I am doing a new layout and am removing the old. I have cork roadbed applied with a light spread of latex caulk. I sort of remember some comments around here that one of the advantages of the latex caulk was that it allows for easy roadbed removal. It seems pretty well attached!
Any tips on pulling it up? Will spraying water (or something else?) along the base help? Is it worth trying to salvage the old roadbed?
Thanks for the continuing stream of help!!!
If your using foam you should be able to just pull it up. If your using plywood you may have to cut underneth it first. I’ve had no problem pulling it up from foam. A small amount of foam may stick to the bottom of the cork but that doesn’t seem to cause a problem when putting it down in a new spot.
You may want to use a putty knife to separate the caulk from the base. Works for me.
A putty knife may be the only way to remove it. If it was really glued down, I doubt that the roadbed would be in any decent condition for reuse. Unless the knife can slice it clean, you will have lumps and missing chunks which will not lay smooth again. Why risk any track issues with a new layout, just use new.
Bob K.
If your roadbed is glued to plywood, you may be able to slice under it using one of those cheap utility knives with the blade that extends out about 3 inches and has sections that can be broken off to give it a new, sharp point. They are fairly flexible and not too hard to control. It would be like filleting a fish.
If you used foam, you may still be able to use the flexible utility knife, but you will probably end up slicing pieces from the foam. Having gouges in the foam might make it difficult to re-use the foam.
All tracks with attached roadbeds are NOT interchangable! You would have to use track from ONE manufacturer. I use mostly Atlas track, both sectional and flex, and Atlas and Peco turnouts. I have had no trouble using these different brands of track together (N scale).
Darrell, quiet…for now
I’ve glue down my Woodland Scenics foam roadbed to plywoood with yellow wood glue. A putty knife is all I have ever used to take it up and reposition it. Most of the time I can reuse it unless this is the 2nd or third thime I’ve pulled it up.
I agree - I too lay my cork down with a thin line of wood glue and it comes up with a metal scraper, like butter.
Recycle Recycle Recycle
Thanks for the input… I’m not have much luck salvaging (it’s cork roadbed) the stuff caulked to plywood, on foam is coming up easier – as stuinstra says above. Darrell, I’ll try the knife idea. But, I think Bob K is right… it’s going into the trash can.
I’m intrigued by the yellow glue idea… I’m wondering is it water soluble, and is that going to give me grief when ballasting, etc.?
Jack:
Yellow, or carpenter’s glue is not water soluble (as opposed to white glue, which is) which is why it’s frequently reccommended for glueing down roadbed so that it won’t come up if it gets wet during other scenic/landscaping projects. Other threads have mentioned that it’s fairly easy to putty-knife up cork roadbed that’s been glued to foam with acrylic latex, perhaps easier than roadbed glued with carpenter’s glue, but from your post, I gather it’s not that easy from plywood. I had thought I would do cork roadbed on plywood with acrylic latex, but given you comments, might try instead the traditional yellow carpenter’s glue after all.
Jim
I’ve had no problems with yellow carpenter’s glue and laying ballast. You can also buy it by the quart or gallon to reduce your cost. Much cheaper than caulk.
You shouldn’t experience any trouble during ballasting,unless you repeatily continue to soak the area.
If at any time you’re concerned that flooding w/ too much wet water while ballasting will cause problems, dilute the wet water with isopropl alcohol. I will use about a 50/50 or less. The odor can start to get strong after longer work sessions, so provide some ventilation. This works well for scenery as well.
Bob K.
I dunno about cheaper, a $1 tube of latex caulk did ALL the roadbed AND track on my 8x12 layout. If you use more than that - you’re spreading it too thick.
I use WS roadbed on pink foam, I’ve been able to pull up roadbed and change things but it’s pretty useless afterwards. The track on the other hand comes up very easily with a putty knife. I pick off the large blobs of caulk if there are any, thin webs between ties I don;t worry about, ballast will cover it. If I pullup track and stick it down again it actually stick without applying more caulk, but I usually do anyway, just to keep things from shifting.
–Randy