I am using Uni-Track on Woodland’s Sub-Terain system with the Plater Clothes on foam. They do recommend using roadbed when laying conventional tracks especially when they show the sound deadening effect of their roadbed system. However, I am using Uni-Track and by using roadbed, it just making the ballast even higher. Would you use additional roadbed to reduce running noise or just glue the uni-track on the plaster clothed hardshell and get it oer with?
I’d just use the Unitrack without any other roadbed. People make a big deal out of sound, but frankly, I don’t think in N scale it’s a big deal. The trains simply don’t weigh enough to make that roar you get with HO and up. Not unless you nail snap-track directly to plywood and then put all metal wheelsets in.
Doesn’t ‘Unitrack’ come with it’s own roadbed?
If so, you don’t need to buy more - unless you have a special application. It should ‘lay’ right onto foam. A ‘tacky’ spray such as 3M on the bottom should hold it in place.
If you have ‘hard shell’ , use of ‘O’ gauge cork will give you realistic mainline ‘profile’ and additional sound deadening - but that’s a ‘special application’.
I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with "Plater Clothes " terrain.
If this is ‘Plaster coated hard shell’, I recommend the O gauge cork, above, as sub-roadbed.
Hey Iceman,
Here’s some advice from someone who hasn’t built a layout. I’m making my plans and have looked at the sub terrain system also. The question about road bed has more to due with the system rather than whether the Unitrack needs it. It was my understanding that WS recommended the foam road bed to take care of any irregularities in the plaster cloth road bed. Did you count the number of times WS said to lay the track, mark it and then do the next step and mark it again??
I may try to use some of their ideas though.
Good luck,
Bob