Getting ready to lay track on 1/2" foam board for my new layout. I was planning on laying flex track with latex caulk. My question is regarding turn outs. Someday I may want to reuse them. The flex track I consider disposable but I've got a lot tied up in turn outs. I was think of using white glue to secure the turn outs as I could soak them in water to clean off glue at a later date?
What are your strategies or lessons learned for laying turnouts that could be eventually removed and reused someday?
Do not attach your turnouts with anything underneath them. Just use the rail joiners at the ends to hold them down with the attached track. Folks that lay them on plywood sometimes put in a nail, but you don't want any caulk under them, too easy to gum up the works.
You shouldn't give up on your flex track as lost if you once attach it to foam with caulk. Many folks have been able to get it up in usable condition by carefully sliding a putty knife between the track and foam. The trick is to not use too much caulk in the first place. Put down a very small bead along the centerline of the track. Spread it thin with a putty knife. It should not come up between the ties at all or you have too much.
Might I suggest that you paint the area under where your turnouts are going a color that matches your ballast. By doing this you do not need much ballast around the turnouts, which can also foul the moving parts of the turnout. You can paint all the roadbed under track if you want, it might reduce the amount of ballast you need.
Good luck,
Richard
I love 1/2 inch foam. A slightly longer than 1/2 inch nail can be used on the turnouts and flex track, and this nail will barely set in the plywood making it easily removable yet stable. Personally I did not put down any adhesive until ballantine my tracks ... It has been stable for about a year now.
I really like cowmans idea of painting before laying track. Trust me it's better for more than ballast saving reasons- your paint lines are not likely to show strange Martian pink ground in places.
Since you are securing your track with caulk elsewhere, I also subscribe to {and used} the "nothing under the switches" method.
There should be enough securing around them from the caulked track to hold the switch {turnout} in place for your routine needs.
Also, with the caulk, you shouldn't have to "cut your losses". get a bent angle spatula like used for cake decorating in that aisle at AC Moore's or Michaels, and scrape under your track with it. Lift track out. THen use a brush to scrape off the caulking from the ties. Track should be saved.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Make a small mounting plate out of masonite. Once you have the slots for wiring and actuator rod cut in the masonite, you can screw the turnouts to the masonite [removable them at will]. Glue the mounting plate to the bottom of the foam using PL300.
Circuitron makes a 90 degree mount for more flexibility.
Latex caulk or white glue, no matter. Both loosen years later with a shot of water from a spray bottle.
No need for any track to be disposable.
Just leave the moving parts of the turnout free from the caulk or glue.
If you are laying the track without a center line, like tracing the outside of the track, you can just use gray latex paint. Holds as well as a thin bead of caulk and you've got a nice color underneath the track so ballasting doesn't have to be perfect.. Paint spreads easier than caulk.
- Douglas
Everybody says not to nail them, the foam can't hold nails. But LIONS *are* different, and him nailed them dow before he learned he could not do that. And that was seven years ago, they are still working fine. I have not glued the tracks, and I have not yet even painted the tracks (although I did paint the foam). They are just sitting there on the pink foam.
This is what it is *supposed* to look like when finished...
Wee shall sea!
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
If you don;t go overboard on the caulk, it will indeed peel up as mentioned. No need to throw out track. SHort pieces where I had to cut down to fit, I doubt I will bother with those, but full length sections of flex track and definitely the turnouts I will salvage.
I do put small dabs of caulk under my turnouts to secure them. a little bit under the lead before the points, and a little under each route after the frog. Not near the moving parts of the points. In fact my usual order of laying track is to locate the turnouts and then fill in with the track between them, since the turnout locations are usually the more critical piece.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Lion, you need to add some trash along your tracks to make it look realistic. I wonder if Woodland Scenics sells HO scale subway trash? LOL
LION is going to build SUPER SUCKER -- The Vacuum Train:
Problem is that thing will pick up the ballast too. Can only use it in stations with no ballast, which to be honest is most of them.
ROAR
Thank guys! My first layout and I'm sure it won't be the last! Thanks for the tips!