Help with track on foam board?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hello,

I am in the process of building my layout, and am using extruded-foam insulation board on top of my benchwork, and Woodland Scenics Track-Bed as roadbed. However, when I glue down the track the pushpins I am using do not hold it in place strong enough so I get gaps between the rails that I did not plan for. Is there anything I can do to get the rail joints secure so that I do not need to solder them together to close the gap after the glue dries? I am using a natural adhesive to lay the track on the Track-Bed.

Modeling the Burlington Northern-Red Oak Iowa mid-1980’s-90’s

Where direct-current is still king!

2

Sorry but I don’t understand what your trying to say.

But if the track is seperateing at the joints, you got somthing else going on besides push pins .

Could it be that the adhesive expands as it cures. ? Thus pulling/pushing the track apart.

If using flex track; if the track isn’t cut square,you will get gaps.

Trying to curve too tight ?

3

I don’t have the answer to your problem, but I’m sure some here will.

Welcome to the forum. Your first posts might take a while to appear, but after you post several times, they will appear immediately.

We’re all interested in how your layout progresses, and hope you can post some photos. Let us know how it goes.

4

Like Unclebutch, I’m not totally understanding what your doing.

OK, so you glued the road bed to the foam, and then you glued the track to the road bed, and you are trying to hold the track in place with push pins, that don’t hold ?

I also have a foam base on top of the benchwork. I glued the track bed to the foam with latex caulk, after that dried, I glued down the track to the road bed with a thin layer of latex caulk, then I soldered all joints.

It’s hard to get any kind of push pin to hold, unless you go through the track bed, and deep into the foam, and that’s not a guarantee that they will hold.

Where needed, I used 12 oz. drink cans to hold the track in place until the caulk dried.

Also, where track alignment needed to be adjusted, as the caulk dried, I used 16d nails pushed into the foam, against the track. When the caulk cured, I removed the nails

Many on here will also tell you to ditch the foam, and use track spikes to hold everything in place. Just warning you! [swg]

Mike.

5

[#welcome] to the Model Railroader Forums!

I can’t help you with the moving track issue (all of mine is nailed in place on either cork roadbed or directly on the plywood) and all of it is also soldered together.

Unless you’re planning on adding feeder wires to every piece of rail, it would be a good idea to solder all of those rail joints, as rail joiners are not reliable conductors over time, especially after you paint the rails and ballast your track.
My layout is DC-powered, and all rail joints are soldered, then gaps are cut where seperate control of some track is required.

Wayne

6

[#welcome] to the forum

I have not worked with WS Track Bed. If it is too soft to hold push pins, get yourself some T-pins available at any of the big box generic hobby/craft stores.

Those of us that glue track either use a thin layer caulk (and the track is generally removable at a later date), or nail the track then use white glue and ballast (also removable at a later date). There is also the scenic cement crowd. You have chosen a non water soluble glue.

When I use push pins on cork roadbed, I position the pin next to ties or next to rails to hold the track in the position I want it.

7

I am a big fan of most WS products but their foam roadbed is not one of them. It is too sqishy and can’t be saanded or carved for transitions. If you are using foam as a base (you can even use beaded foam like I do), it needs to be 2" thick when used with standard box framing. Use caulk to put down cork with t pins, then caulk the track in place and hold till cured with T pins (lots of totorials out there on exact instructions). I am on my second layout using this method and no problems.

8

What brand of track are you using? Some are springy and will always try to straighten out, while others will hold their shape once curved.

I’ve never heard of that adhesive, but you really want something better. Adhesives don’t really form any sort of bond with other materials.

I also have a base of 2 inch foam, and I use WS Trackbed. Pushpins, if you’re talking about the type used on bulletin boards, are too short. I get ordinary paper clips and unbend them so I have a long U-shaped pin. This works very well. When I am laying a tight curve with flex track, I put pins on both sides of the track, over the tie and outside the rails.

9

Hello All,

I too use Woodland Scenics form roadbed on top of an extruded foam base.

Pushpins won’t have enough length to bite into the foam through the roadbed, no matter what material you use.

To attach the roadbed to the base I use General Electric Silicon I or II Clear Caulk. The difference between them is II is rated, “Rain Ready” after 30-minutes.

For some, the smell of curing silicone caulk will be a deal-breaker.

As others have recommended, 2-inch “T” pins will provide the needed length while the roadbed cures. You can find them online for less than $10.00 for a pack of 100.

After putting down a thin bead of caulk on the roadbed I use a plastic 1-1/2-inch putty knife to spread the caulk in a thin even layer. Another advantage of this caulk is it cleans up with water.

For curves, I cut the roadbed down the centerline.

Then I mark the centerline of the curve on the foam base. I then put a line of “T” pins; approximately 2-inches apart along the marked centerline as a guide.

Next, I put down the pre “glued” roadbed and snug it against the “T” pins on the centerline.

Then I use more “T” pins to hold the curved sections of roadbed in place and allow to cure for 24-hours.

After the roadbed has cured I remove the “T” pins and put the track down.

To hold the track in place I use #19 x 5/8-inch wire brads. I use the silver-colored ones.

Brads will hold the track in place for testing and tweaking.

If the roadbed/track needs to be completely re-aligned you can simply pull up the foam roadbed, rub the silicone caulk off with your finger and begin again with no damage to the roadbed or base.

After the track/roadbed is set I

10

My last layout I used 2" foam, with some of the WS foam bed. Those areas I used T pins or straight pins used for sewing. These are long enough that they go through almost all the foam, and could (and did for a week long test section) hold the track in place on their own. (Unsure how long it would hold after that…)

It might be the adhesive you are using…

And if you mean bulletin board style push pins, they are too short.

11

I have been using foamboard glue sold in caulk tubes at the lumber yard. I have found this holds not only foamboard together, but track to foamboard, track to roadbed, rocks to screen material, etc. If gets tacky in a few minutes and strong within about 20. Foamboard glue does not have any chemicals that will cause the foam to shrink as some adhesives will. May be worth a try. I don’t even pin my track down sometimes and get by with just setting something of weight on top of it for a few minutes until the glue starts to cure out. Best of all, a $4.00 tube will last forever!

12

Nothing from the OP since posted. Such a shame. I feel for when people have ambitions but either get confused or overwhelmed with things.

13

Hello All,

I did a quick search for “foamboard glue” and got back several manufacturers.

Which brand do you use?

Thank you for your recommendations.

14

I’ve used Loktite PL300 for foam to foam bonds.

Ken Patterson uses Gorilla glue, which needs to be wet with water and it expands. Not as much as using great stuff spray foam, but enough that you would want to weight it down.

15

Thank you all for your help! I will try the longer pushpins and see if that works.

16

I am using Atlas Code 100 from my old collection.

17

I have 2 inch thick foam with Woodland Scenics foam roadbed and use the larger “T” pins and have no issues with them not holding the track in place while the Elmers white glue dries.

It sounds to me like you are using smaller push pins that will not hold as they are not long enough.

18

Not to reiterate everything but I also use 2" extruded foam, WS track bed and Atlas code 100 flex track. I hold the bed and track down with cheap acrylic caulk so I can rip it up when needed (I don’t plan ahead much). Tpins work to hold the track down until the caulk sets and I pile paint bottles on their side on the track to hold everything sort of straight while it all sets up. Splitting the foam track bed on curves helps the bed stay unkinked. I leave the turnouts uncaulked so I don’t stick them and can do repair work. Foam doesn’t expand or contract too much but I still soldered all the joints to keep from messing with the joiners all the time. I used a buss on both my DC and now the DCC electrics but the soldered joiners were still a must. Just my [2c]. Good luck going forward, J.R.