track laying

[Anonymous]

Maybe somebody has suggested this, but I've not seen it.
Don't - repeat, don't - nail down track or roadbed.
I have built two complete layouts using contact cement. It's great! It's easy to put down the roadbed and the track, and it can be taken up without much trouble.
I do rough up the underside of the plastic track with sandpaper, for a better bond. Also, for the track swithces/turnouts, you do have tobe careful not to get any glue in the moving parts. Usually there's enough space - two or three unmoving ties - for enough glue to get a good hold. The other end is easier, there being plenty of ties and plenty of room for the glue.
Follow the directions: Put glue on both the board/table/whatever and the roadbed underside, then you wait a few minutes up to a half hour, then carefully but easily lay the roadbed. Be sure you don't let any of the gluey roadbed touch the board untilit is where you want it to go. Press all over the piece of road bed and your done.
Pretty much do the same for the actual track. Hold the track up a little bit until it is right where you want it, and press down. You're done!
Make a mistake? Change your mind? Get an old putty knife and sharpen up one entire edge. Then work it gently under the track, and, later, roadbed. Use a back and forth motion, and some common sense. It does take a few minutes. I have been able to re-use all track thus pulled up, and some roadbed. Of course, roadbed is cheap enough it's not really worth trying to recycle it.
Nails look unsightly, chew up plastic ties, and usually are not to scale. Contact cement is under everything, out of sight. It holds great!
Try it! you'll never nail track again.

[orsonroy]

Basically the same reason I use silicone caulk to lay track. I never did like nailing track down, and it's impossible to do anyway with a foam layout base.

[IRONROOSTER]

I glue the roadbed down with yellow glue and hold it place with push pins while it dries.
I use the black track nails Atlas makes. They blend in so well I have to run my finger over the ties to find them. The key is drilling a hole through the tie into roadbed and subroadbed that is just a little smaller than the nail. Then tap it home with a small hammer and nail set.
This way works well for me.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

I like the nails, they make me feel good.

[Anonymous]

In my N scale track, I just insert the nails lightly until the ballast/matt medium has set. Pull out the nails and the ballasting does the job with no visible impact. Any adjustments can be made until everything works just right, then anchor the whole works with the ballast.