When I was glueing down ground cover, some glue ran under the turnout switch bar. I removed most of it when it hardened, but my switch machine is still sticking and won’t move the track all the way. Is there any kind of solvent I can use that won’t melt the plastic but loosen the Elmer’s glue? Or any other suggestions.
If you used white glue, water will soften it
Squirting a little Labelle’s plastic-friendly oil around the throwbar helps as well.
I usually squirt a little around the throwbar before doing any scenicking, and then make sure everything moves well every 1/2 hour or so while things are drying.
LIONS do not glue down scenery. Him got a good deal on gravity!
91% isopropyl alchohol. But it will probably take any out other scenery or paint in the area. The plastic will not be affected.
Ask your dentist if you can have some of their worn-out dental picks. They’re not good enough for teeth, but they’re just fine for various modeling tasks. One thing I’ve found them good for is digging out glue and ballast that’s gotten under throwbars and is inhibiting turnout functionality.
You may want to build a “dam” out of modeling clay or other material to at least partly contain the 91% isopropyl alcohol to really soak it. Of course the alcohol evaporates rather quickly. You might also find that it tends to discolor things (such as when I spill some on the floor). Glue softened in this way does tend to create a “gunk” that you will also want to remove or you’ll be right back where you are now.
While I am rarely one to wave the white flag too readily on these sorts of challenges, frankly there is a pretty decent chance that this might end up being a glitch on your trackwork that will bug you forever . Biting the bullet, removing the switch entirely and either replacing it or doing a first job class of removing the glue might make the most sense.
Dave Nelson
Thank you for your suggestion. I think I will use a combination of ideas submitted. I will use the alcohol and dentist picks to loosen and dig out the obstructions. Then lube it to keep it loose.
Yup. LION buys into that notion. Never be afraid to pull up some track and re do it. (Which is another reason why the LION never glues down his ballast!)
This is a common problem after ballasting or dirting in of track. I have soaked many turnouts over the years to get rid of the glue.
I would recommend water if you used white glue, apply some to the throw bar with an eyedropper, wait a few minutes, apply some more. Wait for a few more minutes and try to gently move the bar. If it won’t move, apply more water and waiting until it does. After the bar is free, gently use an exacto/dental pic. etc to remove gunk from between the bar and the ties and from either end of the path of the throw bar. I have had to do this a couple of times after letting the area dry to free up ornery bars. While it can be a pain, it does work well and once you have freed the throw bar, usually the turnout operates just fine.
To eliminate the problem, my train buddies and I will use a hairdryer to dry the area around the bar while constantly moving it to break the glue bond as it dries. I don’t recommend leaving ballast or dirt loose on the layout, there are many scenarios where it will migrate to spots that you don’t want it to be.
Guy
Just like the prototype! That’s why they have brooms next to the switch stands. (Well, snow is a bigger problem, but it does not snow in the train room.) Actually the LION has not had a problem with this in all the years this layout has been running.
Let me tell you, people in the city were not happy last winter when this baby was let loose on the ROW.
Lion,
That is a nasty looking machine…
Regarding gluing down ballast: People do have different experiences. I had ballast that wasn’t glued down on my last layout…Never again!! It got into switch points. It also ended up in locomotive parts when I had a couple of derailments on the track with unglued ballast and the loco ended up on the ballast. I quickly glued all of the ballast down after that experience.
On my current layout I use lots of real dirt and various kinds of ballast products. I spend lots of time getting the profile and coverage just right. If left unglued, the materials move around on me, often fouling turnouts or forcing a redo of something that has already taken quite a while to get “just right”…in addition, unglued ballast and dirt make it hard to vacuum the track or other wise clean the area for fear of upsetting the ballast. I always glue it down. Does it make it harder to make track revisions?? You bet. But it is well worth it to me.
It appears that not gluing the ballast down is working well for you, it didn’t work so well for me. This is why I don’t recommend having ballast loose on the layout. This is only my experience. There are lots of different approaches to the hobby.
BTW: Nice job on the switch board in the other thread!!
Guy
To the OP,
You got lots of advice, and I can’t disagree with any of them.
That being said, the best course of action is to pull the turnout and clean it properly, and reinstall it.
And, when laying down ballast near turnouts, be exta careful with both the ballast and any adhesives, and frankly, “less is better” around the turnout mechansims.
I’ve slowly learned over the years that a lot of trackwork problems are best fixed by removal and replacement, rather than “trying this or that”. I know full well we dislike replacing stuff, but often - not always - it is the best way to go.
I agree with Lion to a point. I do glue my ballast up to where the turnouts points and rivets are. In the point section I use less ballast and no glue. Unless you are looking for it, it does not stand out.
Cuda Ken
OK, to be honest, I do not use roadbed either, and so the ballast is not built up onto a hill. The trains run in an open cut. BTW the “ballast” comes from Walmart in 25# bags if you ignore the picture of a cat on the bag, and sift out the big stuff.
Here is a transition from a ballasted open cut to a section that has not been finished yet.
