JSN Posted March 18, 2011 I have just bought the awesome 7939 and set it up on wooden tables in my parents house where my LEGO collection resides. Unfortunately this has led to complaints from my Dad since it is quite loud. Does anyone have any suggestions for ways to dampen the noise slightly so I can run it without getting moaned at? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Legoless Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) Yes. Use cork tiles which you should be able to obtain from DIY stores. Glue these to the entire table top. This will absorb a lot of the vibration created by the train wheels and prevent the table tops from acting as a 'sounding board'. Even cheaper would be laminate floor underlay which would have the same effect (choose the slightly better quality more cushioned type). Carpet underlay could be used at a pinch but would most likely be too springy. Model railway folks often lay their tracks on foam underlay- you could improvise if you can get hold of something similar. You could also try applying battens to the bottom of the tables to stiffen them up a bit- should help a little but probably the most effective and cheapest approach would be the laminate flooring underlay as above. If you are a skilled enough builder you could attempt to fit suspension to each train axle- however that might involve re-building existing models and a lot of faffing about to get it right. Suspension does a lot to quieten the sound of trains. Also, if you use a PF motor, I suppose you could wrap it in some kind of insulating material, however this won't cancel out noise from the train gearing. Edited March 18, 2011 by Legoless Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSN Posted March 18, 2011 Thanks Legoless, I will pop to the local DIY place tomorrow and see what I can get hold of. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toastie Posted March 18, 2011 Thanks Legoless, I will pop to the local DIY place tomorrow and see what I can get hold of. Hi JSN, know what? That sound is a "Roaring Thunder" - all your LEGO trains will do that. I have a GP40&GP38 hauling some freight through my office upstairs, wooden floor. The family was not happy but man, that sound is great. Freight trains do make noise Legoless' dampening ideas are really great as well. Regards, Thorsten Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted March 18, 2011 [...] The family was not happy but man, that sound is great. Freight trains do make noise [...] Hi Thorsten, this sounds cool and familiar! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toastie Posted March 18, 2011 Hi Thorsten, this sounds cool and familiar! Hi LT12V, that is great to read! Good to know ... All the best, Thorsten Share this post Link to post Share on other sites