Thanks guys for all the words of caution and ideas. I will take them all into conderation.
Thanks
To directly answer your question I'll ditto gandydancer and suggest you use water based--as in Elmer's White--glue. Tried it on a section of my last layout; soaked it thoroughly and it came up like a champ! Gonna do that way next time.
A word of caution . . . . . . . . . . I reside down in the sunny Southwest where it is generally hot and dry; if your layout is going to be erected in a basement somewhere where the humility is going to get to 99.99% in the middle of August I think I would set up a test section to see how it holds up in those above cited conditions.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Your efforts would be much better served on construction a layout or even a modular layout that is more "adaptable" and easy to be moved then trying to find ways of securing the track but not securing the track. just go buy Kato Unitrack and be done with it. not sure weather or not the Kato track has holes in it or not but you can drill some with a pin vice and just secure it with track spikes over sheets of cork to sound deadening. I sang the praises of the Salt Lake Route featured in several issues of MR. It's as portable of a layout as I have ever seen but not a true modular type layout as it's maybe an all in one is a better term. A modular is made up of many different individual scenes or vignettes that are secured to each other to make a layout. Typically what u see at train shows. The SLR has everything all on one movable piece of bench work complete with folding legs so when moving day does come you and a buddy place the layout on a couple of folding chairs and secure the legs underneath it and off you go. With a little imagination and altering of the track plan you could built that layout or something similar with a provision to add on to it later.
I have built both N scale and HO scale layouts.
The clear acrylic caulk holds better but is more dificult to get up and clean up.
The colored latex caulk will hold, but is easier to get up and the track / ties can be cleaned with a wire brush.
If you get to the point of applying ballast, use a white glue - water mix. You can wash it off easier than if you used matt medium or WS scenic glue.
However, because you are working with N scale, the track is not as sturdy as HO and you will not be able to recover everything. Maybe half.
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.
Anyone ever try Zip Seal to secure the track?? I know it is removable after it cures, but not sure if the movement from the trains would cause the track to cause it to come up.
As for the design it is a L-shape about 14ft by 13ft along the wall with to big loops with a sweeping radius of 23" at the ends like a dog bone. It will have a basic double track main line serviced by a major road in a modified figure 8 formation for contuinous running to please the 2 year old, with a long short line that is off the main line, climbing the back drop zig zaging over the main line with one or two towns along the way until it hits a shelf that is about 12-16 inchs off the main layout, which will have a iron, copper, silver, or gold mine with a small mining town for some switching operations. There will be a river and a small yard and engine shop for the short line. Not modeled after any specific place but more a mountianous region.
If you use latex caulk for both track and cork you should be able to get most of it up with minimal damage. Don't use a lot.
You don't say what kind of space you have. Since you are in N scale have you concidered a hollow core door for a layout base. You could design your layout on the door so that it could be a module and expanded when you get to your new space. This would save tearing up track, get you up and running faster in your new location and be expandable. (A hollow core door can be cut to length if the full door is to long for your current space, just insert a filler piece in the open end.)
Right, you will learn a lot as you progress, but you can use the older parts while setting up the new, then redo the older section as time and finances allow. Might be able to leave the track, just redo the scenery around it.
Good luck,.
Sorry I forgot to mention the scale will be N-scale using code 55. The road Bed will be cork on top of plywood.
Oops
What scale and what type track are you using?
Jerry
Rio Grande vs. Santa Fe.....the battle is over but the glory remains!
What's your choice of construction for the subroadbed/ roadbed?
If you are building foam topped use acylic caulk, if plywood or pine subroadbed w/ cork just spike it down. Spiking the track will be to easiest to remove, however this is not an option if using foam unless the roadbed will hold a spike.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
What is the best way to mount the track down that when I move from my current place I can pull the track out with out much harm to it. I know I have to move in a few years, because the family will have out grown the house. I know I should make a removable layout. But it is truely my first true layout with buildings and trees and rock faces. I figure that I will learn a bunch with this one then when we move grab the track and run!!! Build a new one bigger and better. Who really wants to fit a old layout into a new room and it not fitting right.
I like the Idea of using caulk to anchor the track but wonder if that is a good idea or am I going to end up just trashing the track, pulling it up at a later date???
I know hot glue is not that friendly to pull up track....My uncle tried it and ended up distroying most of the track.