[#welcome]
There are adhesives that are foam compatible but you don’t want to stick the caboose ground throw directly to the foam. Apply a small piece of wood or other suitable material to the foam and then attach the ground throw to it . This has been covered before here so use the search function to uncover the ideas others have used.
Joe
upanrunning,
I agree with Joe’s suggestion about attaching the switch machine to a piece of wood or styrene. As far as an adhesive, I would use DAP Acrylic Latex caulk. Folds firmly, foam-compatible, no nasty chemicals, cures quickly, and costs only $2/tube. I use it on just about everything.
Tom
[tup]Agree with mounting on wood and using adhesive caulk. You can even carve into the foam to make the wood mounting flush with the surface. Don’t forget to post pics of the result
I use a small dab of low-temp hot glue, but I’ve had a lot of practice, if you new to this, I would also recommend the adhesive caulk as it gives you time to make adjustments.
I use epoxy.
I dig out a part of the foam so the top of the plywood is level with the top of the foam. Then mix up some 5 minute epoxy and glue the section of wood to the recessed foam cutout with it.
If I am working on the bottom of the foam, I don’t bother with cutting out a recess. I also use blue painters tape to hold the wood in place on the bottom until the epoxy dries.
That sounds like the approach I would use.
I cut a slice out of the foam, then embed a chunk of homasote (it’s a tiny scrap, use plywood or a block of wood if you don’t have any floating around.) I set the chunk into the foam with some Liquid Nails for Projects (the latex kind in the squeeze tube) then use track nails to install the switch throw.
Since I work in N scale, I also set the switch throw about a quarter inch below the roadbed. I use a track nail to go between the machine and the turnout throwbar. This makes the otherwise gigantic looking switch throw recede into the scenery a bit. This is particularly important on the Caboose power routing switch throw, since it’s way too bulky to look good.
Lee
I noticed that around Vancouver the throws are on pads of concrete. It probably has to do with all the rain.
So I had the crews come in and pour little pads of cement one day. (Plastic Molding strips) I then attached the throws with caulk. It holds great. I drilled holes down through my concrete pad and inserted pins and painted the heads black. The pins go through my throw, my concrete pad and into my foam. I put a bit of caulk into the hole before I pushed the pin in.
I will weather the concrete pads once I get to adding the ground cover and ballast. Then it will then look like is set into the dirt more.
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The dimensions of the original image are 1475x2220.
Brent
What I did on my portable modules was extended PC switch ties soldered to the rails and on the ends of the switch ties I drilled a hole and soldered a brass pin and put the ground throw over the pins and folded them over. After 6 years they have held up very well and have had no failures.
Pete
That would be the best way to go, but if you are not into building your own track or removing some ties from ready made turnouts I would use the caulk. It is somewhat forgiving. Gives time for adjustments as others do, but also if you just don’t like the results just pop the ground thow up off the caulking and start over. Just be sure not to use so much caulk that it ooses over the edges.
by now you probably know that direct mounting onto the foam is not such a good idea. assuming you are going to use wood or plastic pads under the ground throws, here is how i attach them to either wood or cork surfaces.
drill a .050 hole in the throwbar for the little pin that sticks out under the switch throw rod.
cut the pin off so it is flush with the bottom of the switch throwbar.
center the points dead in the middle of their travel.
center the switch throw lever straight up.
hold the caboose ground throw down with a small screw driver of hobby knife blade.
touch a SMALL drop of super glue to the edges of the base. it will creep under the flat surface and bond it down instantly. don’t overdo it or get it in the moving parts!!
mechanical fasteners can be added by drilling through the holes in the base but i have found that the super glue works well and they are not needed.
last thing, a small bit of labelle oil on the moving parts makes for smooth operation.
i now have over 100 hand thrown switches on my layout installed this way and none have failed yet. some have been down for 10 years.
grizlump
I glued a piece of cork roadbed in the locations of the switch machines, and used track nails to hold the machine in place. worked out great!
in this pic, the machines are being held by quilt pins utill I set their final position.
sorry didn’t take any closup pics.
edit
found one
double face tape.