Need advice on correcting track adhesion problem


G

GuilfordRailman

Well-Known Member
I glued down the kato track to my layout the other day with liquid nails for projects clear silicone. Afterwards, I added weight to help adhere the track better. Upon removing the weight after the proper cure time, I noticed that the turnouts are not sitting perfectly flush to the foam, probably because there is a slight dip between two pieces of adjacent foam directly below the middle of the turnouts.

I used the silicone sparingly around the turnouts and only glued down at the very ends of each turnout. Perhaps I did not use enough? The ends are adhered perfectly but the middle of the turnouts where this dip exists (a very, very small almost unnoticeable one at that) sit ever so slightly above the foam and it is noticeable when trains move over it. My question is…what is a recommended solution for this problem?

Could I run a small bead of silicone along the edges of the turnouts and mask it with gray paint/ ballast? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
GuilfordRailman said:
I glued down the kato track to my layout the other day with liquid nails for projects clear silicone. Afterwards, I added weight to help adhere the track better. Upon removing the weight after the proper cure time, I noticed that the turnouts are not sitting perfectly flush to the foam, probably because there is a slight dip between two pieces of adjacent foam directly below the middle of the turnouts.

I used the silicone sparingly around the turnouts and only glued down at the very ends of each turnout. Perhaps I did not use enough? The ends are adhered perfectly but the middle of the turnouts where this dip exists (a very, very small almost unnoticeable one at that) sit ever so slightly above the foam and it is noticeable when trains move over it. My question is…what is a recommended solution for this problem?

Could I run a small bead of silicone along the edges of the turnouts and mask it with gray paint/ ballast? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Any dip in your track in never a good thing, on a turnout it can cause a multitude of issues.
I would simply pack it from rail to rail (I use plasticard, as it's stiff enough to be slid under) but you can use anything really, so there's no gap, and the track is level and doesn't flex whenever a loco goes over, disguise it however you want. As you've secured either end not really necessary to glue the whole turnout.
Alternative is to remove the turnout and use a filler in the gap, but as you've glued either end, not really practical.
One reason I never use glue, track screws are easier.

Edited.
 
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Smudge617 said:
Any dip in your track in never a good thing, on a turnout it can cause a multitude of issues.
I would simply pack it from rail to rail (I use plasticard, as it's stiff enough to be slid under) but you can use anything really, so there's no gap, and the track is level and doesn't flex whenever a loco goes over, disguise it however you want. As you've secured either end not really necessary to glue the whole turnout.
Alternative is to remove the turnout and use a filler in the gap, but as you've glued either end, not really practical.
One reason I never use glue, track screws are easier.

Edited.
Click to expand...
Since I’m using Kato unitrack track screws/nails wouldn’t work, at least I don’t believe so.

What’s particularly annoying is that the gap itself is only maybe the thickness of two, maybe three sheets of paper but I know even a gap as small as that can cause problems. I will try plasticard or something similar and see how it turns out.
 
GuilfordRailman said:
I glued down the kato track to my layout the other day with liquid nails for projects clear silicone.
Click to expand...
I had lots of recommendations to use DAP Alex Plus (acrylic latex caulk), and I have now used it almost exclusively on my new double deck layout. It has worked out great. Its cheap, its latex so clean use, it bonds the flex track ties down really good, but it can be released with a good putty blade, then re-glued in new position.
 
I would not use silicone caulk. It never comes off and in many cases is difficult to paint. Latex caulk is easier to remove, is paintable in most cases and cleans up with water.

The question is whether the track is flush? If the track is flush and the foam under it is not the last thing you want to do is weight the track down so it is on the foam. That will put a kink in the track. If it bothers you put some caulk, ballast or scenery on the edges to cover up the gap. If you are worried about the gap under the track, and the track is level, then use cardboard or styrene to shim under the track.
 
dave1905 said:
I would not use silicone caulk. It never comes off and in many cases is difficult to paint. Latex caulk is easier to remove, is paintable in most cases and cleans up with water.

The question is whether the track is flush? If the track is flush and the foam under it is not the last thing you want to do is weight the track down so it is on the foam. That will put a kink in the track. If it bothers you put some caulk, ballast or scenery on the edges to cover up the gap. If you are worried about the gap under the track, and the track is level, then use cardboard or styrene to shim under the track.
Click to expand...
The track itself is flush. The foam is the issue. When I glued the track down, I didn’t put weight on the turnouts themselves as I figured it would either damage or kink the track in some way. I’m thinking using a shim would probably be best and then I can hide it with ballast when the time comes.
 
GuilfordRailman said:
The track itself is flush. The foam is the issue. When I glued the track down, I didn’t put weight on the turnouts themselves as I figured it would either damage or kink the track in some way. I’m thinking using a shim would probably be best and then I can hide it with ballast when the time comes.
Click to expand...
That should work, as long as the track's not flexing, after you've done the ballast, you'll probably forget it's even there
 
Don't purchase unnecessarily. If you have plastic containers, or packaging, especially the clear stuff that makes bubbles around items encased in cardboard, you simply cut slivers of that and slide it under ties or the fake ballast if that's what you have.
 
Smudge617 said:
That should work, as long as the track's not flexing, after you've done the ballast, you'll probably forget it's even there
Click to expand...
Selector said:
Don't purchase unnecessarily. If you have plastic containers, or packaging, especially the clear stuff that makes bubbles around items encased in cardboard, you simply cut slivers of that and slide it under ties or the fake ballast if that's what you have.
Click to expand...
What Selector said, sorry.
 
I would be careful about gluing down Kato turnouts.

There are electrical switches underneath the turnout that control power-routing, etc. I'm thinking that if you put to much pressure on the bottom of the switch (there's a panel that covers up the internals), it could interfere with the proper operation of the switchgear inside.

There are what look to me to be possible (but non-drilled) "holes" through which one could tack down the track if desired.
Easily seen by looking at the underside.

Speaking for myself, I just let the entire track "float" on the surface of my layout table. I use the "UniJoiners" and drill holes for the leads under the track. I do the same for the turnout machine power. I've found that with just these "anchors" here and there, the track doesn't move at all.
 
J.Albert said:
I would be careful about gluing down Kato turnouts.

There are electrical switches underneath the turnout that control power-routing, etc. I'm thinking that if you put to much pressure on the bottom of the switch (there's a panel that covers up the internals), it could interfere with the proper operation of the switchgear inside.

There are what look to me to be possible (but non-drilled) "holes" through which one could tack down the track if desired.
Easily seen by looking at the underside.

Speaking for myself, I just let the entire track "float" on the surface of my layout table. I use the "UniJoiners" and drill holes for the leads under the track. I do the same for the turnout machine power. I've found that with just these "anchors" here and there, the track doesn't move at all.
Click to expand...
I only glued the connecting ends to the turnout and left the turnout itself unglued for that specific reason. I did drill holes for the feeders and turnout control wires which helped but there was unfortunately a small dip in the foam where two pieces meet that left a gap about two pieces of paper thick beneath the turnout. It actually doesn’t move very much when the loco goes over but I definitely prefer it to be flush against the foam. Others have suggested a shim of some sort, styrene being one example so I will most likely utilize that technique.
 
GuilfordRailman said:
I only glued the connecting ends to the turnout and left the turnout itself unglued for that specific reason. I did drill holes for the feeders and turnout control wires which helped but there was unfortunately a small dip in the foam where two pieces meet that left a gap about two pieces of paper thick beneath the turnout. It actually doesn’t move very much when the loco goes over but I definitely prefer it to be flush against the foam. Others have suggested a shim of some sort, styrene being one example so I will most likely utilize that technique.
Click to expand...
If you have any clear plastic containers, (take way type) their good for that sort of thing, and being clear, not really noticeable either.
 
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