Huge EZ track problem, help, please !!!

[czechwizard]

Like two days ago I was making a few changes on my layout, very carefully taking apart my EZ track, without too much pulling and pushing, the Nickel Silver rails just came off the roadbed. Out of like 50-60 sections, it happened to 27 ! yes, twenty seven pieces ! The track is like new ! Is this normal ? I'm shocked ! I don't know what to do. Can I glue the rails again to the roadbed, will it have an impact on conductivity ? What kind of glue should I use, or what should I do in general ? Please help me out with this ? Now I fear to even touch the EZ track.

[Doneldon]

cz wiz-

Easy does it, wiz. Your problem is easy to deal with. No, it's not common but it can happen. The rails are held on the ties by remarkably small plastic tabs. They represent 12":1' spikes and they do the same job. Individually, they have little strength; collectively they are quite strong. Like the little teeth in a zipper. Well, what can happen is that just a little twisting or upward pressure is enough to break one of the plastic "spikes," and then the next in line is vulnerable to the same forces, and so on. But you can fix it.

First, inspect your track to verify whether the little spikes are broken off. The rails can slide out lengthwise and then it's very simple to just slide them back under the spikes. From your description it doesn't sound like this is what happened but it's worth checking,

Assuming the spikes are broken, make sure that none of the little pieces of plastic are under your rails because they will keep you from being able to properly fix the track. Carefully put your rails back in the shallow plastic trough formed by the nubs where the spikes were. The nubs will keep your track in gauge but you'll still need to fix the rails back down. ACC is the best for this, I understand, although I have not experienced this problem myself, other than just a couple of spikes at a time. This is a bit of a tricky gluing job because the two materials to be joined are so different and because the joint will be subjected to vibration and stress. You might want to be extra careful when you reconnect your track because you don't want to have to do the repair over. Possibly you can connect several lengths of track and then do the repair.

This will not affect the electrical characteristics of your track at all. 
                                                                                                       -- D

[czechwizard]

Oh, well, thanks, but what kind of glue should I use ?

[ACY]

Oh, well, thanks, but what kind of glue should I use ?

He said in his post to use ACC, sometimes referred to as crazy glue.
ACC stands for alphacyanoacrylate, but is sometimes referred to as just cyanoacrylate or CA.

[czechwizard]

Oh, I didn't know that. But when you say "crazy glue", I dig it. Thank you. I think I'm starting to shake now that I have a masterplan to repair so many pieces of EZ track.

[mf5117]

I had the same problem .When I 1st got into the hobby I changed my layout up so much . removing and replaceing trying different schemes , cramming pieces together due to the math and geometric just wasn't working . And yes I did have a bunch of pieces were the rails came loose from the road bed .Which also caused some derails uncoupling and other problems . unless you have a nmra gauge and alot of patients .throw it away and by some new EZ Track . I hate to say it ,but there is some cheap arkansas fixes but in the long run . you'll be pulling it back up again.....

regards mf5117

[pjsdad]

can you pull the whole track section out and put  atlas snap track in the ez roadbed?
Haven't tried but it looks feasible.

[Joe323]

can you pull the whole track section out and put  atlas snap track in the ez roadbed?

Haven't tried but it looks feasible.

I doubt it

I have to wait till I get home but if I am not mistaken the ties are molded into the EZ track roadbed  so you would have to remove the rails sand off the tie and tie plates and then glue the snap track down.  its too much work.

[Jim Banner]

I believe the ties are first moulded onto the rails, then inserted into grooves in the base and electron beam welded to it.  As an experiment a couple of years ago, I removed the turnout from an E-Z Track base and tried to fit an Atlas Snap Switch in its place.  It was close, but no cigar.  I finally did what Joe suggested - sanded the base down to the bottom of the grooves then glued the Snap Switch onto the base using Pliobond.  Pliobond is an industrial contact cement.  You use it like Goo but the bond is permanent.  Sanding the base is quick and easy with a belt sander as long as you are careful not to melt the plastic.

Just because the turnouts were not exactly interchangeable does not mean that straight and curved rail sections are not.  Experiment!!  Try one out and let us know what happens.

Jim