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Any close-up pictures of HO track & ballast?

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Posted by DeadheadGreg on Sunday, April 13, 2008 9:43 PM
 bogp40 wrote:

WS and Scenic Xpress mix on the mains

 

Hey bob, is that your home layout or the club?  Looks wonderful. 

 

Wolfgang- is there anything special you need to keep in mind when building a curved turnout with the Proto87/CV kits? 

PHISH REUNION MARCH 6, 7, 8 2009 HAMPTON COLISEUM IN HAMPTON, VA AND I HAVE TICKETS!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! [quote user="jkroft"]As long as my ballast is DCC compatible I'm happy![/quote] Tryin' to make a woman that you move.... and I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world....
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Posted by bogp40 on Sunday, April 13, 2008 7:43 PM

WS and Scenic Xpress mix on the mains

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

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Posted by zeno on Sunday, April 13, 2008 3:06 PM
I agree this is the best ballasting I have seen in HO. I have had some success with actual fine rock (sifted dirt). When I tried WS fine ballast I couldn't get it to stay in place - it would hop about on the ties and rails from what seemed like static electricity. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance...
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Posted by wedudler on Friday, April 4, 2008 7:42 AM

The railbars came with the kit, from Proto:87 as well as CV.  I've used both. They're from plastic and I glued them with plastic cement. (from Faller or similiar) 

I've had no problems with curved turnouts. These are #6 and #8. And the radii are over 2m (6') .

I've airbrushed the wooden ties like the plastic ties. There's only one turnout with wooden ties and this derail. I've build the derail from left over parts of this Proto:87 turnout kit.

Wolfgang 

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

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Posted by twhite on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 8:02 PM

This is the closest I've got to a 'close-up' of track and ballast, it's at Wagon Wheel Gap on my HO Yuba River Sub.  The track is Sinohara code 100 and the, ballast is mixed from WS medium gray, light gray and cinder.  I use a mixture of Floquil Boxcar Red, Roof Brown and Grimy Black to spray my rails before applying the ballast, then immeditely wipe the heads clean with a cloth soaked in alcohol.  Any residue left on the railheads, I lightly rub with a Micro-Mark Track-Cleaner on a 'Stick', which I use to clean track in hard to reach areas (which seems to be most of my layout, LOL!). 

 

Works for me.

Tom Smile [:)] 

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Posted by DeadheadGreg on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 12:00 PM
 wedudler wrote:

Yes, these are turnouts from Proto:87, code 70. Here you will find my experience:

http://www.westportterminal.de/H0-USA/diamond_valley_e8.html

Wolfgang 

 

Oh word, I forgot that they made frogs like that for Code 70.  Are those railbars the ones that come with the Central Valley turnout kits?  I'm still confused as to whether the railbars are ones that Andy makes or the ones that just come with the regular CV kits. 

How did you attach the railbars?  Did you just glue them?  Also, I was wondering if you had any problems with building the turnout as a curved one.  I actually poured over your site last night when I saw the first picture you had posted. 

With the Ultimate turnout of yours, what did you do to stain the wooden ties? 

PHISH REUNION MARCH 6, 7, 8 2009 HAMPTON COLISEUM IN HAMPTON, VA AND I HAVE TICKETS!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! [quote user="jkroft"]As long as my ballast is DCC compatible I'm happy![/quote] Tryin' to make a woman that you move.... and I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world....
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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 10:30 AM

austfox

So in your experience is it best to paint the rails before or after laying the ballast?

Well, for me it was best to do it before ballasting, as I had several large bridges to install, which involved cutting the plywood sub-roadbed and some other constuction-type jobs.  I found it to be a good task for those times when I didn't want to get too involved in a project - you can paint as much or as little as you like at one time.  This also keeps the task from becoming tedious, although it does go surprisingly quickly.  I was really amazed at what a difference it made in the appearance, even without ballast:  it's great "bang for the buck", both dollar-wise and time-wise.

In the photo below, all of the track is laid directly on the plywood, with no roadbed.  The two mainlines are part of a small interchange yard, and I wanted to keep "ground" in the area fairly level for the convenience and safety of the LPBs (little plastic brakemen).  The cinder sub-ballast (hopefully) enhances the illusion that the track was properly graded for drainage, at least at one time. Smile, Wink & Grin

 

Wayne 

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Posted by austfox on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 6:20 AM
 doctorwayne wrote:

For painting rail, I find that a brush is faster than spraying, as there's less clean-up.  Use at least a 1/2" brush, with fairly stiff bristles - it'll let you work the paint around the moulded-on

 

 

Hi!

So in your experience is it best to paint the rails before or after laying the ballast?

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Posted by wedudler on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 3:32 AM

Yes, these are turnouts from Proto:87, code 70. Here you will find my experience:

http://www.westportterminal.de/H0-USA/diamond_valley_e8.html

Wolfgang 

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 12:26 AM

Nothing wrong with copying well-done model track, but this may help, too:

 

For painting rail, I find that a brush is faster than spraying, as there's less clean-up.  Use at least a 1/2" brush, with fairly stiff bristles - it'll let you work the paint around the moulded-on spike heads, and hold enough paint that you don't have to reload it so often.  I use PollyScale paint (no odour) and do about 12' or 15' of track at a time, then wipe the rail tops with a dry rag stretched over my fingers.  The paint will be dry to the touch, but not fully hardened, so it wipes off easily.  I always wait at least 24 hours before running trains.  Turnouts take a little longer to paint - centre the points until the paint is dry.  If you spray the rails, anything near the tracks needs to be removed or covered, and if you have an around-the-room layout, it's awkward spraying the far side of the rails - it's easy for the "sprayer" to become the "sprayee". Wink  Another reason to prefer a brush over spraying is that any overspray becomes dust on your layout, which is not conducive to trouble-free operation.

Wayne 

 

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Posted by DeadheadGreg on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 8:21 PM
 wedudler wrote:

 

Wolfgang 

 

 

Wolfgang: please tell me thats a code 83 turnout from Andy's Proto87 store.......    I've been jonesing so hard to see a picture of one of his turnouts "in action"

PHISH REUNION MARCH 6, 7, 8 2009 HAMPTON COLISEUM IN HAMPTON, VA AND I HAVE TICKETS!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! [quote user="jkroft"]As long as my ballast is DCC compatible I'm happy![/quote] Tryin' to make a woman that you move.... and I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world....
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Posted by bogp40 on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 6:57 PM
 jfugate wrote:

Here's my track:

(Click image to enlarge) 

The very first issue of Realistic Layouts (May 2006) featured my Siskiyou Line on the cover, and the lead article was how I weather and ballast my track.

You can also find more info in my Scenery Forum Clinic

Joe,

You still have some of the best ballasted track I've seen. I have tried your Tempra coloring method. That's the trick. Way better than stains, dyes and diluted paints.

Thanks for the tip.

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

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Posted by SilverSpike on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 6:05 PM

Atlas flex track Code 83 and Woodland Scenics Fine Gray Ballast

Ryan Boudreaux
The Piedmont Division
Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger era
Cajun Chef Ryan

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Posted by jfugate on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 2:49 PM

Here's my track:

(Click image to enlarge) 

The very first issue of Realistic Layouts (May 2006) featured my Siskiyou Line on the cover, and the lead article was how I weather and ballast my track.

You can also find more info in my Scenery Forum Clinic

Joe Fugate Modeling the 1980s SP Siskiyou Line in southern Oregon

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Posted by shayfan84325 on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 2:07 PM
 fiatfan wrote:
 wedudler wrote:

http://www.westportterminal.de/meetings/2008Ubach-Palenberg/08-03-29_IMG_3691_1200.jpg

http://www.westportterminal.de/H0-USA/Diamond_Valley/08-03-02_IMG_3354_1200.jpg

Wolfgang 

Absolutely stunning!

Tom 

Gotta agree with you, Tom.  There is some fine work in those pictures.

Phil,
I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.

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Posted by fiatfan on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 1:29 PM
 wedudler wrote:

http://www.westportterminal.de/meetings/2008Ubach-Palenberg/08-03-29_IMG_3691_1200.jpg

http://www.westportterminal.de/H0-USA/Diamond_Valley/08-03-02_IMG_3354_1200.jpg

Wolfgang 

Absolutely stunning!

 

Tom 

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Posted by wedudler on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 12:59 PM

If the paint is fresh you can take cloth with solver.

I use for the dry paint a rubber.

Wolfgang 

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

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Posted by The Old Man on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 11:42 AM

Everybody is so generous with their time in posting their great pictures.  Thanks from a newbie.  I was wondering, for those that spray paint their tracks, how do you (or do you need to) clean off the tops for electrical contact?

 Thanks

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Posted by wedudler on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 11:06 AM

 

Wolfgang 

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

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Posted by shayfan84325 on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 9:06 AM

 tomkat-13 wrote:



Nice work Tomkat.  Are these guys hard at work or hardly working? Smile [:)]

Excellent replica of a worksite.

Phil,
I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.

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Posted by tomkat-13 on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 3:38 AM








I model MKT & CB&Q in Missouri. A MUST SEE LINK: Great photographs from glassplate negatives of St Louis 1914-1917!!!! http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/kempland/glassplate.htm Boeing Employee RR Club-St Louis http://www.berrc-stl.com/
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Posted by bogp40 on Monday, March 31, 2008 6:43 PM

 DeadheadGreg wrote:
hey bog, that first picture:  ME flex mainline with handlaid yard tracks?

The 2 mainline tracks to the left are Walther's/ Shinihara code 83, and yes the yard is handlaid. The club members decided to use the Walther's over the ME.

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

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Posted by trainnut1250 on Monday, March 31, 2008 3:26 PM

My advice: go with code 83.

Photo has code 83 foreground, code 70 siding both ME flex.

 

 

Guy

see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site

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Posted by BCSJ on Monday, March 31, 2008 3:05 PM

Here's code 83, 70, and 55 ME track next to each other at Oakhill on my current Bear Creek and South Jackson. Ballast is Smith & Sons.

 

Here some code 70 ME (with code 55 spur) on my Redland diorama

 

Regards,

Charlie Comstock 

Superintendent of Nearly Everything The Bear Creek & South Jackson Railway Co. Hillsboro, OR http://www.bcsjrr.com
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Posted by DeadheadGreg on Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:58 PM
hey bog, that first picture:  ME flex mainline with handlaid yard tracks?
PHISH REUNION MARCH 6, 7, 8 2009 HAMPTON COLISEUM IN HAMPTON, VA AND I HAVE TICKETS!!!!!! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! [quote user="jkroft"]As long as my ballast is DCC compatible I'm happy![/quote] Tryin' to make a woman that you move.... and I'm sharing in the Weekapaug Groove Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world....
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Posted by bogp40 on Saturday, March 29, 2008 5:24 PM

Some on the club layout

Oh, wait a minute, that's the 1:1 version

Modeling B&O- Chessie  Bob K.  www.ssmrc.org

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, March 29, 2008 3:33 PM

This was meant to show the "scenic cover" between the two tracks, but the ballast is there as well.

This is HO Code 100 Atlas track (both flex and the turnout) over WS foam roadbed, with WS medium gray ballast.

There's an Atlas switch machine hiding under the mound of scenery in the center.  I hate the look of those switch machines, so any time I can bury one it makes my layout look just that much better.

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Posted by loathar on Friday, March 28, 2008 4:41 PM
 jeffrey-wimberly wrote:

Here's all I get on that link:

Server Error in '/' Application.

The resource cannot be found.

Description: HTTP 404. The resource you are looking for (or one of its dependencies) could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please review the following URL and make sure that it is spelled correctly.

Requested Url: /mrr.default.aspx
 

I've run into that a few times in the last couple days from the MR site.

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Posted by shayfan84325 on Friday, March 28, 2008 3:34 PM

Pic of ground throw 3

Here's one with one of my home made ground throws.  I use ME code 70 track and WS light gray fine ballast.  I'm a Neanderthal who drives nails through the ties.  I don't find it objectionable, and I like the way I can make small adjustments by pulling a few nails levering the track to a new position, even after I ballast.

Phil,
I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.

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