that is the question. I have read many articles on gluing down track with adhesive caulk and have started using that method. It works very well and I really like it. The question is: Has anyone NOT ballasted where the rails go under mountains?
I would rather not ballast under mountains since I think it will be quieter and why spend the time to ballast if not necessary. My concern is will the adhesive caulk maintain its adhesiveness indefinately or could I have a problem in the future when the tracks are somewhat inaccessible.
I did not ballast inside my mountain because I could see no point to it. That is still the case. However, I also used no roadbed, and now do see the point to it…very noisy.
No matter, I have learned, and will soon be redoing the entire trackplan.
You could use Atlas True Track, Bachmann E-Z Track or Kato Unitrack that does not require ballasting. In my opinion those plastic roadbeds could use paint and a wash of India ink to get rid of the plastic sheen.
The tunnels I have done are at an angle where you can see well into them so I ballast. If it can’t be seen then why do it. The only answer I can think of is if you think someday you might have a train mounted camera. In that case, it’s going to be a lot easier to ballast before you cover the track with the mountain.
In answer to a couple of comments, I ballast about a foot or so into the tunnel and mountain so you see ballast when looking in. I also install three sets of the plaster molded tunnel forms and then paint the inside black, including tunnel walls, tunnel floor, and all background so everything looks invisible when you look in. I’m sure this will look okay if I ever go video. The other part of the question was the reliability of the adhesive caulk to hold the track over the long run (i.e., will the caulk dry out and release the track).
Ron K.
Here we have another classic ‘check your prototype’ situation.
Most tunnels are ballasted, just like the rest of the railroad (including ballast-deck bridges, which the engineering and operating department usually prefer to open-deck with its expensive non-standard timberwork.)
A lot of them have guardrails. Installing them (and actual rerailers) makes good sense for reliable operation and protection of rolling stock.
Some tunnels have floors which are concrete castings, to which the rails are bolted with the same hardware used for concrete ties. Those I have seen (more modern Tokyo subway routes) had mount pads like little stub ties, with a drainage channel down the track centerline.
At least one tunnel in eastern Tokyo prefecture had a water pipeline down the center of the single track. Not very compatable with US steam loco pilots or Kadee coupler ‘hoses,’ but it did get pure mountain spring water to a town next to a limestone mine.
For my subway tunnels, I used WS black “cinders” ballast. I used a “salt and pepper” mix of black and gray in the transition to the gray surface tracks.