that much different than everyone elses? It is pure annoyance noise to me.
I have converted many cars back to plastic wheels. The supposed extra benefits (cleaner track - not, more free rolling - don’t have long enough trains that that makes a difference, looks - not) aren’t worth the irritation.
Talk to me when your up to 70+ like us…with 3 DMIR SD38-2’ with sound…MISSABE POWER!
Now I would Love to see that. Man I wish I could run tahat long of trains! One guy at a train show ran 104 ore cars, He said it was his longest train he had ever run on the layout.