Okay, I’m ready to secure the track to my 2" foam base. I got my caulking all ready and I looked at my track. Most of it is turnouts without ties. (I didn’t use them because you won’t see them anyway.) So I’m wondering if I my situation my call for a different method.
Nails won’t work in foam for obvious reasons.
Robert Schleicher suggest using artist mat medium, which by coincidence I happen to have. He says it secures the track but is flexible such that track can be pulled up if need be.
I have seen several folks that suggest not adhering the turnouts anyway. Just caulk the track sections down and then let the turnouts float in between. By the time you add ballast they will be more than stable.
I highly recommened using a method that allows you to pull it up and adjust it before making it perminant. Its always good to put track down and test it and make sure it is good. I used to like nails and spikes for that reason but foam doesn’t hold them so you need some sort of adhesive. Anything too strong will require you to ruin the track to pull it up and adjust it.
I did my whole layout with caulk and then after running it for awhile decided to make quite a few changes. I decided to try yellow wood glue. Partly because I had a lot of it and also because removing the caulked down track was somewhat difficult. Anyway the wood glue has worked fine so far, surprisingly enough. I use it to fasten just about everything…cork to foam…plastic track to cork. It sets up faster than the caulk and is easier to spread thinly. I think it is probably cheaper too. It is also easier to remove the track if you change your mind. I am curious to know if anybody else has tried this method.
Chip, if you are going to use plaster, or something like it, it can be broken up very easily, if messily, with a screwdriver or something. At some point, you will simply be able to life out the turnout after slipping back the joiners. At least, this is what I envision. If your turnouts are going be be essentially buried in dirt or concrete…whatever it is meant to be, just use plaster of paris as your fixer-in-place.
I have a suggestion. To secure the track to the foam why don’t you cover it in a thick viscous liquid that will harden and lock the track in place. Like plaster.
If you are going to plaster the track in place, what difference does it make? All you need is something to hold the rails in place until the plaster dries. If anything use liquid nails to tack glue gause or screen to the foam between the ties, then pour the plaster. the gause/secreen acts like rebar to hold the plaster, the plaster holds the track.
I certainly would NOT leave the turnouts hanging in mid air. Why not get some cork tiles at Wal-Mart with the same thickness as the ties and cut them to fit under the turn outs. Since you have already installed them, you might be able to just slip it under them.
Since you are going to pave the whole area anyway, you might just pour a soupy plaster of paris onto them, let it seep down, and screed it off level with top of the rails. Before it sets, carve the clearance for the wheel flanges.
When told to “secure the building”, the Army sent down a platoon of troops, who proceeded to string barbed wire around the building and put up in sandbagged machine guns positions on all four corners.
The marines sent down a squad who threw grenades in the windows and then shot the heck out of the building.
The navy sent down a Petty Officer who turned off the lights and padlocked the door before leaving.
While the air force sent down a lawyer who pulled out his laptop computer and wrote out a 99 year lease contract for the building.
“Secure” can indeed mean quite a few different things to different people - and model railroading can sometimes make you want to secure things the Marine way [:D]
I’d go with the poured plaster or what ever you are going to do for streets holding them in place…with an addition…scale equivalent of rebar. Lots of pins stuck down into the foam with just enough of the head protruding from the foam that the plaster surrounds and covers them. That should help keep the pieces of plaster located well enough…and therefore the track they surround also. Just an idea…your mileage may vary
I’ve been using yellow glue for some time to hold track down. I’ve noted similar success. I se it with WS Trackbed foam. It glues the Trackbed foam to plywood and the track ties to the foam. It comes up with a putty knife.
I used clear latex caulk on mine ( HO) to adhere my WS foam roadbed to my 2 inch foam base, and also used gray latex caulk to adhere my track to my WS faom roadbed.I did have to make a few adjustmesnts and it was pliable enough to do so.It also keeps the noise level down.
I based my decision to do so after watching one of Joe Fugate’s videos on laying track.He uses gray latex caulk to adhere his track to his roadbed, because the gray more closely approximates the color of his ballast.
I feel Joe Fugate is a very experienced MRR’er, and I value his opinions, and techniques.
