After overbuilding my benchwork, still trouble shooting the trackwork, I noticed that my engines (all older ones) make more of a grinding noise on the curves and certain parts of the track. The curves seem to be in gauge and 22-24" radius. I am in HO guage and using mostly Shinohara code 83. After running out of that I purchased a few sticks of Atlas 83 flex and found it much easier to work with. Don’t know why but Shinohara seems very fragile. Anyhow, the vibrations are’nt everywhere. There are certain stretches where the train seems to be almost noiseless. On my duckunder at the door, the track is not down hard. No noise. Silence is bliss.
Any clues on how to stop the vibrations.
Oh by the way, cork and track are glued. Thanks, Rich
I’m assuming you’re talking about the longer wheelbase locomotives that give you the grinding noise on the curves. 22 and 24 inch radius is relatively sharp, and the noise could easily be the sound of the flanges on the drivers rubbing on the inside of the railhead. This is usually a squealing sound on the real thing when this happens.
Depending on what type and dilution of glue you used in bonding your ballast in these places, you may have made the path for the sound to transmit to the roadbed and be amplified.
If possible to do at this stage, additional bracing below the roadbed may reduce the noise.
Depends on your scenery base. Foam will have more of a tendency to deaden the sound where plaster and screen could amplify it (depending on how it’s attached).