Fastening EZ Track to 4x8, new layout, on plywood

[trainman44]

New to this forum.

I am building a new layout on plywood 4x8.  Double layout with 18 and 22 inch curves.  Will be sectional track.

Can you give me some ideas on how to fasten the EZ Track to the plywood??

Thanks  for your input.

Paul

[mabloodhound]

Best method is use an adhesive caulk, found at HD or Lowes or hardware store.   
Just put a small bead under the edges (draw a line on the outside of your track base that you put down temporarily)
Or if you're real good you can try to run the bead under the edges by lifting them up slightly.
Do NOT use big globs or a lot of caulk (a little bit'll do ya)
The good part is the caulk will allow you to remove the track later on if you want.

[Albert in N]

E-Z track sections lock up so that you can secure it with only a few track nails.  N scale E-Z track has holes for nails, and I assume HO also has nail holes.  Atlas track nails for either N or HO are available at most hobby shops or online at internet sales sources.  I used one nail for every other section on my E-Z layout.  Start the nail with a light tap of the hammer, then use a nail punch to hammer down to near the top of the tie.  Don't nail down to where the nail head is pushed into the tie, or it will cause uneven track and damage the tie and plastic roadbed.  Use needle nosed pliers to remove a nail when you need to remove track.  Plastic roadbed E-Z track nailed to plywood does make for some noise when running trains, but that is part of the fun.  If you want a quiet layout, put cork or foam insulation over the plywood, gluing it down and attach the track on top with caulk or glue. Having done both ways on prior layouts, I like a few nails.  You can also use carpet glued to the plywood with a few nails to hold the E-Z track and that makes for a fairly quiet running layout.  The track sits on top of the carpeted plywood.  If you cannot find Atlas track nails, use small wire nails with heads to secure the track and use paint or black Sharpie pen to darken the silver nail heads.  I have used lightly brushed Tempera water based paint to tint earth colored carpet on simple layouts and liked the results.  The important thing is to run trains and have fun.

[mabloodhound]

Another good thing about using caulk under the EZ Track is that it separates it from the plywood and will help keep down the noise transmission.

[James in FL]

Hi trainman44, and welcome.

There it is, either mechanical "fasten" or adhesion "fasten".
Nails work, and very well.
If you chose this method, just a couple of things I discovered.
Check the gauge of the rails everywhere you put a nail.
That's the learning part. It's critical.
You want the nail to be justly slightly snug on the tie.
Looser is better than tighter.
Lightly snug, not tight.

If you choose some type of adhesion process, they work very well also.
Liquid nails works very well but can be hard to remove if you ever decide to change the trackage. The longer it's on there, in my experience, the harder to remove, just because it continues to harden. Choose a maximum silicone content, it never hardens.
All caulk types absorb vibration, some better than others (i.e.; noise).
Personally I like pure clear silicone, what you would seal a fish tank with.
I used DAP brand 100% pure silicone. I like it, very easy to remove, peels off, I like it better than Aleene's tacky glue.

Try both ways, see what you feel comfortable with.

Cork works with either nail or glue.
The main purpose of it is to set the ballast profile.
Use pure silicone to fasten it. Both cork to ply, and track to cork.
Glue (If it gets hard) makes things more ridged, you want some flexibility as a vibration damper.

Good luck