What is the best method to attach track to foam or plaster?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

For those who have foam or a hard plaster shell as a base:

  1. What type of track bed do you recommend?

  • nothing

  • cork

  • woodland scenics trackbed

  • other

  1. What is the best method to attach the track? I don’t want to ruin switches and I would like to use the track for future layouts.

Thanks,

Pablo

2

In my case, the flex track is attached to foam plastic insulation with one layer of cardstock track template between. My adhesive of choice is grey latex caulk under the ties and white (dries clear) latex caulk under the cardstock.

I assume you’re planning to use commercial turnouts. If so, there are two choices:

  1. Anchor the turnout with caulk at the ends and under the frog, but keep the adhesive away from the moving parts.

  2. Don’t anchor the turnout, just hold it in place with rail joiners between it and the solidly-anchored approach tracks.

Lifting the track involves some gentle prying with a drywall knife, Removing the caulk residue took some gentle rubbing - it came off the plastic ties with very little persuasion.

Note that the cardstock is not mandatory. It’s just my method of assuring that curved flex will conform to the designed radius.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

3

My track bed of choice is cork over my 1" blue foam. I marked the center lines of the track and glued the cork in place with white craft glue. The dollar store was my best friend there for a while as I was buying it at a pretty good clip. Be sure to use a spreader to get a nice even coat of glue. You don’t want globs here and there. I’ve had no problems with turnouts, crossings, etc. But I’m a novice and there are sure to be other ways to skin this cat.

4

I wouldn’t go without roadbed for mainline track. Some of my spur tracks are level with the scenery base but for the most part the mainline should be elevated. I prefer WS roadbed but cork has been popular for years too. I haven’t priced cork in a long time so I don’t know how it compares with WS. There are other low cost alternatives such as sheets of thin foam. I’ve used that in my yards. The stuff I use comes in a bundle folded like an accordion. I got mine at Lowe’s. It works well with the WS roadbed because it is the same thickness (1/8" in HO). If you wanted to go to the trouble of cutting it into strips, it could be used for your mainline roadbed as well. I’ve never tried that and I’m not sure if it would be flexible enough to use on curves. If it doesn’t work on curves, you could use it just for the straight track and use regular road bed on the curves.

I’ve never tried putting roadbed over plaster. It seems like it would be difficult to get it smooth and even enough to run track over it. I’ve always put my roadbed over a subroadbed of either plywood or 2" foam board. I glue it in place with white glue and use the same to put the track on the roadbed. The white glue will hold the track in place until I ballast the track which gives me a good strong permanent bond.

5

I use WS roadbed. I stick that to the base with clear latex caulk. I then stick the track to the bed with the same latex caulk.

6

I also use latex adhesive caulk. I use the “comes out white/dries clear” kind everywhere. While it is still “wet” I usually cover it up with some ballast and then use that as a base for final ballasting. Sometimes on curves I use pins or nails to hold the track temporarily until the caulk cures, then i remove the pin or nail for re-use elsewhere.

For a spreader, to create a thin even layer, I save and use all of those annoying fake “Your Name Here” promotional plastic credit cards that come in the junk mail. I have dozens and after a single use I just throw it away. They also make useful shims.

I would say that almost any really effective way of fastening track is going to make it difficult to ever remove and reuse the track, particularly if you ballast it.

Dave Nelson