Yes, as Carl says, I VERY carefully draw the screws down until they just touch the roadbed without distorting it.
To ensure electrical connectivity I use Lionel's recommended tip of bending the center-rail tabs inward slightly as shown in this pic:
CAREFULLY bent in the direction of the screwdriver tip. The tabs are cast metal and will break. I also lightly crimp the [hollow] outside rail ends so they have a friction-fit with the mating [adjoining] rail tabs.