I would use acrylic caulk to secure the cork roadbed and ties. Make sure the layer that you use for the ties is very thin. If it squeezes up between the ties, it's too thick. Use a 2" putty knife to spread it real thin. You can set a board on top and a weight, but once you press the ties down into the caulk, you don't really need to. Then it doesn't matter how wet you get the ties/roadbed when you're ballasting.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I've never seriously considered using cork under handlaid track because my sense is that cork is c..., er, junk, or at least inferior, for that purpose. Gimme Homabed/homasote.
Mark
Your more then likely correct in that tearing it up and re gluing would be the best but if you want one last attempt why not spike down the cork roadbed even if just temporarily with long track spikes say in between the ties? I know how much it bites to have to do over mistakes all too well and some times the attempts to fix things is like putting a band-aid on a gun shot.wound.
the track is spiked every 5th tie and its not just the ties lifting. i used white glue to secure the cork roadbed. i have tried weighting and only doing small sections but to no sucess. as all of the track is laid in this way the results will be the same all the way around the layout. i have come to the sad realisation it is time to cut my losses and start over. .... at least there is only 100 or so feet of track. shame really but i have the chance to improve the design as there were some things lacking. everything for a reason.
Dan
Dan,, Am I missing something or is your track only glued down and not spiked? I am kinda new to hand laying track so far I've only done turnouts but it's my understanding that you spike something like every 5th tie, So I would have to imagine that this would hold the track in place at least enough till the glue strats to set up again. If it is spiked and your lifting the track and the roadbed as well even though yellow carpenters glue or clear latex caulk would have been a much better choice It sounds like your drowning it with wet water and your glue mixture. The best course of action would be to obviously replace the white glue with yellow carpenters glue or Latex caulk but if your trying to avoid doing that maybe do very short sections of track and have a flat plate of some sort with an ample ammount of weight to hold everything in place until the glue sets up?
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Using latex caulk would present much less of a risk all around.
-Crandell
I do what "grizlump" describes on my handlaid track. I glue the ties to the roadbed (mostly HomaBed) with yellow carpenters glue, and use white glue diluted 4:1 with water to secure the ballast. I've never had a problem with ties coming loose, and I really soak the ballast with glue.
One other point that I think is important: I ballast the ties and roadbed before I lay the rails. This has many good consequences, as far as I'm concerned. Two of the most significant are that I never have problems with switch points being gummed up with ballast glue, and the ties surrounded by solidly glued ballast never split when I spike into them.
So long,
Andy
Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
you don't need me to tell you now but if you use yellow carpenters glue on the ties and roadbed, it will hold even if it gets a little wet. even though it cleans up with water, once it sets it is water resistant. you might try contact cement for sticking down cork roadbed. looks like you have a do over in your future. sorry bout that.
grizlump
This happens when the white glue from the track softens again by the thinned whit glue water mix.
I guess, you have to wait a bit longer.
I use this method too, but I have between track laying and ballasting a long time, weeks and more.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
i have struck a little snag when it came time to ballast my handlaid track. You see the ties were glued down with white glue on cork roadbed. when i applied the diluted white glue to bond the ballast the roadbed lifted and the ties lifted up ruining the rails laid. all the track on the layout layout is laid like this. any suggestions on how to stop this happening or is it too late to remedy. i have never had an issue like this with cork roadbed before.