Hi All,
Our club layout is an old one. (and so am I) We have been around for 25 years. Some of the old yard areas are just now seeing scenery and ballast. We have quite a bit of Atlas flex track that is nickel silver with fiber ties. (It still runs good) I know there was a way to glue the ballast down without using any of the water methods, which will warp fiber ties.
Anyone remember how to do it and what to use?
Thanks in Advance.
Gee, I didn’t know that Atlas actually made nickel silver flextrack with fiber ties. I thought they went to plastic ties long before they “invented” nickel silver.
Our club has been around about 30+ years and I just called the club founder to see if he remembered what they used for ballast. He said that he remembers using some type of rubber cement, but that was if the track was just going in. You put the cement down, pressed the track into the cement, and then pressed the ballast into the areas between the ties.
For already laid track, he says he remembers using the normal diluted white glue mixture, but sparingly. And you had to make two applications. But even with that, he says that some of the ties bowed and buckled.
His comment was that the best thing you could do with fiber tie track was throw it away. Obviously not the answer you wanted to hear.
Forty-plus years ago I ballasted fiiber-tie track and didn’t experience warping. My memory’s rusty, but I believe I used water-soluble glue. I suggest you test a short section using alcohol/water to apply white Elmer’s glue and see what happens.
Mark
Something that might be worth trying as an experiment:
Ballast a short section of track using rubbing alcohol instead of water to mix into the glue and then put bricks on the track until the glue and fiber ties have had a chance to thoroughly dry. The weight of the bricks may keep the ties from warping.
If it still warps, you can cut that section out and replace it with newer plastic-tie track.
I’d replace the track. If that isn’t possible i’d dry lay the ballast. Then use a spray bottle with a water and white glue mixture to just made the top of the ballast moist. Spray it lightly 2 or 3 times allowing it to dry between coats.
This is interesting. I dug out one of my REALLY old Kalmbach books, “Practical Guide to Model Railroading” to see what they said back when they used fiber ties. The second method does seem as though it could work for you. Showing how times have changed, they refer to roadbed as “ballast board” in the article. Here are a few excerpts:
“This method works best for plain ballast board and tie strip or ready-to-lay track. Paint the ballast board with clear varnish or any slow drying cement or glue. The reason for using clear varnish is that you can still see any pencil marks you’ve made to help locate the ties in exact position. Lay the ties in place and, finally, sprinkle the ballast grit onto the ballast board. The grit will only stick between the ties and the varnish will hold both ties and ballast firmly…”
“The other way to add ballast can be done before or after rail is laid and works with any kind of track including milled ballast board or individual wood ties. Instead of using clear varnish as an adhesive, to secure the ballast grit, you may use a paint or enamel of a shade slightly darker than the color of gravel you plan to use. Where the darker paint shows through the ballast, more apparent color texture is added to the grit. Put the paint in an oil can and squirt a drop or two between each pair of ties. Sprinkle the ballast as before and remove any loose particles after drying…”
It’s really amazing to look through older books, especially the photos, for a reminder of how far the hobby has come in a relatively short time.
Jim
Geez I didn’t think anyone was still using that stuff. About 50 years ago when I was a kid my layout was built with Atlas flex track and switches that had fiber ties. Warping ties as a result of ballasting was a real problem. I just painted the cork road bed a grey about the same colour as the ballast and only ballasted the outside the rails.
Like suggested by others, I would yank the fiber tie stuff and use plastic tie track and ballast with diluted white glue.
Since the track is in and operational (and, presumably, not right up front) I would go with the thick paint as ballast adhesive. Next choice would be dry ballast and a really light overspray of diluted white glue. The best bet is to experiment on small sections.
The little fiber-tie flex I still have is laid at the bumper end of a single-ended staging yard in the Netherworld. I don’t ballast track where the sun don’t shine. (But all those spike holes sure are handy!)
Chuck (Modleing Central Japan in September, 1964)
I do not recall Atlas track with nickle silver rail and fiber ties BUT I do recall strips of fiber tie material that seemed to be the same stuff so i wonder if that rail was actually hand laid? Back in the day of fiber tie track I think guys used TruScale cement which I think was shellac based - no water.
I would avoid any liquid water based anything in the vicinity of fiber tie material. In fact the latest (Nov) issue of MR has an article about a guy’s Santa Fe layout telling of his experiences with fiber tie track near a wash tub back in the 50s.
These day I wonder about using adhesive caulk – which even if water soluable probably has relatively little water content per se. I’d try out a few feet as an experiment. I lay my track using adhesive caulk and then pour the ballast on top of the caulk, which comes out white but dries clear.
By the way, fiber tie flex track – at least the old stuff that I have – had holes for track spikes at intervals. It was not assumed that nothing more needed to be done to hold gauge than just lay the track down.
Dave Nelson