Track

It's a means to keep track sections from separating under use.  There are other ways to prevent this separation though, like track clips, which serve to secure the sections together but not to the table or deck (or floor) surface.

Mike

Depends:  Temporary set-up for display and long-term layout?  Securing would be better because eventually the track would come apart or "shift" because of the train movement.

Depends on the track, really. Classic tubular sectional track can do just fine without being secured to the surface, although it will still tend to shift. Fastrack, with its built-in roadbed, is also designed to work fairly well without having to be fixed down.

Other types of track are designed more with an eye toward being fastened down and ballasted on a permanent layout, although they can still work just resting on a surface while the layout is being tested and adjusted, but you may find more problems with sections working lose from each other or curves staying in alignment.

If you want to change-up your track layout periodically, then Fastrack or classic sectional tubular track are probably the way to go.

If this is a permanent layout, fasten it down. If you just want to use the space to run trains without truly building a layout, you can get by without fastening.

However …

All sectional track sections were never designed to remained connected in perpetuity without fastening.

Lionel FasTrack tried, but the plastic locking tabs simply don’t hold up, and the electrical connection between sections depends on a firm lock. MTH RealTrax is likewise not so dependable.

Never-used Lionel tubular track holds firm — not surprising, given how difficult it is to squeeze the sections together brand new — but after a few repeated assembly and disassembly routines to change up layout designs tubular track doesn’t hold together without fastening. Same for GarGraves.

Atlas track, with their sheet metal rail joints, were never meant to be used without fasteners. Same for MTH ScaleTrax.

Folks, I'm going to disagree here.  With the exception of tubular track, there is absolutely no need to fasten the track to the roadbed with anything other than ballast and glue.   If done properly, glueing the ballast will firmly secure your track to the roadbed.  Obviously, if you aren't ballasting your track, that's another story.

-Greg

@Greg Houser posted:

Folks, I'm going to disagree here.  With the exception of tubular track, there is absolutely no need to fasten the track to the roadbed with anything other than ballast and glue.   If done properly, glueing the ballast will firmly secure your track to the roadbed.  Obviously, if you aren't ballasting your track, that's another story.

-Greg

I think you missed the point. The OP asked if it was necessary “secure the track to the train board.” Glue and ballast is, in fact, securing or fastening it. No one said it had to be nails or screws.

In my experience it would be ideal to fasten it down.  I have been using fastrack lately and there are some factors that play into if it is necessary.

- It seems the more you assemble and disable fastrack the worse it is at staying connected.

- The more track you have, the less it seems to shift on a layout or floor.

- Certain track and functions seem to cause the track to separate the track for example using bumpers, especially with the bump-and-go trolleys that are constantly hitting them.  The bump and go trolley line I ran last Christmas stayed together but you could see it sliding as the trolley hit the bumpers.

With Fastrack for Christmas loops under the tree I use small binder clips under the track to hold the pieces together and this has done a good job keeping the track together.

The only other track system I have used is tubular track and it has been a similar experience to everything I posted above other than instead of binder clips use the clips like Mellow Hudson Mike posted.

Although Lionel tubular track sections have MANY holes in the crossties for fastening them to a layout platform, I install just ONE screw in every-other track section - alternating the positions of the track screws from side to side.  That's enough to hold the track sections in alignment on my 15x19 feet L-shaped layout. It's also easy to remove the sections when/if the route of the track must be changed. I avoid placing hold-down screws in switches to avoid applying over-torqued pressure on the switch rails. The KISS maxim applies ... Keep It Simple, Sam.

I can't imagine any hobbyist using all six crew holes in the crossties of a O31 section of tubular track for fastening. Overkill!!

A modular club layout I designed used Atlas O sectional track and followed the same pattern as above. We never had a problem with track movement at curves, switches, and modular joints.

My annual Christmas under-tree modest layout has Lionel FasTrak and rests on carpeting. The FasTrak sections "grip" the carpet fibers OK.

Mike Mottler    LCCA 1294