I want to re use my Atlas flextrack on a new layout. It is latex caulked to cork roadbed and not ballasted. Previous attempts have left copious quantities of the caulk on the underside of the ties and is difficult to remove.
I ended up using a wire brush in the Dremel but that was time consuming and messy!
Can this track be salvaged for the new layout?
Have you tried soaking the track in hot water? Some kinds of latex caulk can be easily stripped from the plastic ties if you do that, followed by a scrubbing with a stiff brush.
The latex caulk is valued for being resistent to water so you are in for a job under almost any scenario.
This may sound odd, but I actually have had some luck cutting through the rail and track and cork roadbed and then lifting up the cork roadbed and track intact as a single re-usable piece – sort of a home-made Unitrack! – with the major concern being you do not want to cause a kink or horizontal bend in the rail.
It actually helps if you nailed the cork roadbed in place and can gently pound the ends of the nails up from beneath, a little at a time. If you glued or caulked the cork in place then a spatula might loosen the bond. Again you have to cut the cork and track into usable lengths. This can work for both curves and tangents.
Dave Nelson
And just as a point of clarification from my earlier post - my suggestion for using hot water is intended to loosen the caulk’s mechanical bond with the ties by exploiting differential expansion and contraction. Don’t expect it to dissolve. One modeler I know has had some good success recycling track using this idea, but it may depend on what brand of caulk was used.
What about using some sort of power tool like a high speed oscillater to sand or grind the caulk off? I have a Rockwell SoniCrafter that vibrates at about 10k rpm that I use for just about everything. A Dremel Multi-Max could do the same thing.
You could just lay it on new caulk and ballast over it. If you can get it to lay flat it’s all that matters.
I wonder if freezing the track would work. It might make the caulk brittle enough to break it off. I’ve never tried it, so it’s just a wild thought.
If it leaves copious quantities of caulk on the track then you are using too much caulk.
Put caulk on tissue paper thin. That is all it takes. It will hold tight and can be easily removed with a putty knife.
Try soaking the track in either alcohol or mineral spirits. It should peel off a lot easier after some soaking.