Gluing track to roadbed.

[Mudkip Orange]

What do you use?

 

Way back in the day we used Liquid Nails for adhering HO track to Woodland Scenics roadbed.

 

Two problems with this approach: (i) the fumes are awful, and (ii) the roadbed-tie bond is actually stronger than the tie-rail bond, so it's impossible to "pry up" and re-use track.

 

I'm looking for other options. One requirement is that it looks okay aesthetically, as I plan to postpone ballasting until the rest of the scenery is complete (read: never). This precludes both Wood Glue and White Glue, since neither dries entirely clear.

[CaptOblivious]

Nails?

[bill937ca]

Nothing.

[quinntopia]

I used those small, tiny, rail nails for holding down Unitrack.  I think Atlas makes some.  They do an okay job, except make sure you don't drill out the hole in the Unitrack too much wider than than the size of the nail, otherwise they will have more play than you may want.  Unfortunately, if your Unitrack is on cork or styrofoam, the nails don't really go in far enough to hold the Unitrack down.

 

Another alternative, and what I ususally use when I need a better bond and no movement of the track is a hot glue gun.  Just a couple of dabs and the track stays in place, but if you need to remove it, it comes off fairly easy. 

 

Of course, I'm assuming your using Unitrack or Finetrack....?  Now that I read your post, your comments about the ties and liquid nails tell me that I'm probably giving you useless info..

[KenS]

Gravity. 

 

Actually, although I don't glue my Unitrack down, I do use the woodland scenics roadbed (in the sheet form, not the strips, so I can cut it generously for double-track.  I paint the foam with artists gray acrylic paint (the thick stuff designed for painting canvas or whatever artists use), and I really slather it on in a layer several mm thick, but fairly smooth.  I let it dry for several days, and it dries flexible, but has a very small amount of "tack" left, so if you put track down and leave it there for a day or two, it will slightly adhere to the roadbed, but you can lift it up easily.

 

The roadbed I do glue down, using carpenters glue on wood, plaster or insulation foam, and liquid nails on styrene (I used 2mm styrene as a removable roof over my subway tunnel, and have track running over that in a few places).

[Mudkip Orange]

Yeah everything going forward is going to be Peco and/or ME flextrack on WS or cork roadbed, with the Unitrack reserved for temporary setups.

 

Whatever it is needs to be strong enough to hold flex down around an R249 curve, since I have an existing module designed around Kato geometry that's now getting the flex treatment.

[cumber_s]

For my current project I am using Arnold track material (bought for a few eu at a flea market)

My goto method to fix tack to the roadbed is wood glue, works the best , the connection is quite strong

its easy to mount. and with the helt of smal nails even flex track is easily held in place.

 

 

-> see "My little Japan" project

[Martijn Meerts]

The Peco flex track actually stays curved quite well, much better than the Minitrix and Roco stuff.

 

What you could do, is what I did with my father's layout. Just screw the track in place with screws in between 2 sleepers. If you use flat screws instead of the tapered ones we used, you should get good results without destroying any of the sleepers. An added advantage is that it's easy to loosen the screw and make adjustments where needed. Once you're ready for the ballasting, the ballast and glue will keep the track in place, and the screws can be removed.

[Bernard]

Mud - I have used a variety of thinks but this what I found to work best. I use tacky glue, and a popsicle stick to spread the glue on the road bed. I then use Atlas nails to hold the track in place (might have to drill holes if they aren't in the ties already) After wards, I ballast the track and when everything is set, I remove the nails.

[Guest ___]

I don't glue anything. Between the power feeds, and the track switch wiring, as well as the signal wiring, I have more than enough to hold my track down, and when I add in ballast and landscaping cement in to the fold for the cover, the track doesn't go anywhere.