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Ballasting around turnouts is handled differently by different roads, in different places and in different climates, for numerous reasons. Additionally; brakemen and switchmen have always been in an ongoing tug-of-war with the civil engineers over the use of "fines" in switch yards and around switch control stands. The term "fines" refers to angular crushed gravel of much smaller size than typical ballast size aggregate. <br />The train crewmen (who must dismount and throw switches) and the yard switchmen, often on the ground all day, want a safer (less ankle twisting) not to mention much more comfortable surface to walk on. The civil engineers, however, are responsible for providing a solid stable (translates to 'well drained') roadbed for the entire line and know fines penetrate down into and fill the cracks and crevices in the larger ballast material and eventually destroy good drainage. <br />Many switch yards have had to be totally rebuilt due to excessive use of fines sending a whole network of tracks and switches sinking into a manmade swamp. Some lines, however, do provide for the added safety and comfort of the brakemen and switchmen by prudent and sparse use of fines. This is usually accomplished by limiting fines to within twenty feet of switch throw mechanisms and never closer to the rails than the ends of normal length ties. <br />Guess the main point here is, it's not so much an argument of 'how the railroads do it' (they do it many different ways) but a question of learning (or deciding for yourself) the details of 'how the place and period you're modeling did it.' The next thought must be directed toward how to accurately create your model railroad’s civil engineering decisions without gumming up the works. Adding “fines” to your yards and switch stands can add a whole new and very subtle dimension to your ballasting. Experimenting with some scrap track or a defective turnout on a scrap piece of plywood with a variety of ballasting materials and techniques can help you create and develop the look you’re seeking without jeopardizing your layout. JON
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