Comments on: Gluing and Pinning Track in Place

By: phil johnson

phil johnson — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 08:12:17 +0000

we use both on club layout. However I like track nails on my home layout. after ballasting I remove the nails if I can find them. no noted noise changes from plywood to homasote

By: Mickael Macht

Mickael Macht — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 20:02:35 +0000

I use both-glue and pins to hold the track down and it appears to still be holding after all these years of running trains on it.

Just remember to use blue painters tape on the outside of the curves to raise the track up a little bit so it won’t derail. Best of luck and happy train running.

By: Bob Schworm

Bob Schworm — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:26:13 +0000

As you can see from the posts, there are various methods and ideas. Personally I use 1 inch foam as a board base ( to hard to get tortoise machines to throw thru 2 inches of foam. I first use a tube of Locktite for Foam Projects, to run a bead on the center line mark of my sub roadbed. Spread it very thinly and set the roadbed. I like Woodland Scenics foam roadbed for this. Split the roadbed along its center line and then put the sections together when going around curves. The sections will slip against each other as the radii are different inside and outside of the curves. The caulk grips very well and is fast drying so work along quickly and not to far ahead. No pins needed at this point. Next, I use flex track. I use very thin pins ( nails with brown small flat heads, and either drill thru the sleepers or pin right next to them along the center of the bed line. When joining track, use several pins along the first 6 inches of each end of track to give stiffness next to the joiners, try not to join track on curves to avoid kinks. If you must pin often to hold the radius. Remember to install the drop feeders at this stage too before setting the track sections. I like to solder to the underside of the rails so nothing is visable from the sides. Test everything often.

A bonus is that the calk film stays plyable and very very “grippy”. The nail method of pushing them thru the subroad will grip like crazy when they hit this film. However yo can still pull them out.

Finally this nailing and pinning , to some , does not look prototypical, and those “rivit counters” will then pin the track and pour isoprople alcohol and then dillluted pva over the sleepers and pull the pins. If careful, you can get a thin blade under the members and carefully move the tracks as needed. Make sure your scenery requirements are factored in before the track goes down permanently.

By: Dan Hosier

Dan Hosier — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 11:57:29 +0000

My baseboard is green building foam and track bed is the “Midwest products” rubber/cork material. I use cheap dap laytex caulk and 2.5″ screws to keep the track in place until it cures. Remove the screws and glue in the ballast with 70/30 water/PVA.

Now I will tell you why I choose this method, I have found that with my natural local stone ballast brings back the sound level, the laytex caulk dampens this sound considerably. Track pins and any other mechanical fastener transfer that sound deep into the baseboard making the baseboard act as a sounding board amplifying all sounds. If ever I need to remove/replace a section of track the caulk is very easy to run a knife under and lift unlike glues that need to be wet and soak to soften unless you are looking for destroyed local landscape.

By: Keith Hart

Keith Hart — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 11:00:11 +0000

Keith Hart
I use glue stick to hold my preshaped rubber/foam trackbed to reuse trackbed just table knife under the track twist pull up slowly.To lay curves use glue stick leaving straights glue free.To re use track use
as for ballasted foam.Flexi track enables less sharp curves.

By: Keith Hart

Keith Hart — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:43:16 +0000

In reply to Tom Osterdock. Keith Hart. I use glue stick to secure pre shaped trackbed to base board to remove I use the blade of a knife ,this does not rip the trackbed,likewise I use glue stick to hold track on bends leaving straight track glue free.I use PECO flexitrack 100,I find you can make more gentle curves than with fixed track

By: David Broad

David Broad — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 09:54:36 +0000

I use pins. That way you can adjust the track if you need to. In my experience track can’t be lifted or altered without breaking it when its glued down.

By: Phil Bowerman

Phil Bowerman — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 05:24:01 +0000

Hello Perry
I use track pins which seem to do the trick. In the past I have had to replace sections of track and have found this is a lot easier with pins. Gluing my ballast down also makes sure the track stays in place.
Hopes this helps
Phil

By: Ananda

Ananda — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 03:54:17 +0000

I prefer to tie down with thin wire going across 2 sleepers or so. It is a bit of added work as you need to drill fine holes – 2 for each “staple” created in this method. It helps to adjust the track and/or relocate them as necessary.

By: Rich errico

Rich errico — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 03:01:14 +0000

The best solution depends on the type of track used whether it is flex track with cork or an ez track like Kate or Bachmann. I used ez track and did not glue or pin it. Rather, I ran a bead of caulking around the track. That set it permanently in place and if I needed ever to remove any track (which of course I did ….. we all do) all you need to do is run a putty knife or a razor knife along the bead. Very simple, very effective.

By: Donald Ripper

Donald Ripper — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 02:56:17 +0000

My solution if you’re laying track onto a solid baseboard is to use track screws. They’re cheap on line and are a dark brown colour. I place one screw every 100 – 200 in my N scale layout. It’s a simple matter to remove them to make adjustments by using a small Philips bit in your drill.

I never glue track, but I understand that you may have to resort to glue if you’re laying onto foam.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 02:48:14 +0000

The best thing to use is small screws, this way if you want to modify your layout in future you won’t damage your track when you lift it.