Ballasting track


K

kylewoody

Member
Hey guys,

Sorry again, I'm just new - I ballasted my Pensacola yard with a dark brown color. Learned alot there, such as I definitely need to protect more of my turnouts next time and not go so high with it. Spent hours getting it all "un-gunked"! :eek: However, it's working pretty well now with my Atlas GP-30.

Anywho, I was going to do my mainline next, with a light gray. Here's my question:

When I saturate and soak down the ballast with wet water, will it cause my roadbed (a water based, wood glue) to come undone? They have sat now for atleast two weeks.

I would assume that once the glue is cured and hardened that water would not affect it - as in, make it become sticky and weak again... especially in turns.

Thanks!
Kyle
 
I don't really know the specifics about the glue you used. It should be at least resistant to water once it's cured, but, I can't make that guarantee for you.You're best bet might be to make a test piece on a scrap piece of wood or foam. Make 6" to a foot of exactly what you are doing on your layout and test it there. That's probably the only way you'll know for sure what's going to happen.
 
Kyle, I second what Clonefan94 said. If that doesn't turn out well try the same test using 70% Rubbing Alcohol. I find that works better than the "wet Water" and dries quicker which may protect the track glue better........
 
I go along with Ray. Alcohol has worked a lot better for me in cutting the surface friction of the ballast. You shouldn't have any problem regardless of which one you use. I hold my roadbed down with white glue and have soaked everything without any problem. :)
 
I too prefer alcohol. I've noticed that it softens up the glues I've used some, but, never to the extent that I'm worried about something coming up.
 
In fact, contrary to what many fellas do, I don't soak my ballast very much, certainly not to the point where the first solution, the alcohol and water is seeping down and away from the edges. I do use a dropper to dribble some into the ballast, but just enough so that the glue solution that follows will want to seep down into the ballast for a way...only.

I have found that you don't need a strong solution of either the wet water or the glue that follows. Also, you don't need to soak the living daylights out of the ballast each time. It's wasteful for one, and it takes that much longer for it to dry. Instead, I have found that if I wet only the top half, roughly, it forms a nice solid shell that also bonds to the surrounding terrain and it can be easily broken up later if you need to do repairs. I have done this on two successive layouts and been very happy and confident with the results.
 
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