Anyone use this for table covering? Im starting to plan my layout which includes the table. Was wonfering of this would be a good covering or not? You guys can save me some time and a little money with your thoughts or experiences. Im not going to landscape my layout. I like to change it up every now and then. So Im looking for a decent covering. This is for HO scale.
Thanks!

I'll give you a very wishy washy "it depends"... :) The thing you want most of all, be it indoor/outdoor, whatever, is that the fiber is tight and isn't going to loosen with normal wear. Run your fingers across it in a zig zag motion and try to get some material to come up, if it does, I would recommend staying away from it as it will end up in your car guaranteed.

I found a very nice, cheap, tight carpet meant for a basement rec-room at the local Home Depot that has served me well now for a few years and has never pilled up or come loose on me.

I found a very nice, cheap, tight carpet meant for a basement rec-room at the local Home Depot that has served me well now for a few years and has never pilled up or come loose on me.

I agree. I've had the same experiance. Plus, the noise level drops substantially, really substantially, when you put plastic track on a carpet. You'll never be able to place it on wood again after running on a carpet.

Joe

Marty, Is your carpet mounted to the entire table surface or cut out around
the track layout? (difficult install) Are there any problems with guide pins
or p/u shoes & springs being caught in carpet?

I use a patio carpet I found at Lowes. It came in a box and has a felt-like flat texture that has shown no sign of coming apart and liberating fibers. The only drawback is that it will probably have to go when I decide to install borders from hoslotcarracing.com. The carpet is great for screwing a track to, but the borders are probably going to need some kind of adhesive and "floats" on the carpet rather than compressing it like the track sections.

Marty, Is your carpet mounted to the entire table surface or cut out around
the track layout? (difficult install) Are there any problems with guide pins
or p/u shoes & springs being caught in carpet?

Mine was installed cut around it, but with past tracks it has just been underneath the whole thing, neither has ever been a problem...

I haven't ever had a problem with shoes, springs or pins getting stuck. That certainly is an issue though and some of the tracks I have raced on get attracted to the loose carpet "dingleberries" when you don't get something tightly wound. :)

I used a dark green cheap indoor outdoor carpet from home depot and it's holding up good after about a year, I'm going to be changing the layout soon but it shoud be ok, everything was just screwed down. It DOES make it quieter. hth, Dave

Thanks all!

I bought mine from lowes, tight no fibers and not to expensive. I laid my carpet down laid the track on top of it and used a razor knife to cut around it, then removed the track and carpet mounted the track then carpet was cut to size, worked out great