Securing track

[tuba1st]

Hi gang,
     I have read several posts as well as magazines regarding securing track to the board for the layout.  I have tried using small brads pushed into the holes that are on the plastic ties and have found that they sometimes cause a derailment if they are pushed flush with the ties.  I was wondering about using a stapler and securing the track on the outside where I can pop the staple if needed and not mess up the interior area of the track.  Any suggestions?

[rustyrails]

Hey, Tuba

The best way I've found to secure track is to glue it down with a product like Liquid Nails for Projects (won't attack plastic--the regular Liquid nails will).  Lay a bead of the glue on top of the roadbed, then spread it thin with a putty knife (like icing a cake...hehehe).  Hold the track in place with map pins until the glue sets.  Be careful around turnouts.  I mark where the throwbars will be and make sure to keep the glue away from those places. 

There are two problems with nailing down track.  First, as you have noticed, if you drive the tail too tightly against the ties, the track is deformed and out of gauge.  Second, the nail transmits vibration from the train to the sub-roadbed which then acts like a speaker to magnify the noise.  It is exactly for this reason that I glue down the roadbed, too.  No nails at all in my flex-track trackwork.

I don't use products like E-Z Trrack for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the product (it's quite good, actually), but I have read that glue works well for that type of track, too.

Rusty

[Craig]

Tuba,

I do exactly the same thing as rustyrails does except I use adhesive caulk. On straights I use a yardstick against the outside rail and drive my pushpins in. On curves I add weights to take the load off the push pins Works like a charm! Mind what rustyrails wrote about adhesive under turnouts.

Craig

[tuba1st]

Craig,
     What do you mean by weight?  I can picture the push pins but not the weights.

Tom

[jward]

i am of the opinion that, regardless of what any magazine recommends, glueing your track is not a good idea. why? well, unless you are using a product like ez track where the sections lock together, you probably aren't going to lay good track the first time. track usually needs to have the bugs worked out, adjustments made. this is hard to do if it is already permanantly fastened down with glue....

if you nail the track down, you can pull the nails and make any adjustments before fastening the track down again....

that said, there are tricks to nailing track.
1. don't hammer the nail in. you could miss the nail and damage the rails, a sure way to get derailments.
2. if you must hammer, PLEASE use a nail set to avoid #1
3. be careful not to put the nail all the way in. leave the nail heads slightly above the tops of the ties. put them in too far and they bend the ties and cause the rails to go out of guage, causing derailments.
4. if you are laying your track on plywood, you can predrill the nail holes with a pin vise and a very small drill bit. i use a #62 bit, just slightly smaller than the nail shaft. this prevents bent nails, and also makes driving the nails with a pair of pliers easy.
5. if, after the track has been adjusted, you wish to remove the nails you can, after you ballast the track. glued ballast will hold the track in place. but make sure you have the bugs worked out before you do this.....

[rustyrails]

Tom,
Sometimes, it's easier to hold the track in place with something heavy until the glue dries.  I've use paint cans, sash weights, piles of books....anything heavy enough to hold the track down.  Hope this helps.
Rusty

[rustyrails]

jward,
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I've found the glue method to work very well in a couple of scales.  Don't misunderstand, there is a lot of prep work.  Before I ever touch a piece of track, I've laid out the centerline, laid the cork roadbed, sanded the roadbed and marked turnout locations as precisely as I can.  Turnouts that are grouped together are laid first, followed by major curves and single turnouts.  All joints are soldered as the work progresses.  Finally, the installed features are connected by straight (or mostly straight) track, again soldering as each section is put in place.  Really, once the cork is down and I'm satisfied with the alignment, I'm home free, because all I have to do then is follow the cork centerline with the track.  If you give it a shot, I think you might like it.
Rusty

[jward]

i am currenttly handlaying my track on pine subroadbed. that's a whole nuther ballgame. cork doesn't work that well with handlaid track. the methods i described before are how i laid track before.

i agree 100% with soldered joints. the trick iss to get everything perfect before it is permantently fastened down.

[trainmaster971]

jward,

The method that you describe is the tried and true way to fasten track.  I have been doing it that way for many years.  It works very well should you decide to make changes.  A slight wetting of the area will loosen the ballast and the track can be easily removed.
When soldering rails it is best not to solder them all.  I will typically solder every other joint or no more than 3 in a row.  The rails will increase and decrease in length if the layout is in an area that is subject to temperature changes. The combined change in length, even though it is very small, can cause alignment problems. Been there and had it happen.

[rustyrails]

jward,
You have my undieing respect...hand-laid track looks so good!!!  Bottom line for me is that I just don't have the time to do that, even though I'm working on a relatively small (about 56 sq ft) layout.  Good for you!!
Rusty

[jward]

rusty, thanks for the compliment. i learned how to lay my own from my dad.
i have always been a bit short on money, and find that i can only lay about 3 feet a night. laying my own, in addition to looking more natural, allows me to lay track according to my budget. it is tedious and time consuming to do, but relaxing as well. kind of like building a kit without instructions.....