Stretch That Expensive Ballast

[underworld]

I love GarGraves! It's the best deal I can find on gauge 1 3 -rail track.

underworld

aka The Violet

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Big_Boy_4005]

Yup, thanks.

[underworld]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

The cheap stuff from Petsmart. No colored crystals, pure clay, I believe non-clumping.
It gets mushy when wet, but when the glue dries, it's rock hard. In the photo the upper track has been glued.

Looks really good! Is that GarGraves track???

underworld

aka The Violet

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Big_Boy_4005]

The cheap stuff from Petsmart. No colored crystals, pure clay, I believe non-clumping.
It gets mushy when wet, but when the glue dries, it's rock hard. In the photo the upper track has been glued.

[Anonymous]

Not all types of Kitty Litter are the same.

Non-Clumping or Clumping Kitty Litter?

Andrew F.

[Big_Boy_4005]

That's an interesting idea, but I gave up on the expensive stuff long ago. I have way too much track to ballast.

I've become a big fan of kitty litter at about $1 per gallon. One nice thing about it is if you ever have to remove it, just soak it again and it turns to mush. I salvaged some switches and track from a previous layout that were ballasted with Woodland Scenics. What a pain to clean them.

[Anonymous]

If you buy ballast in the bottle (plastic) then you know it can add up when you start to do the whole layout. I use sifted stone dust for a base and sprinkle a LITTLE ballast on top . Add a few black cinders and then the water/glue mix and you're done. The stone dust is a nice color gray and blends well with the ballast. This way, your ballast will go a long way and you save a buck(s).
Get the stone dust at at masonary supply place. Just ask someone if you can fill a 5 gal bucket , etc. They might charge a buck or two or not.