ballasting track

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jimbobob27

i was wondering what size ballast is correct to use for ho track, fine, medium, or course. thanks for any help you can give.

I usually think most modelers use ballast that's WAY too big, and default to Woodland Scenic's fine for both HO and N. Some railroads, especially today, are using larger ballast, so it's always best to perform this little scaling trick:

1) figure out which railroad you want to model, and go to their mainline. Be sure to bring a model figure with you, in your scale.

2) without tresspassing (!) pick up an average-looking piece of ballast.

3) compare the ballast to the size of your fist.

4) compare your fist with the size of the model figure's fist.

5) compare model ballast sizes until you find one that's in about the same ratio as the fist-to-ballast size.

[jimbobob27]

i was wondering what size ballast is correct to use for ho track, fine, medium, or course. thanks for any help you can give.

[willy6]

FYI about ballasting. I made 2 mistakes when i did my layout that may help future "ballasters".First I did not do a complete track inspection before i started. I set my layout up with 8 electrical blocks, after i ballasted i realize i forgot to install a insulated rail joiner at a certain point and checking with my diagrams, it had to be installed. So I tore out that section and put in my joiner and reballasted.......not fun. Second mistake was I did mine in two days a week apart. On day two i couldn't remember what water to white glue ratio i used. The day two ballast job did not come out as good as day one job.

[orsonroy]

Ballasting switches is generally the reason a lot of modelers don't ballast at all. I've ruined my share of switches, until I learned a few tricks (and they work in both HO and N)

1) paint or otherwise color under the switch a flat black. This helps hide any bare spoys in step two.

2) Add a VERY small amount of fine ballast to the insides of the switch, and around the throw rod area. Ballast should only BARELY come to the tops of ties, so you don't really need a lot. Neaten up the ballast with a small dry paintbrush, making sure to keep ballast off the tops of the ties, and away from all moving parts.

3) wet the ballast with rubbing alcohol (91% or 70%), using a fine misting spray bottle. Be sure to not knock the ballast around by spraying too hard.

4) oil the snot out of any moving part on the switch. I use 3-In-One oil or LaBelle, which are both plastic safe oils. The oil will keep glue from sticking to the moving parts and ruining the switch. I oil after I wet the ballast, to keep ballast chunks from floating around in the oil.

5) re-wet the ballast around the switch. Try not to get too much onto the oiled areas, as the alcohol will wash away some of it.

6) Using an eyedropper (or one of the Testors paint pipettes) add glue SPARINGLY to the ballast around the switch. My mix is 50% white glue, 40% warm water and 10% rubbing alcohol. Only use as little as possible. Once the glue is down, work the switch moving parts around, and possibly add a little more oil.

Yes, this takes some time, but is the only way I've been able to successfully glue ballast around ready to use switches. Most guys I know that handlay generally ballast before they start laying track! (the ties are down, but not the rails)

You don't have to be this delicate around straight track. I ballast, add wetting agent, and apply glue out of an Elmer's bottle, and really soak the ballast. It's only arounf switches that you have to be careful!

[MAbruce]

Hi Tim:

I’ve actually partially ballasted my switches, keeping the switch points clear. I’ve always been concerned that I would glue the switch points closed. I suppose it’s one way to handle the issue.

Also, I would advise caution when using home made ballast as you have described. Sometimes it will contain tiny metal filings which (from what I was told) could mess up your electric locos if it gets into the wheels/mechanism. To test this, I recently took a magnet and ran it through my kids play sand. I could not believe how much stuck to the magnet. The sand looked so “clean” too. [:0]

Hang in there! Ballasting can be a chore, but it makes your layout look much better in the end.

[jwmurrayjr]

Tim,

The main point is to try to get the ballast set right (and not in the wrong places like on the inside of the rails) before you wet or glue it.

Don't run trains until the ballast is dry but DO check it and try to remove any "stray" rocks before it dries.

I model in HO and I imagine that N is much more difficult to ballast and more sensitive to stray stones. The ballast would need to be very fine too.

Good luck,

[Anonymous]

ive removed alot of what i ve put on, using alcahol on a q-tip to clean the inner and outer sides of the rails, along with the top, most likely im hoping that the train will run on it, has anyone ever ran into de railments why ballasting,also should i wait till the stones are dry to try and run the train, i didnt have the money to go and by model ballast, so i took stones and dust out of the street, and filtered all the big pieces out i hope in doing this right...

[jwmurrayjr]

Tim,

After you put the dry ballast on the track and before you wet it or add any glue, you should use a small paint brush (maybe 1" or 1/2") to level and shape the ballast and brush every bit (as far as possible) off the tops of the ties and away from the insides of the rails.

Then wet and glue the ballast. If you glue the ballast to the inside of the rails it can be very hard to remove. A real pain!

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Im now ballastic the track as i type, i had a problem where i ruined two switchers by pouring ballast over them idk why though, im just wondering, now that i look at the wet gluey ballast over the track, it looks like the train will never run over the track now, any words of encouragement, or advise on what to do when ballasting>[V]