In the red rock country of Nevada, the UP uses grey ballast - crushed limestone.
The, "Red rocks," are sandstone - soft, friable and a really poor choice for ballast, which has to be durable under load. I don't know where UP gets their limestone, but I gather that shipping it in is worth the expense or they wouldn't do it.
OTOH, a bare-bones shortline operation would frequently ballast their newly-laid track with, "Native material" - a locating engineer's euphemism for whatever gravel could be screened out of the dirt inside the right-of-way boundaries.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Once you get your gray ballast down, it may seem like too much of a contrast and stick out like a sore thumb. If it does, mix up a red-rock wash and paint over it (track & ballast) and it will tone it down and blend in with the red rock scenery more.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
I just finished a southwest based portable large scale layout but had the same issue, no ballast in the color I wanted, so I dyed my own.
Now for HO I do not how well your standard Woodland Scenics ballast would take a dye, but on mine I used kitty litter (no kidding) and a dye "stain" of red/brown rust acrylic thinned with water. I just dipped a strainer full of the ballast into the dye and just made sure it was entirely coated, then let it drain and then placed it outside in the sun to dry. I then mixed a little of the coarse Woodland Scenics "Iron Ore" and "Dark Brown" ballast into the mix to give it some texture and color variation. Works for me as you can see the results.
Have fun with your trains
gandydancer19 wrote: Once you get your gray ballast down, it may seem like too much of a contrast and stick out like a sore thumb. If it does, mix up a red-rock wash and paint over it (track & ballast) and it will tone it down and blend in with the red rock scenery more.
In the NYs Catskills, there are areas of red stone. The red dirt and red dust can get everywhere, so a red wash sounds real to me. I've never been to the SW except for Lost Wages and the Hoover Dam.
You know, I used to live in the Catskills, and even went to a few oops's along the Werie Erie, and I do not remember what color the ballast was.
Isn't that sad? It's awfull to get old.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow