My current layout is mostly complete but I’m thinking seriously of starting over again. What’s the best way to remove ballast from track? I’ve heard that soaking the track in very warm water with just a bit of dish soap will more or less do the trick. What’s your wisdom/experience?
It’s going to depend on what kind of track and what kind of glue you used. Some track is more sturdy, and some glue is easier to remove.
Hopefully, you only ballasted your turnouts lightly, and you can remove and recondition them. I’ve had bad luck trying to re-use sectional track, and flex track just isn’t going to want to flex very well ever again.
I think your water soak idea is a good place to start. I’ve re-used a lot of track and I’ll second what Mr. Beasly wrote - It’s not the same as new. It can be done, but treat it gently and be very patient. Put yourself in the mindset that it doesn’t owe you anything, so if it comes apart just chalk it up to experience and buy new track to make up for it.
If you didn’t solder your rail joints you’re in good shape. Just soak the tracks in wet water or rubbing alcohol (the same stuff used to wet the ballast when you originally apply it) and pull it up. You can remove the ballast with a stiff brush then or with a small screwdriver later. If your joints are soldered, you can either unsolder them or cut them apart - either way renders the joiners useless.
I ripped up almost all the track of my 12’ by 22’ layout (see Capitol Improvement 2009), which had been soldered and ballasted almost entirely. I wasn’t able to use a lot of the track, but some of it was salvageable and is in regular use on the rebuilt layout. So yes, it is possible!
Good luck!
I have had good luck reusing some salvaged ballasted track. Soaking it in warm water with dish detergent (Dawn) then using a tooth brush to gently remove the ballast granules worked for me. Both in N and HO. But I only use Elmers white glue for ballasting. When I remove soldered rail at joints I cut through both the rail and joiner with a dremmel cut off wheel, then heat the ends and slide the joiner halves off. I don’t use sectional track but it should work the same as with flex.
dont laugh but i’ve saved a lot of track and re-used it by taking it off and cleaning it with a toothbrush and toothpaste… once its off the toothpaste will clean the white glue right off and the toothbrush is hard enough to get rid of stubbord ballast but gentle on rail… dont laugh till u try it
I once bought a lot of used sectional track, still with some ballast on it. I peeled most of it off, after soaking it in water, with a little detergent added. I then rinsed the track and put it in my wife´s dish washer, when she was absent [:D]. The track came out just like new! I needed to replace a few new rail joiners, though and thoroughly checked and cleaned the dish washer afterwards.
Fortunately, I only lightly glue the ballast on the turnouts, so those are easily cleaned and salvaged. Flextrack is a whole other matter. I glue the ballast with a 50:50 mixture of water and matte medium. In my experience, flextrack secured in this manner cannot be salvaged. Imposssible to fully clean the mixture off and, for sure, the flexibility of the track seems lost forever. I no longer even attempt to salvage the flextrack.
thanks for the advice
thanks
thanks for taking the time to share with me.
excellent; thanks
many thanks for the idea; i’ll give 'er a try
great advice