Ballast from cinders/clinkers

[Anonymous]

Anyone make their own ballast from cinders/clinkers found along old right-of-ways?
Made a small pile with a hammer & flat rock from a couple of pieces picked up while mountain biking along old NYC Adirondack Division roadbeds.

Might be just the thing for my new layout if I make enough N scale powder.

Sure would give a prototypical feel to the layout.


Wayne

[dehusman]

Check it and make sure its not magnetic, conductive or ferrous and will be arracted by a magnet. Having to run a ballast regulator through your motors or having your track short out on humid days would be a bummer.

Dave H.

[dknelson]

Prototype railroads used clinkers and slag and cinders because it was "free" and plentiful BUT they also recognized that it was caustic and did result in faster deterioration of steel. I do an NMRA clinic on trackwork and show a photo of a tie plate from the former Rock Island yard at Bureau Junction which used cinders and clinkers. The tie plate is mostly eaten away. Dave H's advice is good but even if it is not magnetic I would be a bit cautious
Dave Nelson

[Jetrock]

Ballast material varies greatly from region to region--in the West I notice a lot of what looks like granite ballast, rather than cinder/clinker. I'd be tempted to grab some to turn into ballast at home but lack rock-crushing facilities...

[Anonymous]

Good point. I hadn't thought about it being attracted by motors until I searched old ballast threads for this topic. Some clinkers contains certain types of irons in the soup they form from. Time to bring out the big magnet.

As far as being caustic, I think once the water/glue dries, the danger might drop. I'll try a section of track to see how it reacts.

It is easy to crush without major equipment, though.

Wayne