Ballast concerns

[Ron Hill]

Moosie, what you are looking for is quarter down to power (quarter down) limestone. Check with gravel dealers in your area.  It is also used to make asphalt. If there are bulk limestone facilities such as Martin Marietta Materials, you will probably be able to find quarter down there. They ship out of the major ports in Flordia. If there is a asphalt manufacture in your area such as APAC, there should be a supplier for their aggregates near by.

[spookytown rr]

Call you local quarry and see what they have, if theres no local quarry, just call your local landscaper, we all usually have some around.

ps real landscapers do not use stonedust to lay bricks on, we use SAND, to my knowledge NONE of the major brick manufacturers suggest stonedust , Tecoblock,Hanover, uniLock, etc..

quote from ICPI website

Q: Why are screening and stone dust not recommended for the bedding layer?

A: Screenings have excessive amounts of fines (passing the No. 200 screen), which compromises the ability to bear and distribute loads. These small particles hold excessive amounts of water, causing the bedding layer to become saturated.  This liquefied layer then becomes unstable and can even pump out of the joints.  

Properly graded course multi grained sands conforming to ASTM C33 and CSA A23.1 will perform better over time. This type of sand is readily available from your local supplier. Most suppliers may refer to this product as washed concrete sand. Ask your supplier for confirmation from the quarry that this material complies with the ASTM or CSA, specification especially regarding the amount passing the number 200 sieve.  It is recommended that the maximum amount passing this sieve is 1%.  

[kstrong]

   Kstrong........is there a law about using ground-up oyster shells ????

Not that I'm aware of, it's just a matter of what's available. I grew up in Maryland, which had the Chesapeake Bay, lots of oysters, and a thriving poultry industry on the eastern shore. The shells were commonly used as grit for the chickens. When my dad and I went out in search of chicken grit for our ballast, making sure what we were getting from the feed store was not shells was a concern. (We abandoned chicken grit in favor of crusher fines in the early 90s--much, much cheaper.)

Later,

K

[DennisB]

Stone dust is also another common name for gray fines. Companies that sell driveway gravel may very well carry this product. You can also find it at businesses that also sell interlocking paver stones. Stone dust is used as a base for this. Good luck.

[EMPIRE II LINE]

I know what might work for ya Moosie give me a call I just E-mailed ya....

[Moosie]

  Thanks fellows !! Looks like I have a bit of driving around to do to check all this out. I'll start at the feed store as it's on the way to Home Depot.

  Tom's 2 cents worth appeals to me as I used to sift winter road sand when I was up north building N and HO layouts. Bottles and bottles of differeent size sand and rock that could be used anywhere.

  Karl, haven't got a clue where there's a concrete block factory. Being Florida....I'm sure there has to be one somewhere close by.

  Kstrong........is there a law about using ground-up oyster shells ????

  If I have any trouble.....or need more help.......I'll get back to you

MOOSIE

[kstrong]

Careful with turkey/chicken grit in Florida (and other seaboard states) as the grit may be ground-up oyster shells, not stone. It depends on the brand; just something to look out for.

Later,

K

[altterrain]

As mentioned above, turkey or chicken grit from a feed store may work for you.

I would stay away from kitty litter as it is low temp fired clay and not very durable. OilSorb or similar product used for getting up oil spills is fired at a higher temperature. The best is a product called Turface which is fired at high temps and is made to be a soil amendment.

-Brian 

[Karl Reichenbach]

Moosie,

I have found that the agreagate used to make concrete block is as good or better than most other products out there, and easier to find.

It  compacts great for the base and is just about the right size to top ballast the track.

Check with a concrete block manfacture in your area.

Karl

[OeBB]

For subroad bed i recommend using crusher fines (aka grey fines) which is very very cheap.  i bought a ton for about $5 from a quarry.  Then on top of that i use a very light layer of granite chips (aka turkey grit).  I buy the granite chips at a farm feed store as it is normally given to turkeys for their girzards (i think?).  Also, i have heard of peopling using aquarium stones. 

 Good luck

[ttrigg]

Moosie;

Here is a recent find of  mine.  At my Home Depot, in the construction section, along with the cement and sand, they have started carrying crushed agregate.  I took some 2x4's some old 1/2 inch and 1/4 inch hardware cloth and made a couple of "grading seives".  After "sizing" a bag (1 cu ft), I have the 1/2 inch plus stuff for the subroad bed,  the 1/2 inch minus for a "top coat" for the road bed, and the 1/4 inch minus for ballast.  So far each of the eight bags have proportioned out so that a bag gives me about 5 foot of track on the ground.

[Moosie]

  I'm an old hand at model railroading (N & HO)..........but now that I've turned 68, and retired to Florida, I decided to take on a new challenge........G Guage/G Scale. If you thought you knew everything about modelling a railway........think again !!!

  I'm just about ready to set down track in a 7-1/2' X 16' area alongside my carport.(All the mobile park would allow). My soil is weed infested "sand" so, at a later date, I am going to have to buy bags of topsoil to plant my scenery, so to speak. But right now I want to know what I can use for ballest around the track.

  I've been to a dozen or so places that sell "rock" but none of it is scale to size. What I'm looking for is something like a coarse "kitty litter" that is grey in color. Speaking of kitty litter......does some company make a coarse non-absorbant brand as that would be ideal. Was also thinking of aquarium botton gravel (non color).

Just so everone knows............my garden railway is going to be battery powered and running the Scientific Toys/EZTec mogal and a Bachmann 4-6-0. And "yes", I'm running plastic track for the moment until Social Security ups my monthly check.