Peppercorn Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Good evening, I hope that I'm not asking a question that's been asked a zillion times before. After a huge time, I have constructed most of the baseboards in my attic for my first railway in, oh, donkey's years. The layout will be U shaped, running either side of the loft. The length of the two main boards is 4.8m x 0.6m each in four sections and joined at each end by narrow sections (yet to be built) about 2.4m x say, 250mm. The boards are constructed of 44mm x 18mm softwood and are topped with 6mm MDF and the boards are supported by a middle strut or tie. I should have used 9mm MDF, but I didn't, and the boards are now built and in place (with the exception of the ends)I have sealed all faces. May I seek suggestions and advice on what should I lay on top of the MDF on which to lay the track? I can't pin to MDF, I don't wish to glue the track down permanently. I've seen a suggestion in an Iain Rice book of using the foam beds used by campers then sticking track to that, but am unsure of this. The track that I intend to use is Peco 75 (perhaps to be replaced by scratch-built stuff: for now I want to get something running.)I don't want to use the often-espoused method of gluing down the track with PVA then filling with granite ballast as this seems to me to form akind of concrete. Any advice would be welcome. Peppercorn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I don't want to use the often-espoused method of gluing down the track with PVA then filling with granite ballast as this seems to me to form akind of concrete. Any advice would be welcome. Peppercorn I must say that I have not found that using PVA forms a kind of concrete. My track is laid on strips of cork floor tiles (3.5mm thick) and ballasted with dilute PVA and I have had to relay several sections of track. Maybe I have not been thorough enough with the pouring of the PVA but I have found the ballast breaks up quite easily with a small screwdriver and, in any, case it softens if wetted again. I have also been able to remove the cork strips from my plywood baseboards by chiselling it off with a broad-blade spatuala. If you were to stick your track down with a weak mix of PVA (with or without cork underlay) you should find that it comes up again without excessive effort, especially as you have sealed the MDF. I guess you may be influenced by how determined you are to save all the track that you remove - some of it may be damaged if removal is rushed. Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted February 27, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 27, 2011 If you don't wish to stick your track down you could lay ply over the MDF (stick it down)and pin to that, but at some point you will be laying ballast and that will have to be stuck down. I have used some MDF as well as ply, they are covered with cork (Evostick used) and the track pinned to that, after ballasting the pins are removed and I have not experienced "concrete". Either using foam or cork will cut down the "resonance" that you hear with a moving train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted February 27, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 27, 2011 I would glue cork down onto the MDF then stick the track onto the cork with copydex and use the same to fix the ballast. If you decide to rip it up you may lose the cork but its not that dear but the track and baseboard will be easy to recover. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 It can be laid on a strip of bathroom silicone sealant, pinned until the sealant has set, and then the pins removed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppercorn Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Oh, good, thanks for all your replies. I think the sensible thing to do would be to experiment with your ideas: that I'm just starting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 7013 Posted February 28, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 28, 2011 I am just building my plywood boards for my layout having used MDF for years. I must say the plywood is so much lighter. For my track I am going to experiment with using 'Fun Foam' from HobbyCraft. It is a lightweight foam that comes in A4 sheets at 49p each. It can be cut and put under the track quite easily, it also comes in lots of colours, I have chosen grey for my underlay. There are two or three shades of green which will make a good base for fields etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I just wanted to add that I really don't like the use of track pins, I think that they ruin the appearance of the track and nearly always distort the track alignment. I would always opt to glue track down preferably with Copydex or double-sided sticky tape. Ballasting usually makes everything very solid. I've used MDF - it is cheap, but is really not a solution for a long term layout. It generally requires more support and is heavier. I also find it harder to work than ply. I have no use for track underlay and cannot think of any reason to use it other than as gradient supports where I have used cork, foam board, polystyrene tiles or simply just card. I used to believe the "myth" of sound deadening properties of cork, but after several years an several layouts, I came round to the belief that any sound deadening was countered by the addition of ballast - it being minimal anyway as the majority of running sound is generated by the "drum" design of most baseboards. The foam underlay is a cop out for careful ballasting and just looks like foam. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I am in agreement with everything Kenton has said - except for the use of track pins. It is entirely possible to insert them into plywood without distorting track alignment and it is so easy to take them out again if you want to change something or even after ballasting. I don't like those with domed heads but some are invisible if inserted fully and the sleepers painted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 If you are having trouble getting PVA back off check what you are using. 'Real' PVA will come back off with liberal re-application of water, but a lot of people consider this isn't a feature and don't like things falling off damp walls, or their shed falling down so a lot of PVA products like Resin-W contain other stuff which stops this process. This generally means you want the cheapest nastiest unbranded unadulterated interior only kiddies glue stuff if you might be taking stuff apart again. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted March 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hot water will shift most PVA glues. It can resucue a forgotten brush where the resin W has had two days to set. I know of one chap used it to recover peco track that had been ballast outdoors with waterproof PVA. Mind you it would probably wreck the MDF. Remove the track with ballast then soak in hot water. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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