Yes, I’ve removed track from the club layout using two putty knives in a leap-frog lifting lever technique, taking it slowly and firmly to avoid kinking or twisting the flextrack. The track came up easily enough, but the real problem was removing the ballast and cleaning up the residual clumps.
I’ve not (yet) had to remove, realign, or relocate any track on my layout. I designed the layout using AutoCAD, and I had a pretty precise track plan that I was able to loft (a particular style of drafting full-size to scale) the alignments onto the benchwork.
Based on the first paragraph above, I would probably not reuse track unless it was absolute necessary. I understand budget constraints and whatnot, and I don’t think I’m too haughty to use used track. It’s just that the effort required to clean up the old track to an acceptable degree would be significant. My time is more valuable than my money.
I never intend to say what others should do, just what I would do; and what I have done.
After ballast is applied, ripping up and reusing becomes WAY more complicated, regardless of how you attached the track. Just look at all the soaking in long shallow totes they did on the MRVP series on redoing the Jones Island section. Is it worth it? For turnouts, maybe, since none are exactly cheap these days. For anything less than full lengths segments of flex? I don;t think I would bother, and concentrate more on getting the layout area where the track was all smooth and clean and just use fresh track.
Before ballasting is when you have a fighting chance to pull up the track, adjust it, and reuse it elsewhere. I’ve had no problems doing so with caulk attached track. And that’s also a good reason to do at least some wiring after the track is down to test run things BEFORE ballasting - it’s a lot easier to fix things before everything is covered in a layer of scenery.
I have never remotely considered reusing track that has been ballasted, no matter how it was attached, glue, caulk, adhesive caulk, or nails.
I too would not presume to tell others what to do, but I’m not using my time to clean ballast off track…Atlas sells that stuff by the box of 100 pieces, that’s how I buy it.
I have from time to time salvaged some rail…
And I have salvaged turnouts from stagging areas which lacked ballast.
I too am a careful track planner and have seldom changed track after laying it. And I have never taken a layout down “just because”.
I have soaked and reused track but mostly it was ez track which can be soaked and scrubbed clean fairly easily. I use ez track for an extention over my work bench which is unsenicked and unballasted.
I’ve not found it at all difficult to take up ballasted track and re-use it, although I’ve not had to do a lot of that.
I recall recently posting some photos showing that, but am not sure where they are, so I’ll add them here.
I had a new industrial structure to add to my layout, but the proposed site would have placed part of the loading dock adjacent to a turnout. Here’s the site…
I unsoldered the rail joiners and slid them onto the rails of the turnout, then pulled out the nails holding the track in place. I then sprayed the turnout and the adjoining tracks with wet water, to soften the white glue which holds the ballast (and track) in place.
In 15 minutes-or-so, the glue was softened and I used a scraper to lift the track and turnout, easily rubbing-off the softened ballast with my hand…
…the area was then cleaned-up and the adjacent tracks were then re-aligned to better-suit the turnout’s new postion…
…the turnout was installed in its new position, and then connected to the re-aligned tracks…
The turnout and adjoining track was then re-ballasted…
…and the new industry (still under construction at that time) fitted into its new location…
Wayne, I’m sure removing ballast is just as you describe, but many of these guys seem to be talking about salvaging large quantities of track from total layout demolitions.
I’m not doing that, no how, no way. Never even considered the idea.
Of course my track and install choices over the years effect my views.
My first layout was TruScale wood roadbed track with brass rail and sharp curves, no reason to save that in 1973 when that layout came down.
My second and third layouts were hand layed, no way to save anything but the rail.
My next layout I glued down flex track to homabed and some TruScale wood roadbed in all the visable areas, did save some straight lengths from some staging yards that was just nailed in place. And saved the turnouts from the staging and areas not ballasted yet.
I have lots of salvaged rail, I may consider some way to reuse it on the new layout, but removing Atlas flex track that has been glued to homabed with PolySeamSeal is just not happening. And even some “lessor” caulk still seems like too much work to clean up.
I have no interest in returning to using track nails, I really like the glued down track on the firm base of homasote, it is more like hand layed track.
If a homasote roadbed product does not become available, I am seriously considering making my own, or making wood roadbed.
I’ve done exactly that, several times. Some of my track is on it’s fifth (and hopefully last!) layout. Of course, none of it was ballasted - as soon as I get to the scenery stage, I always wind up moving (so I’m starting scenery really early on with this layout in a deliberate attempt to break that streak). Last time I had finished scenery, including ballast, was on a layout I built back in high school in 1973-74.
Sounds like me. I was in Jr. High, and it was 1978, but yeah, had very little in terms of scenery since. Had a shelf switcher - never got past the track. Donated it to the club I belonged to with the caveat that when they went to add scenery I was there to help and learn, came back the next time and it was compeltely done… Got as far as having the track painted 2 layouts ago, but no ballast. A few unfinshed (just the walls glued together) structures, otherwise, just trains. Last layout - I actually had a small section ballasted, and all the pink foam had a basic brown coat of paint so at least it didn’t look like some surrealistic landscape, but that was it. Yup, last layout I built that had ground cover, roads, structures, trees, etc. was my N scale layout from 1978. I even managed to get one of the Woodland Scenics diorama kits some time ago, I started it probably 12 years ago. Still have it - exactly where I left off - the base and the ‘benchwork’ part of it are all built. Not even the short piece of track is in place on that. I got that to learn/practice scenery since it uses just about everything - plaster gauze, rock castings, ground cover, ballast, etc. One of these days I’ll finish it, makes a great loco display.
I agree with the fake credit junk mail credit cards. Now, they’re made from cardstock instead of the plastic ones. I glue two of them back to back to make them even stiffer.
What sort of ‘track set tool’ are you using to put the nails in?
I was leaning towards the caulk idea, but I don’t care for the waiting time involved with caulk, not the shifting around that might occur.
I also wish to nail my track down over the very exacting full scale track plans I’ve made up,…then MAYBE try pulling the paper plans out,…or just leavin them there if that becomes difficult.
Even with one fake credit card, you have 4 edges to work with until it’s time to get a new one. Bonus is there’s a bit of a handle for using the last two edges.
There’s not much of a wait time with caulk. At least, nothing that stops you from laying track until you either have it all down, run out of track, or just get tired and call it a night.
I take from his post he uses a simple carpenters nail set, that’s what I use for the few track nails I use on turnouts. Rio’s trackwork is very nice.
As for gluing track with caulk, if you use the right caulk, there is no long drying time or fear of movement.
Everytime this topic comes up, I explain that I use PolySeamSeal or Phenoseal adhesive caulk. It is not like regular caulk, it is twice a thick, it is much stronger, when it takes a set it holds tighter much sooner. And, you are not peeling it up and reusing the track.
After hand layed track and TruScale wood roadbed track for years, I never liked that the flex track could “wiggle” between the nails until you got it ballasted.
So when I saw the first article about using adhesive caulk I was in. And the first published article on the topic used what I use, not cheap DAP ALEX painters caulk.
Lazer straight flex track glued to homasote roadbed:
Dap makes a painters caulk which is not as good as the Alex plus. If you put it on too thin, it can be jared loose which is both good and bad. When that happens though I just pin it in place and use thin superglue, problem gone.
For final setting of track pins an ordinary nail set works fine. Smallest tip is best.
For aligning track and foam underlay while the caulk sets the T pins work fine. I use Foam Nails from woodland scenics because they are easier to press in by hand. You don’t need holes in the ties. I push the pins in at the corners of the ties and rails. Holds curves well if you pick your spots accurately. For harder substrate like wood or plywood a light blow or two on the T sets the pins.
I also find using a hobby hammer works best. I use my planking hammer from model ship building. It also has replaceable hammer faces and weighs only a few ounces.
(Those unwilling to cough up a quarter-Benjamin plus shipping might be able to groove the tip of a pair of smooth-jaw needle-nose plliers to get the same effect.)
