Newbie: Mounting Track to baseboard

[Anonymous]

Hi,
No matter how many people I ask for advise I don't really get this stage in detail.
I'm using Atlas Code 80 N Gauge, and deciding to finally mount this to board. What tools should i need (nails/pins, hammers etc) to do this with?

Anything is appreciated
Mark,

[JCasey]

[#welcome]
Hi Mark,
Welcome to the forum. The general consensus around here seems to be clear latex caulk. Holds good but can be removed if need be. Just run a narrow bead down the roadbed, set the track in and weight in down until cured.

[Anonymous]

Glue cork and then lay track with silicone caulking spread with a putty knife real thin. You can place books or other form of weight on the track to hold it down till it dries. then if you have to repair later its easy to pry up with no damage.

[cheese3]

I am using liquid nails for projects on my layout, it is applied the same way as the latex caulk.

[Anonymous]

ah I would never have thought of that before. I'll pick some up tomorrow as the hardware stores aren't open today. Removes the need for nails too, I was worried, the baseboard I'm using is quite a hard wood.

So yeah thanks very much [:)]

[Anonymous]

Your welcome[alien]BLOCKED SCRIPTinsertsmilie('[alien]');
Alien

[selector]

Just to reinforce a point, spread out the bead enough so that the compound doesn't ooze up and well in between the ties when you press the track down into the glue. That error will make realistic ballasting impossible as the ballast will have no place to go but bunch up higher than desired, spoiling the look and possibly interfering with the decoupling pins.

[Seamonster]

I pin the track in place (also N scale) and hold it in place with the ballast. After the ballast has set, I remove the pins. The thing I like about that is that if I want to remove any track, I just soak it with "wet" water, wait a few minutes, and lift up the track with a putty knife. The old ballast comes off the track easily and I can re-use it. I just finished tearing up a bunch of track and re-laying some of it and was glad I did it that way. However, this latex caulk method sure seems to be very popular now, so I plan to give it a try in the near future.

[Duce]

Not trying to cut in to you thread here kyb3r...

But is the cork bed the best way to go when laying track straight to plywood? Or is there some better options???

Thanks

[selector]

There is foam bed that some of the more experienced guys like just fine. Some use carefully carved strips of homasote for good sound deadening and fasten their track directly to it. I believe rrinker likes foam, and I have lost track of who likes the latter.

[rrinker]

Yes I am 100% foam (well, there are some wood 1x4's in my benchwork - but no plywood). I use the Woodland Scenic foam roadbed instead of cork - I just like it better, especally the long continuous rolls to reduce the number of roadbed joints, and the extra wide strips like I am using in my yard area. Latex caulk all around, it's fast, easy, doesn't smell, holds great, and still allows me to scrape up 'mistakes' or revisions without ruining the track.

--Randy

[Anonymous]

I'm using Kato Unitrack that is pre ballasted. Can I use the laytex caulk as well? What about recommendations for roadbed with pre ballasted track? Is it the same? Thankya.

[selector]

Yes, it's the same, BigRedneckRob. However, the plastic ballast will negate the sound-deadening quality of the foam or homasote because the shape of the 'ballast' acts like a sound-board...or sound box. I believe (no experience with road bed, but it stands to reason) that the plastic laid directly on plywood or extruded foam will be noisier than when placed on the softer WS foam roadbed. I just don't know by how much. In my case, I used EZ-Track, and placed it directly on the extruded foam surface. Then, I ballasted it lightly with a thin layer of beach sand. The visual effect is top notch, but it is a noisy set-up.

If you could experiment by filling the 'cavity' under the plastic ballast, on a couple of pieces, with a spray on foam, like crack filler, and then place those pieces on foam roadbed next to normally fixed unitrack, you could run some trains back and forth to see which is the better. I suspect the filled plastic will be more deadened, and when place on foam roadbed, even better.

It's your call, of course, either way.

[chateauricher]

Kyb3r,

You may want to keep a few nails or pins handy to hold flex-track curves in place while the latex caulk cures. You can remove the nails once everything is well secured in place.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chateauricher
[br...You may want to keep a few nails or pins handy to hold flex-track curves in place while the latex caulk cures. You can remove the nails once everything is well secured in place.

I am infact using flex track, but for some reason, my mum bought me that for christmas and it seems really awkward to use. So I'll just use them as long straights maybe, unless I can pick up some Atlas 5" Straights somewhere.

Sounds good though, I might use that

[Anonymous]

You stated that you were going to attache the track directly to your "hard board." That implies you are not using any roadbed which lifts the track off the board a little. This difference is small in size but big in appearance. You may be modeling a 'back woods' logging operation which does not really need the roadbed but any main line track will be elevated a little above the surrounding ground. Now is the time to add the roadbed and then add the track on top. Latex caulk can be used for both with pins or weights to hold it in place while the caulk dries. Give it at least a couple of days to dry.

[Anonymous]

I was thinking about laying down a roadbed, but because this is my first layout... I won't bother (If I screw it up, its ok, this is just for practice before I get serious). But I will be doing just that for the 2nd layout.... almost definately.