I fasten down my N scale trackwork with caulk but I don't caulk the turnouts nor do I solder them to the adjacent tracks. As as been pointed out many times, if anything is going to fail in the trackwork, it will be the turnouts. I do, however, put a track nail though a tie at each of the three ends of the turnouts. It keeps them in place until they are ballasted, then they can be removed if I feel ambitions. Actually, I use shipbuilder's pins as they are much smaller and more suitable for N scale.
..... Bob
Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)
I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)
Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.
Thanks for your replies. I'll just let the entire turnout float and not apply caulk to any part of it, that way I can always take it up without destroying it. I will caulk all track that connects to the turnout but not the turnout itself. Hopefully I won't have any problems doing this.
One persons perspective on your questions. I'm in HO but it works in all scales. I have Atlas c83 flex track and CL turnouts. I used yellow glue to secure the cork to the foam, painted my cork a close color to my future ballast, and have caboose ground throws. Right now all of my turnouts float.
Since the turnout needs to move at all times you can't "glue" the whole thing down. Until you have have ran your layout for awhile, I found it's best to float the whole turnout until you are satisfied how things run and work operationally. I have changed the track plan, moved turnouts up and down to have things run more smoothly or perform operationally. I have also had to remove a couple of turnouts to perform tweaks or maintenance to a turnout. At $15 for a CL turnout and almost $30 for a Peco being able to remove and reinstall just one turnout makes this all worth while. Even when you satisfied with how everything performs the turnout still needs to move so ballasting must be done in moderation at best. The turnout stays "in place" having the track the turnout connects to secured/glued/caulked right up to the point of the turn out. Caulk holds it well.
By having a color close to the ballast helps trick the eye to think it is complete when it's thin or even non existent. Some guys have taken to using the textured paints under turnouts instead of ballast but I have yet to try it. But I can always add this paint under my turnouts since they are floating. You can see what I have done here -
As you can see I have caulked my track to painted cork. It works just fine. I have ripped sections to improve operations or recover from less than acceptable track work. It was tuff to tear out so normal ops isn't a problem. I don't mind tearing out $4 of flex track but again a $15 turnout,,,,,,, well I guess we both feel the same.
Anyway, I hope this gives you a little piece of mind'ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
Since you are using Unitrack, paint the cork that you are putting under your turnouts a color to match the Unitrack ballast color.
You can attach your Unitrack and cork to the foam with the caulk, no problem. Do not put any caulk on top of the cork, the track at each end of the turnoutt will keep it steady. The throw bars should be free to move. I would use a little more caulk under the Unitrack, as there is less surface area for it to adhere to. You want it to come up the sides a little when you push it down. Under the cork only a very thin layer is needed.
By not putting any caulk under the turnouts, should you ever have a problem with one of them, you should be able to remove it with a minimum of damage to the layout.
Good luck,
I'm getting ready to start laying track on my layout. Actually, I'm going to use Kato's Unitrack for most of the layout, but I'm using Peco turnouts on the main track. I read the thread from 2006 that discusses whether or not turnouts should float, but I feel like I need a more specific answer for my specific situation. I plan on using cork roadbed and Peco code 80 turnouts with Caboose Industries ground throws. Now, my layout is built with foam board, so I planned on using gray caulk to secure the roadbed to the foam. But, before laying down the Peco turnouts, I planned on painting the roadbed a latex gray color close to the caulk's color because I'm not certain if I'll follow through later and ballast it, I might just avoid ballasting here. Is there anything wrong with painting roadbed before securing track and ballast to it? Next, I have a question about "floating" turnouts. From what I've heard, the moveable points of a turnout should be able to float. So, with a Peco N scale turnout, how close should the caulk get to the moveable part? One-inch? Two inches? Do moveable parts usually include the moveable rails or just the throw bar that goes across from one moveable rail to the next that is in between two of the ties and moves the rails when the ground throw is changed? These are Peco turnouts, and they're expensive, which is why I don't want to goof up on them and end up ruining them. Also, is there anything wrong with caulking or gluing track down to foam that has been painted? I previously had another brand of track that I had all kinds of problems with and I ripped all of it out and just painted over the foam.