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7 Responses to Track Nails – In or Out?
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I wouldn’t. Ballast can become loose over time with temperature fluctuations, pressure on the track from cleaning, etc, and the track could go out of alignment without the nails.
If the nails are really bugging you, try painting the top of the nail to match the ballast, or use the three foot rule, ie stand further back 🙂
An alternative, which you can only now use on future track, is to glue the track in place rather than nailing.
The ideal way would have been to caulk the track and roadbed. I painted the foam, the roadbed, and track first. Then attached them together with caulk. Now I’m ballasting. I was able to pry up some to make an adjustment. But now it’s a done deal. FYI I don’t use water, only alcohol for ballast. So, in your case, I honestly don’t see why keeping nails in place is required. Assuming your ballast is properly glued down.
Track pins (nails) are a pain if you ever need to lift track. Ballast and PVA glue, caulk, liquid nails are all sufficient to hold track in place once set. I’d take them out. I don’t actually use them myself as I find I stuff up the track geometry by forcing it into non prototypical radii and so on.
If you need to do track repairs, getting the nails are not a problem if you didn’t drive them in so tightly that they distort the ties.
I glued down the W.S. foam roadbed and used track nails on the entire (12′ x 8′) HO layout and then ballasted the whole thing. I have had to do 3 turnout replacements, correct track issues and taken up 3′ of double mainline track to install a double crossover. I use an old pair of “track cutter” pliers to remove the nails, spray 70% alcohol on the ballast and, after about 5-10 minutes, use a stiff-bladed putty knife to take up the track. NO ISSUES!
I had mentioned how I used caulk. No nails. No permanent glue, the caulk can be pried up. As for turnouts, I never glue or attach them. My turnouts float. I found my way to be easy as can be. Easy to lay track and easy to pry up for repair. And my turnouts are super easy because they are loose.
I used caulking on my last layout. Never again. When I tried to save the track for the new layout, the track was destroyed. use nails and dilute Elmer’s glue to hold ballast. It is water based and can be removed by dewatering the ballast. Solder the rail joiners. You might think you will never need to remove track. You will be wrong.
I do not use track nails, instead I go on ebay and buy model railway track screws. You can buy them in different lengths and you have to drill a small hole first and then you use a small Phillips screwdriver RH00 size. These fit perfectly and are easily removable.