Do you glue down or nail down your track?

[grandeman]

I've used both methods and prefer the glue to tacks. I like Aileen's tacky glue in the purple bottle. It's the thick formula and gives some instant tack. Give it a light coat of ballast when the glue is wet to kill two birds with one stone. The glue is available cheap at Wally World.

For long areas of flex track I've also used hot glue. You have to be careful to get the track down level but it is very quick. Don't use too much or it'll squish out between the ties.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if its just me, but my experience with nails/brads hasn't been the greatest. All it takes is a wrong "tap" one way or the other and then your track is out of alignment. Plus, after the nail has been driven, you are stuck with an unsightly nail head appearing across the tops of the ties. If you happen to drive the nail in too far, then you risk distorting the ties and narrowing the gauge of the tracks ever so slightly. In my opinion, glue is the way to go. My preference is for liquid nails. Its relatively cheap and very easy to work with. Spread a thin layer, lay the track and you've still got a little fudge time for alignment before the glue sets. Granted, glueing is a permanent method for setting track whereas the track nails can allow you to pull them and change the tracks around...Hope this helps and have fun!!!

[WilmJunc]

I have been nailing my track to the road bed with very small brad like nails. The last edition of MRR recommended using a caulking type compound to glue down the track. What are the pros and cons of each method?