Removing a damaged ballasted turnout?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi Guys[:)]

I have a damaged HO scale turnout and want to replace it, but the problem is that its already ballasted. Is there a easy way to remove the turnout to replace it? because this has me stumped.

Thanks for any help

Jeremy

2

Assuming you used water based glue to set the ballast, lay a paper towel over the turnout and SOAK it with water… Keep it wet and eventially, the ballast will soften enough to lift the turnout… The paper towel will keep the water localized to the turnout. Of course, the whole mess may just pop up with a little coaxing as well…

Good luck,
Jeff

3

If you used white glue to hold down ballast, you should be able to re-wet ballast and slide rail joiners out of the way and remove. If you soldered joints,you’ll have to reheat and slide joiners back.

4

If the turnout needs replacing, first don’t worry about the condition it comes out in. You can use a putty knife to get under it and seperate it from the road bed. Now for the other thing… most people from what I hear don’t put ballast around thier turnouts, at least I don’t . This is the one place you can expect to have a track problem.

5

when I slide the rail joiners back they only go so far, will I have to cut the sides of the ties to allow them to slide back further. then drop the new one in place?

6

Why not (gently) cut straight through the rail joiners to release the dead turnout… the joiners can be replaced with new ones (better to do this anyway).
If your track is firmly fixed you can probably get away with shortning the replacement joiners so that you need less space to slip them in.

When the new turnout is in why not make it look like your 1:87 MoW people have been rebuilding the track?

This will give you a use for the old switch parts… car load or stacked waiting removal.

If you need an excuse for your trains not moving fast at this location (gives you more time to appreciate them) you can put a “Slow Order” on the repaired track.

7

thanks for the tips guys, thats a good tip about shortening the joiner I will go in that direction I think.

thanks again guys
Jeremy

8

You could also trim off the spike heads on the adjoining track and slide the joiners on all the way and then drop in the turnout.

9

I was also thinking about that too,lol.

thanks modelmaker51

10

If you do the MoW thing run the repaired/renewed track look back about a car length each side of the switch… roughly speaking that’s what the real thing does so that the ballast is well packed around the rail joints and approaching them. there’s no point in replacing the switch and then damaging the rail ends by having badly packed ballast / poor support.

Have fun.

11

I’m impatient. I would use a Dremel or modeller’s saw and saw through the ballast and joiners, lift out the infected…er, affected turntout, slip the joiner remnants off the rail section ends, clip spikes as needed to get new joiners slid down those still-in-place rails, insert the new turnout, and slide the new joiners onto the turnout rails. Ballast judiciously where appropriate.

You can ballast turnouts…I have done it. What you don’t do is ballast near the points, frogs, and any open orifices or sliding mechanisms. You cover those with masking or painters tape first, then ballast, then dribble the fixative, and let it dry. Remove tape, and listen for the rumble.

12

these are all helpful tips guys

Thanks again
Jeremy