Ballasting

[challenger3802]

My new layout will have track laid directly onto painted cork underlay. I've so far heard of more than four ways to put ballast around it. How do you ballast track?

All ideas are helpful!

[cwclark]

i use the very fine ballast from wood land scenics...first I take a spoonful of ballast and sprinkle it down the middle of the track..(IThe work is in about two foot sections) ..then take a soft brush and work the ballast between the ties and try to keep as much of it off the sides of the rails or the tops of the ties as possible..then i do the same thing to the outside rails and ties.. i then take a windex bottle of water with about 4-5 drops of liquid detergent in it and gently wet the ballast...once the ballast is throughly soaked, yet not so much water that it's running all over the place, I'll apply a 50% water / 50% white glue mixture to the ballast with an old glue bottle or a large needleless syringe with a rubber tube attached to the end for better control of the glue...once the glue is in place and has soaked into the ballast, i'll take a piece of card stock folded in half, pour a teaspoon of ballast in the "V" shape of the cardstock, and sprinkle the ballast in any bare spots, places i've missed, or depressions, if any of the ballast has moved from applying the water or the glue ...lightly wet it one more time and let it dry...once it has throughly dried, i'll take a hobby knife with a small vaccuum cleaner suction and remove any stray pieces of ballast from the sides of the rails, or on top of the ties..(anywhere the ballast shouldn't be)...one other thing..i never ballast around any moving parts of a turnout...Chuck

[challenger3802]

Thanks Chuck, it's printed off for future reference!

Ian

[Anonymous]

I find that instead of using detergent, rubbing alcohol works well. Also, make sure that your ballast is thoroughly soaked with the glue. Otherwise it will form a crust of glued ballast with loose stuff underneath.
Reed

[ndbprr]

S0me people use the ballast from the scale smaller than the one they model. Somehow it looks better to some eyes. I definitely do this in yards using N scale cinders and like the effect. I also don't use cork. It looks way to high for me. I rip a cheap sheet of paneling into 1" wide strips that I notch on a radial arm saw. These are half the height and look better to me. One sheet of paneling yields 384' of ballast board. Then I just sprinkle ballast between the rails and smooth it with a 1" paint brush in HO. last step is take a screw driver holding it by the point and let the handle tap the rails to vibrate the ballast tighter. This seems to remove about 98% of the ballast sitting on the ties. Then follow the wetting and glueing as published. By the way a damaged sheet of paneling can be had for a couple of bucks.

[challenger3802]

Thanks for the ideas, all the more the merrier!!

[Anonymous]

I was wondering if I am right on this, I thought there was a cylinder shape tool that drops the ballast right where you want by running the tool over the rails, this seems like a quicker way to do, that is if I am right about it.

[howmus]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

last step is take a screw driver holding it by the point and let the handle tap the rails to vibrate the ballast tighter. This seems to remove about 98% of the ballast sitting on the ties.

Great tip that I have not heard before. I will try that next time I am ballasting track! (Which will be soon.)

[jecorbett]

My biggest fault when ballasting is putting too much down. Then when I glue it, it floats over the tops of the ties and builds up along the inside of the rails. Then I have to take a small screwdriver and scrape it away. You can probably get away with half of what you think you should put down. You can always add more later.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jecorbett

My biggest fault when ballasting is putting too much down. Then when I glue it, it floats over the tops of the ties and builds up along the inside of the rails. Then I have to take a small screwdriver and scrape it away. You can probably get away with half of what you think you should put down. You can always add more later.

This has also been my experience. One other thing to consider - I am a firm believer that ballasting can make, or break a layout, in terms of prototypical apperance. Although there may be many more things on the layout that look very real, the main focus will always be the trains. And you can't look at the trains without looking at the track. So take your time and get the ballasting right! The little bit of extra time will pay off later! Just my [2c]!

[selector]

Amen to that, Kevin. I know that everything you present counts, but the eyes tend to linger on the trains, and the immediate surroundings are the tracks and ballast. If a person decides to cast her eyes to the tracks after the train passes, what will she see?

[colvinbackshop]

Bruce 47 wrote:
"I was wondering if I am right on this, I thought there was a cylinder shape tool that drops the ballast right where you want by running the tool over the rails, this seems like a quicker way to do, that is if I am right about it.:
JB says:
Yes, there is such a tool, I have one and use it. It does, however take some getting used to (turning on and off the flow, or you get too much ballast down) I got it at an auction in a "stuff/treasure box" and will have to look for the information, but I will get back to you on it.

[rolleiman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bruce47

I was wondering if I am right on this, I thought there was a cylinder shape tool that drops the ballast right where you want by running the tool over the rails, this seems like a quicker way to do, that is if I am right about it.

If you are considering one of these things, I would really reccomend you save your money.. Some cheap plastic spoons and some $1 1" wide bristol type paint brushes from the hardware will go a lot further.. I had one of the MLR units and it was such a pain if you didn't get it flowing Just right (which I never did), I gave it away.. Add to that the fact that you still have to brush away the excess, shape the slopes, you are much better off spending your money elsewhere.. Of course, anyone wishing to purchase one, is free to do so..

Jeff
[8D]

[Anonymous]

So far, and I am still new at this, my favorite ballasting tools are a 3X5 note card folded into a V for spreading the ballast along the track. An acid brush for leveling and shaping it and a small straw to use as a pipette to apply the alcohol for wetting and then the diluted glue.

Tapping the rails to settle the ballast is a great Idea. I will be sure to try it next time. So far ballasting has been the most nerve wracking thing I have found in this (or any) hobby.

[selector]

Believe it or not, I used a grocery store bakery pie plate, the throw-away aluminum type.

I placed about half a pound of beach sand onto the pie plate, held the plate rim tilted downard, parallel to the rails, and just gently shook the plate to send a cascade of sand to where I needed it. After, a small artist's brush arranged the sand inside the rails to suit me. The pie plate method worked the shoulder contours very well.

[colvinbackshop]

Jeff is right..a spoon works! And most anything you are comfortable using!
I got my "ballaster" for $2.00, along with all sort of treasures.
I can't find any additional information on the tool, but I have seen them, along with other track-laying tools in Micro-Mark.

[nbrodar]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr
last step is take a screw driver holding it by the point and let the handle tap the rails to vibrate the ballast tighter. This seems to remove about 98% of the ballast sitting on the ties.

Hay you stole my idea [;)]. Although, I use the handle of my brush. Seriously, it's really the only way to get the ballast to lay right.

Other then that, I use plastics spoons to lay the ballast, a 1/2" bru***o push it around, some wet water (water, and rubbing alcohol) in a spray bottle, and a 50/50 mix of white glue, with a little rubbing alcohol, in a screw top mustard bottle.

Nick