Removing and rehabilitating turnouts

[NevinW]

I am faced with the task of tearing down my railroad.  I used Woodland Scenics foam roadbed and their glue to fasten the track to it.  All of the turnouts have been painted and ballasted.  Now I need to remove the turnouts for use in my next model railroad.  I am assuming that I can soak the ballast and glue with water and it will release the turnout.  Any one have experience with this?  Would a good soaking in water get all of the glue out and off of the turnout after it is removed?  Would you put any oil on the points before storage?  Any other suggestions?  -  Nevin

[loathar]

Wetting it first will work so so. I still had a lot of foam stick to the bottom of the track. One reason I don't like the WS stuff. I still had to take an exacto and trim around all the ties to remove any leftover foam. Warm soap and water and a toothbrush will clean them up pretty good. I don't know about the oil. If they're nickle/silver you shouldn't have to. If they're steel, you might want to. Just make sure you clean them up real good before you relay them. Check them with a multimeter to make sure they're working properly before laying them. I even do this with brand new turnouts.

[Don Gibson]

I think you have an excuse for all new (and better) turnouts.

WHat ever you do, too many turnouts bend or break ties - enough to render them useless. Rails that pull loose from their molded base (ties) don't reset, and any bending of rail  renders them useless - unless you enjoy derailments.

Switch machines, buildings, and electrical things are worth saving - even if you don't use them. Wood panels and lumber take up too much storage room, but not hardware.

New layouts generally incorporate new ideas and designs.

Excelsior!.