Track & Carpet

[Bookie]

Can you place a Sintra track on carpet. The carpet is commercial, low pile, indoor / outdoor peel and stick tiles or would it just be easier to paint it

[RichD]

My Sintra MaxTrax sits on foam backed carpet runners.

[Maddman]

While it can be done I recommend against it. Carpet fibers have a bad habit of migrating into spaces between axles and chassis and other tight spaces. These hair bearings can foul up any car. In a crash the carpet can grab a car causing damage.

In addition carpet makes it difficult to have smooth transitions between track sections. A track mounted to a solid base is easier to make smooth.

All of my tracks have been on painted plywood with minimal walls and padding in crucial areas. Case in point, this track which will be at this years HOPRA nationals.

[TuscoTodd]

In addition to the comments above, I would also recommend against putting it on carpet as that will most likely make it very difficult to get / keep good fitment/transition between track pieces as well. The various tracks of this type that are used here locally are all mounted directly to plywood or mdf.

[RichD]

I used carpet runner because that does not have a deep pile and does not shed fibers. I have not had a problem with lint getting wrapped around axles. When I first assembled my track, I just painted the top of the table green, but I did not like the way that looked.

[REL13]

I had carpet runners on my HO track, but I took the carpet off because when a car came off it sometimes would break the guide pin.

[CBWho]

One thing I am considering is colored paper. With paper, I could even print out pictures of grass and ponds. Maybe even screenshots of Google satellite views. But I think I'll continue with the cut out Simpsons look. Notice in the background catch wall.

[Bluevista]

I have my Carrera track on indoor outdoor carpet with a rubber backing glued down to Homasote/sound board and it doesn't shed, have lint, no issues at all. I got it at Lowes, it comes on a big roll and they cut it to length. The figures won't stand up well on it if that's a problem, my cows do though. The track actually stays flatter because the carpet compensates for any fluctuations IMO. I would never mount it directly to plywood unless you want it to be really noisy, has a drum effect. Model train guys have been using Homasote/sound board for noise control/track bedding for many, many moons. It's also excellent for making thumb tack bulletin boards.