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?
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!!!
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.
There is another disadvantage with nailing tracks in place. The nails have to be spaced at intervals no longer than about an inch apart when using flex track on a curve if you cannot maintain an absolute constant temperature and humidity in the the layout room all year around. Otherwise, your perfectly smoothe, constant radius curve will become kinky. When the temperature drops, the nailed down sections of the track will stay put, but the unachored sections will try to contract. This results in a series of relavively wide radii curves developing between anchor points, followed by a relatively sharp radius curve at the anchor point.
Gluing tracks down either eliminates all movement or allows some adjustment in a uniform manner while maintaining a constant curvature.
when i put down track on cork over plywood i use atlas track nails driven just below the tops of the rails until i add ballast then i pull the nails as the ballast will hold the track secure. now that i’m using foam sheets for benchwork i use latex liquid nails to hold down the cork and then the track with push pins to secure the track until the adheasive dries. don’t use too much adheasive for the track as it may ooze up between the ties and you’ll have to dig it out to add the ballast. also don’t put and adheasive under the switches.
I have found that the black track nails work well for me - the thin head is almost invisible. I predrill the holes so the nail is a snug fit and tap it home using a small hobby hammer and a nail set - this avoids the problem of having to smack it with the hammer and driving it in too far, bending the nail, or other damaging type results. I have had some of my track down for 10 years with no problems. I have cork roadbed glued (Elmers carpenter glue) on plywood tabletop.
Enjoy
Paul
I actually use both methods–since I’m using WS roadbed, just nailing down the track isn’t an option. But I use brads in the ties to hold the alignment while the glue dries (I use Elmer’s wood glue–don’t ask me why, but it has worked for me very well). Then after, and before ballasting, I remove the brads. With the WS foam roadbed, one only needs to pu***he brads in, so the chances of the track going out of alignment by hammer taps is eliminated.
Tom [:D]
I staple my road bed and nail my track. I change my mind too much to glue anything and have had no problems so far.
On hidden track I use the Atlas track nails. On visible track I drill through the ties at the base of the rail every sixth to eightth tie and use spikes. This is on cork over plywood.
On the next section of layout I may try adhesive caulk to attach the track to the cork. Caulk is sticky and not rigid, but is stiff enough that it should hold the track in place, and it can be peeled away if I ever decide to change things, from what I’ve read.
I use the Atlas rail spikes and use a punch to drive the nails so that i don’t mis-align the nail or hit the rail with the hammer…the only drawback with nailing the track down is that it needs to be ballasted soon after the track is layed because the nails have a tendency to raise out of the tie due to expantion and contraction and humidity in the train room which forces the nail heads upward and can eventually catch the bottom of the trains as they travel over the top of the rails…once the track has been ballasted it’s not going anywhere…Chuck
The advantage of nails is that it’ll allow you to easily pull up and re-aling the track over time. On my last layout I ended up spending several evenings re-aligning the curves to smooth them out and ease them. Had I glued the track down I would have had a mess on my hands. Once the track is ballasted you can pull the nails.
On my current layout I’m building I’ll be nailing the track into cork using a nail set and my hand. Once the ballast is laid I’ll pull all the nails.
Mark in Utah
I tried the caulk for the first time and it was wonderful like magic. I use WS over plywood and nail some flex when I think I will be moving it, though the caulk comes up easy with a plastic putty knife. Caution, a thin layer of caulk is enough. If it squeezes out between the ties it is hared to cover with ballast.
I use Walthers code 83 flextrack and turnoutsso I use their spikes (same kind used for handlaying track), I also have some areas using Atlas code 83 and there I use Atlas track nails, but I also use some spikes here and there to smooth out the curves. BTW - might go against the grain, but in some areas like spur tracks I used Atlas code 83 sectional track, since they were going to have a 22 R anyway, easier to use sectional track.
I don’t like the idea of gluing down track, I like being able to change/move track (especially turnouts, their moving parts can wear out over time). Course that’s why probably the last thing I’ll do building this layout is add ballast - I want to be sure everything is exactly like I want it first !!
Nails all the way, although I’ve heard of many who use glue. With Nails, you can easily make changes to the track and/or roadbed.
Just my [2c] worth,
Trevor[:)]
Latex caulk allt he way. I’ve used nails in the past, and I won’t go back to them. Caulk is cheap, fast, and there is no problem pulling up track to make changes, I’ve already done so when I changedmy plan around. And I will again when I start expanding and need to cut the new part into the existing section. Caulk is tacky enough right away that I only need to use pins to hold alignment on curves. When I get to do long continuous sections without turnouts, the caulk will REALLY shine - along with those 24’ rolls of Woodland Scenics Track-Bed. You could easily run out a 24’ bead of caulk, smooth it with a putty knife, and lay the roadbed in a minute or two. In smaller areas naturally you are always stopping to cut pieces to fit for turnouts and so forth.
–Randy
The vast majority of track has been nailed down but I have used a glue gun on grades and curves for added stability. Once the ballast is down you don’t even know it’s there.
Fergie
If you use latex caulk, careful work with a putty knife will allow you to pull the track up if needed. But make sure you use latex caulk and not silicone caulk or liquid nails construction glue – or you can forget ever getting the track up again.
I’ve used gray latex caulk (DAP) since 1993 and am quite happy with it.
I can’t believe this wasnt published in the major model magazine (read: Model Railroader) until the past couple of years. I would have used caulk YEARS ago had I know about it.
I’m like an evangelist about this - but it really does work well, goes quick, and is cheap. I haven’t found a single drawback yet. And unlike most ‘shortcuts’ it really works, and works well.
–Randy
For hidden staging track, I have been very happy with Atlas flex track (HO) nailed down. On open mainline, I have used Shinohara flex and have always spiked. I like the appearance and have found that for really smooth curves a side-to-side adjustment of even 1/32 " can make the difference betweeen 80’ cars gliding and snaking like the prototype versus seeing the car ends going side to side as little kinks in the curve are negotiated. Gluing ends the option of tweaking pretty fast. Spikes one can always pull up to make adjustments.
I model in N-scale and just finished laying the main line of my new layout. It’s about 120’ point to point with a helix at the midpoint between east/upper and west/lower staging. I am using a variety of tracklaying methods. I am definitely going to try the latex caulk when it’s time to permanently attach track and ballast, but I am nailing most of the track down onto Midwest Cork roadbed with Atlas nails through tie-holes so I can have a good number of operating sessions to see if trackage for industry and my division point yard arrangement is suitable for good operation. I used Liquid Nails on 40’ of track on the helix and on several curves on grades without turnouts. Also, I’ve used Liquid Nails on the cork roadbed. But I am using Atlas nails to hold most of the track in place until I am satisfied with operation. To insert the nails I predrill a hole through the hole in the ties with a pin vise and a #62 (or thereabouts) drill bit. Then I set the nail in the hole and push it in with the other end of the pin vise, which has a little indentation that fits well over the nailhead. I have not had problems with pins coming up or with track going out of alignment. I put nails every 5-6 inches. Under the cork road bed is smooth, good quality 1/4" plywood. I can recommend this method.
Also, I have really enjoyed using Woodland Scenics foam risers. I have used several 2% grades on the mainline and used the 4% grade on the branchline. I’ve used Liquid Nails #300 for foam on these, permanently attaching the cork, but I am going to try to caulk next. I don’t plan to move track in the staging yards so I may just trying caulking those tracks right away.
Bob Boomsma
Madison, WI