Model Forum / General / Railroads / July 2005

Jeff,

I had same problem mounting Caboose throws on my foam surface.  My wife has
some 2 inch quilting needles that fit through the two holes on the ground
throw.  They have round tips on them that I painted black to match the color
of the throws.  I shimmed the throw to make it level with the turnout arm
and push the pins through the throw holes.  A little Elmers holds the pins
in place.  Been in place for about six months and no problems.  Will make it
easy to replace if they break.

Keith

Jeff,

Dab contact cement w/small brush. Can even be removed and the surfaces
filled w/wood-filler and glue combination on homosote.

"Foam"... "fill" area LIGHTLY w/plastic model cement first. Dry. Then
contact cement.

Jeff

Homosote is a excellent material for holding track nails.  That is what
I use to nail down ground throws.  In fact I use homosote as a roadbed
when nailing down track.  Never had a nail come lose from homosote.

Fred Ellis

place a small amount of balsa glue on each nail or pin or for that matter
into the hole used to secure the ground throw it should work as a packing
agent in the hole and harden in the hole.  I would use a small pair of
pliers and notch the nails or pins to give them an irregular shape more for
glue to harden over.

but thats what I'd do

mick

You could use hot glue for the homasote, but it will hold the track nails
just fine.

You can use Latex Contact cement or Liquid Nails for Projects for the foam.

Ues a piece of basswood 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and larger than the base
of the throw. Trace around it and excavate the foam so the wood sits
down in it, and glue it in with hot-melt glue. Then mount the throw on
the wood as normal.

I used a similar technique for mounting slide switches that I use for
turnout control, power routing to the frog, and dwarf signals showing
turnout position on my Bend Track modules... carve a hole in the foam
the size of the switch, put the wired switch in place, then pump the
hole full of hot-melt glue from the bottom. Provides strain relief for
the wires and holds the switch in position.