Removing Ballasted track

Paul,

What did you use to glue the ballast in place? - If you used PVA I think it will soften up a bit with a 'wet' water spray - then you should be able to get something wide and flat under the track to lift it off. What are those "paint scrapper" tools called? I can't remember.

 

Paul,if you used a waterbased glue you can flood the ballasted area with water.Give the water a chance to soak into the ballast ,and it will loosen the glue so that you can pry the track up with a wide putty knife or whatever you Aussies call them.

If done carefully and slowly you should have no problem removing track and turnouts(points ?)

Good to see that you are FINALLY getting started on YOUR layout extention.

PS... Warm water seems to work faster.

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[ 27 March 2001: Message edited by: Catt ]

 

If you used Matte Medium, diluted Elmer's, or other water-soluble glue to bond the ballast ... just spray the area with Wet Water and wait for the glue to soften, any where from a couple of minutes to an hour(?). Then use a small shop vacuum with a tight nozzle to carefully(!) remove the ballast.

I call that wide flat "paint scrapper tool" a "Putty Knife", but I'm sure there are other names, some not fit for family viewing.

Hank

 

Yes - 'putty knife' thanks guys.

FYI - Elmer's glue isn't available in Australia - PVA is basically the same thing - water soluble white glue.

 

Hi, all. I'd have tried tape knife but it prob'ly works both ways. I've only used diluted Elmers for ballast, and agree with the warm water method, sorry don't know about how to deal with others. Be interested to hear about the lessons learned. Bobby

 

In order to take out some of my track I first soaked it with water and then cut some out with my Atlas Super Saw.

 

Warm water, bristle brush and a STRONG Shop-Vac! Takes the ballast right off! Then you can remove the track anyway you want...

 

PVA (PolyVinylAlcohol)(Hair Spray for thin spray on type) can also be loosened and scraped up or vacuumed by putting a rubber hose on a tea kettle and steam the area as you remove ballast. The track nails, and any rail spikes must be removed first. Also, disconnect the throw mechanism, and drive any rail joiners back onto one rail or the other. Then each rail is free to come up without bending. Steam will not loosen solder, but will also loosen hot glue and AC.
A baby bottle warmer will work too, but you have to rig a cup with a lid and spout for the hose. Excess water can ruin the plywood's glue under, and will destroy glued cork. Steam will not if used sparingly. Steam is good to bend or straighten plastic car bodies etc and EverGreen stock. (Tip).

 

I'm sorry Colonel, your PVA glue is like we Have Elmer's white glue.

Over here women's hair spray (which is pva chemical) is quite often used to spray the road bed and stick the fine grain ballast much the same as contact cement. She can set her hair and when the "glue" dries, her "hair do" will remain nice all day. Then she can rinse her hair at night and it is soft and clean again; so water soluable. It is also used in making foliage on our trees. It is also a derivative of milk glue in some brands, and either will wash out with water. It is thinner than the white glue.

We do have Elmer's Wood glue (a yellow color) that is also a milk glue, but has more casene for greater strength holding wood and porous products.

Sorry for the missunderstanding.

 

This topic came in handy last night. I had to remove a little track that I had already glued down (thankfully not ballasted). I just sprayed a little "wet" water on it, then ran the back side of my exacto knife under the track. It worked like a charm.

 

I didn't know hair spray was water-soluble, that's a great idea. It's gotta be cheaper than Matte Medium, less messy than Elmer's, and easier to clean off the railheads. Do you use a shield to keep it from getting all over the scenery?

Hank

 

Hank,
The only times scenery was already there, I first vacuumed the area, then used some sheets of typewriter paper laid along the roadbed extending out over the scenery. Several sheets overlapped along each side. At a drafting supply (where they make blue prints) they sell colored tape in different widths in rolls. It is used in making drawings for PC Boards. I got the 1/8" wide and it is self adhesive, so stuck it to the top of each rail to cover the length I was to spray. Then sprayed lightly about 10" quickly grabbed the salt shaker of ballast and covered the sprayed area, sprayed another 10", "salted" and so on. It was allowed to dry for a half hour, then used a NEW sweeper bag and vacuumed the excess ballast, and re-sprayed again until the ballast looked right. After ballasting and drying the last time, I stripped off the tape for re-use, and let it all set 24 hours. It is easier to apply a little at a time, than have it too thick and have to try to remove the excess. The ballast gathered in the sweeper bag is clean and re-usable too. I did not use "wet" water, only the hair spray, because the only thing on the top when finished is ballast, so no gloss from thinned glue. The ballast was dry on top, so looked natural.

The PCB tapes are usefull for your control panel too!

 

Also another very good way of cleaning ballst from used track is to soak your track in warm water and then use a pressure cleaner, put the track rail side down or you will blow the ties off.
Works great!