I live in Oakley just over the hill form you, I get My 1/4 blue minus from Morgan's in Antiock for $27.00 a I/2 yard ( 1/2 ton Pick up load ). the last load I got was 40% dust and worked very well.
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
I would say that you have found the solution to your problem. Looks good to me. Now it is time to get outside and "play in the dirt". get them trains a running.
Tom Trigg
Ok .. just went to the garden supply store again, and I realized I have had the sizes confused.
You guys are right, 1/2" is too big! What I meant instead was 1/4" .... This is what they have:
They let me take some samples home so I took a small bag of each and did a quick test at home
Dug a few inches down, used 3/8" gravel base, put the track down, and put the 1/4" granite as ballast. Then topped it off with basalt fines (the dusty stuff).
This is how it turned out:
I have a northern railroad, which has freezing and thawing and alot of humidity in the summer. I use limestone crusher fines, that I buy from Home Depot for $2.99 a bag (30lb) or my local landscape supply store, where I can buy it by the yard. The fines are used to lock in brick pavers for patios and walkways. The size of the stone varies, and includes dust. The color of the stone and dust is natural light to medium gray. The beauty of the fines, is that when they become wet, the dust and stones form together and create a bond to hold the track in place. This makes the track more natural looking, and when I'm looking to make a change to the layout, the track comes up, and I simply tap off the fines from the tracks. The other nice thing is that it doesn't wash away after a rain storm, wind or winter runoff. Even after freezing and thawing over the winter, the tracks stay in place and a few adjustments only need to be made to level the track. I hope this helps.
TTRIG,
Lyngso Garden Materials, where I went to check out rock selections, didn't have crusher fines, or chicken grit. They did have DG, but they also have 1/4", 1/2" and 3/8" crushed granite rock.
Then they have this, they call it 3/8 "Taffy", but it is made up of rocks 1/4" to 1/2"
http://www.lyngsogarden.com/index.cfm?event=Display.Home.Product&sku=38T&homeCategory=STONE&categoryid=1094&productId=70227
Just note, their web site seems to be missing a few items that they sell ... (ie- smaller crushed granite options)
I'm out in the East Bay (Concord) I get what they call 1/4 by dust from the Clayton quarry. I use it for sub roadbed and ballast. Works pretty well. It should be available from your local supplier.
Bill
Don't believe everything you think!
I must agree with Rex that 3/8" and ½" rocks are too large for ballast. Run a scale ruler over it and you have boulders 8.5 through 12 inches being used as ballast. I would use the 3/8 as sub-roadbed material. Nataraj: You used the phrase "Crushed Granite", where did you get it? Are you sure it was not labeled "DG" (Decomposed Granite) You should be using crusher fines (generally 1/8 inch minus, but mostly it is "dust" with extremely sharp edges for stability for ballast material.
My soil is just hard and dry...
So even the 1/2" would be too large to put between the rails?
I use balsat chrusher fines which have sharper edges than decomposed granite. Either 1/2" or 3/8" rock would work for roadbed but would be far too large for balast. The thickness of your roadbed depends on your soil and grade. If you have sticky clay or fine sand you're going to want a thicker roadbed. Let us know what your soild conditions are.
Rex
Which would be better for roadbed/ballast:
Should I use the1/2" or 3/8" chrushed granite? (The 1/2" stuff has more "dust" to it than the 3/8")
Another idea I had was using the 3/8" as the base, and use the 1/2" as the top ballast after laying the track.
Let me know what you guys think!
Thanks,
Nataraj
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