Flying ballast is crazy

[FJ and G]

I noticed that whenever it rains, the next day, chunks of ballast and mulch will be lying on my rails and lodged in the frogs and other flangeways, I I spend about 10 minutes with a paintbrush removing the pieces. Fortunately, my track is only about 150 feet.

The raindrops under the deck are especially large b/c they collect and fall thru the cracks like giant water balloons.

Does anyone else notice that ballast covers their rails after a good rain? And is it a common ritual to clean the track afterwards? Fortunately, I'm running R/C so dirty track isn't an issue. But pieces of ballast in the flangeways is an issue.

[tangerine-jack]

Well, I don't exactly use ballast anymore, but when I did I got a certain amout of ballast in the flageways and such.  Before each operating session I swept and inspected the track, so I guess that would be a common ritual.  This is a good arguement to mix mortar or other bonding agent with your ballast in the areas of concern.

[BudSteinhoff]

I use Titebond II /water mix on all my ballast, no problem with loose gtit after rains.

Bud

[pbjwilson]

Dave,

I wonder if you could make some kind of sweeper that you could run in front of an engine to dislodge all the junk from the rails. Something with a rotating brush sort of thing. I just saw something like this at the CTA shops in Skokie, IL.  I'll see if I can get a picture of it next time I drive that way.

 

Or  maybe a small leaf blower with a reduced nozzle on it to blow away the debris.