Tomorrow I plan on laying some track on my new layout. I plan on using silcone caulk to attach the track for the first time as I have previously always used nails. Any tips before I begin? Can I caulk unted turnouts safely as long as it is super thin? Thanks guys!
No, not silicone caulk. Use latex caulk. DAP Alex Plus clear is the caulk most folks here recommend. Its also easily found and inexpensive.
Yes you can caulk under turnouts, except not under the sliding point rails, since they won’t slide if they’re caulked of course.
A box of 200 push pins are your friends…at least in my experience…and ditto on the latex caulk - clear!
Have fun!
Dan
Have some material of your preference to use to “weight” down the track handy. You may not have to use it everywhere, however, if you notice spots not laying down to your satisfaction, ck that there’s no lump or hump and weight down those spots. The DAP will allow the track to “bridge” minor “hollows”, so use care not to press the track down into them. A 2ft level, 1x block or other “tool” can aid in “floating” the track to it’s best flat position. I like to use an aluminum 2 ft level for this to set, and have slabs of metal to weight. I have seen some use canned goods, books, pieces of wood, whatever works. Many don’t like to “glue” down a turnout, I feel it can be caulked if careful, it can always be removed w/ a thin, flexible putty knife if needed. A block of 1x3/4 pine works great to press the turnout into postion and not wory about any distortion, you could weight the block if needed, but usually not nec.
Is the roadbed already attached? If not caulk the roadbed down and use the straightedge/ level to press in place to get as flat as possible first. Let the caulk dry and then check the “flatness”. Any humps can be sanded/ smoothed out before tracklaying. Try not to press down into any of the lows/ hollows if any (reason for the "float/ level)
I have also found that latex paint works just as well as latex caulk. If using cork roadbed, I just paint it ballast grey then lay the track over it and weigh it down with either wood, or the aluminum level, or a series of large rattle can spray paints.
If you’re not using roadbed, you can still use paint but it will cover your centerline (if you use one) which might make your track laying a bit less accurate than if you used clear caulk.
Hi,
We all lay track differently and will swear our methods are best.
For what its worth…
On my current layout I put down cork roadbed using latex caulk (the cheapest you can get works fine). Pushpins were truly a major help. After it set up, I block sanded the tops of the roadbed. I used to think this was an unnecessary step, but now feel its a must.
Once smoothed out, I painted the roadbed with grey latex paint. I would try to use a color similar to the ballast you will be using.
I installed the trackage (code 100 flex) with track nails. Why? Well it allowed me to make future adjustments (and there WILL be future adjustments) more easily, and the track can at some point be easily removed and reused.
However, I did do some areas with clear latex caulk. These were tangent track sidings that would very likely never be altered. Again, I used the push pins and they worked great (except when I stuck myself). The finished product was/is just fine.
My point is, “one size does not fit all” in whatever you do. I would experiment a bit and you will likely find that some methods work better than others in specific situations.
Take your time, do the best work you can, and make your “good enough” plateau as high as possible!
Yes there are as many track laying recipies as there are chocolate chip cookie recipies, and everybody has his or her favorite of both.
One thing to think about early on is wiring and where you think you’ll be threading wire to solder to the sides of the rails. In some circumstances such as an elevated right of way it might make sense to drill the holes and thread the wire BEFORE laying the track.
Also before you lay the track might be the time to think about painting the sides of the rail, with touchup to follow after the rail is laid.
Agree 100% on sanding the cork roadbed to make it smooth and bump free. Make sure all the crumbs and corkdust are then removed. I used to think sanding was overfussy overkill. Not anymore I don’t.
I like latex (but not silicone) adhesive caulk; I use the kind the comes out white and dries clear but the recent trend I notice is to use gray. Makes sense. The clear is somewhat glossy.
I use the caulk gun to lay a bead down the center of the cork, then smooth that out with one of those 'Your Name Here" plastic fake credit cards that American Express seems to send me every other week. You want a very thin layer that spreads from tie end to tie end. Usually my thin caulk covers the entire cork roadbed surface. You’ll soon figure out how big a bead of caulk gets you there – I think in terms of a bead of mustard on a hotdog and that seems about right.
I lay the track, and use a small wood roller that I think is used for wallpaper to really press the track into the caulk.
I use pins or nails (but not nailed all the way in) where needed to hold a curve or other stubborn areas. Those will be pulled out and reused when the caulk sets. For really stubborn curves where the track is fighting me I might actually drive in a track nail permanenetly here and there so have them handy.&nb
I have a ton of “siliconiized” latex clear caulk, can I use that? I used it to glue down the roadbed, it was water cleanup and easy to work with… I have removed and redone parts of the roadbed with no problems is the “siliconized” latex still no go?
YES!!!
I don’t care for its somewhat greasy feeling texture, and the original Chuck Hitchcock article in MR about using adhesive caulk did not use it, which is why I do not. But I have read that guys have used it without problems both for roadbed and the track itself. I cannot be as vehement in my opposition to it as the prior poster. At the very least if you already have the stuff, find some “scrap” track and cork roadbed and try laying a foot or so purely as a test.
Dave Nelson
Why not check out the instructional videos MRR has made? I’ve seen several different ones that show how to lay track with caulk. Look under the videos tab up top.
Nothing really wrong w/ the DAP siliconized version if you already have it. The Alex Plus is a bit better suited for track laying. The siliconized version is paintable and doesn’t have that much silicone anyway. It is supposed to help keep the caulk a bit more flexible and not shrink/ pull away (so they claim), when used as caulking- I never noticed any difference in that use.
I used the inexpensive latex caulk also. It dried grayish, but that’s the color of my ballast. If you paint your roadbed a color similar to your ballast color, thin spots in the ballast will not be as obvious. I did this under my turnouts on my first layout, so I could reduce the amount of ballast needed around the moving parts. On the one in planning, I plan to paint all the roadbed. Also, did not attach my turnouts, except by rail joiners just in case they had an issue, they’d be easier to remove (had to do it, was glad it wasn’t hitched down). You could attach a feeder wire to the turnout for power, if you feel it is needed.
T-pins and push pins are your friends when it comes to holding the track down while the adhesive dries. Putting some weight on the track also is a good idea. My last layout used sectional track, next one will use flex. Expect I will find holding the curves will offer some new challenges.
Good luck,
Richard
I find that gluing (caulk, whichever you use) the track and roadbed makes for a very solid construction method. Therein lies a problem. Subsequent changes meant destroying the micro engineering track to make adjustments to the track. Ya better be sure you are happy with the track layout. And I’m still making adjustments, so it’s nails only until I am ready to ballast the track. Just a heads up. Dan
Thats me too, no glue until track is laid with nails and/or spikes and I’ve had a chance to shake it down first. Glue is TO PERMANANT too soon. Or you can find out the hard way if you don’t believe me. With glue you have to do it right the first time and how many of us do that? Probably not many.
All of my flex track and turnouts are Peco code 83; do I have to drill all the wholes if I choose to use nails? I know with Atlas code 100 the ties are predrilled, but as far as I can tell all of the Peco track ties are completely solid…
As you can see, there are a number of ways to lay track.
Your first post focused me on the caulk aspect. If you use caulk, use one that has water cleanup. I’ve never associated silicone caulk with being water based, but perhaps it can be cleaned up with water these days.
I have used various methods over the years, latex caulk, latex paint, and diluted white glue droplets.
Lately, I have been using diluted white glue to secure the track to the subroadbed (industrial areas = no roadbed for me) for the simple reason that it is NOT permanent. I’m in the process of moving some spurs around and have to adjust the mainline for the proper angles and I find that if I just spritz the track with water after the glue has dried, it loosens right up and I can slide it around or remove it.
When it dries again, it affixes the track back to the road bed. Latex paint works the same way, as does latex caulk, but it seems to be a little messier than either the paint or glue. Probably operator error, and I used too much.
The word permanent is relative. If dried, the glue works well and is permanent. It can be made unpermanent by a simple spritz of water and time.
Some might say that when you ballast, and use a water based glue or matte medium, that you run the risk of loosening the track from the roadbed if you use a water based material to attach the track to the roadbed. I have never found this to happen in the areas that I have ballasted since I don’t use that much glue/water when I ballast, or, if the track has