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How Do You Remove Ballast and Flex Track?
Roy asks readers:
“Is there a way to remove ballast and flex track? I want to replace flex track with Kato track.”
Unfortunately Roy doesn’t give any details of how his track and ballast are applied on his N scale layout. Hopefully he will add a comment to this post giving more detail.
4 Responses to How Do You Remove Ballast and Flex Track?
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Partly it depends on what all had been used to lay the track. Some used nails and some used glue. and others used both. I no longer use either. I use apex clear caulking and all you have to do is slide a knife under the rail and or road bed. sometimes just a putty knife. Pulling track with nails I use a pair of side cuts (dykes) and grab the head of the nail with the tip of the cutters and laying them across one of the rails I pry the nail out then use the knife and make several passes and work your way across under the ties. Then do the same with the roadbed. Depends on the glues. As far and the road bed rock let it come up with the rail and work on cleaning it up after the track is removed. My experience the best way to lay track now a days is use the apex clear caulking and after it sets about 15 minutes it will hold itself. But if you make a mistake or change your track plans later it is easy to get it back up Even road bed comes up without much tearing. Try not to pry on your track as you will just bend it and ruin it for future use.
from Newman
Warm soap water will help put don’t put loads on at once you will find it very easy to scrap it will a small knife
Depends how you fixed the track originally. I use only Cold Glue (Wood Glue) with a fixing nail occasionally. Wet a cloth or towel and lay it on the track you wish to lift. Leave it for awhile. Or, you can also run water through a dropper along the track. Leave for a while. Carefully lift the track and remember those nails. Remove them with cutters as you lift. Lay the loose track in a bath of warm water. They will come out spanking new (if you used Cold Glue).
If the track and/or ballast has been glued down with a PVA adhesive use 50/50 Methylated Spirit and water. Brush on a good amount and leave for a few minutes and it should then lift with a scraper against the base board and without damage. If doesn’t work first time re apply again. Good luck.