UPinCT,
Thanks, appreciate it. It's a long road to get here and a tedious job to ballast, but well worth the effort.
I'm going to try some before and after pics for comparison.
Engine Facilities at Durango [the After shot is at the top of this thread]:
Loading racks at Durango: Dove Creek: Durango Roundhouse: Hesperus and Rockwood:
Loading racks at Durango:
Dove Creek: Durango Roundhouse: Hesperus and Rockwood:
Dove Creek:
Durango Roundhouse: Hesperus and Rockwood:
Durango Roundhouse:
Hesperus and Rockwood:
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Congrats on the Milestone. I wish I was closer to that step.
Everything is looking great
This thread is about ballast. After 20 years, my layout is finally almost totally ballasted with the exception of spot or two I have something else going on after the big push this week I really like how it pulls everything together. Here's a teaser for more pics to follow.
I used several different ballasts, both in colors and rock vs walnuts (AKA Woodland Scenics ballast). I also like to work quickly, so my methods are considered a bit out there by some, who find them unorthodox and risky. Well, here's how I do it. Before you start, make sure your turnouts and track are in tip-top shape. The points that hang up on you in the yard throat? Get 'em fixed before you ballast, as they won't get better on their own. Some say your scenery should be done before ballasting. I agree basic scenery base should be in, but no need to wait past that. I'll start with tools. I use matte medium diluted half and half with water for binding down ballast and most light scenic materials. Nothing controversial about that EXCEPT I prefer to spray my matte medium. WARNING! Matte medium will stick things up if used indiscriminately, no doubt about it. That's why many people say they'll never spray it. I do and it works for me, but you need to be aware that it can be a PITA to deal with if you aren't conscientious about your process. YMMV For wetting agent, I use 91% isopropyl alcohol. Some folks are wary of this stuff, too. Many use regular 70% isopropyl alcohol, but I find it tends to get things too waterlogged, especially when using WS ballast. WARNING! 91% alcohol can affect finishes and other stuff in some cases. It's not been a problem for me, except for a little bleed through from old Sharpie marker markings, easily solved. You may want to consider any potentially affected things close to the track when spraying 91% The funny glass jar with the metal top is from one of my wife's Japanese seasoning containers. You could find one in the Asian foods section at the grocery or come up with whatever you have that lets you pour out your ballast where you want it and under control. I use a funnel to fill it. The brush is for distributing and shaping ballast. This one has semi-stiff bristles and I also use another with limper bristles as needed. These tools are mostly for after things are set and you're getting the track back in shape to run. The bamboo skewer/uncoupling tool is run along the inside of the rail head to knock misplaced ballast particles off the rail. The knife is used along with it, including digging bits out of turnouts. The small pieces of phosphor-bronze sheet are used to free up points. The swabs and sticks are to help spread alcohol and CRC 2-26 on the points. Finally, the small glass jar holds a small pool of CRC 2-26 with the end of a cork, plus a toothpick and craft stick for also s[preading it. Sorry about the focus on this one, but it still works. The point is you want some Brighboys in various states of wear. A fat new one for polishing most rails, plus several that have gotten wore down to pointy -- because you want to be able to work it between the point and stock rail to polish that contact area. You're probably say, "Of course, you've got all those tools because you're about to totally gum up the layout by spraying it with matte medium!" Actually not. Here's how I do it. I use different colors/textures/profiles of ballast on track to help guide my operators as to what kind of track they're on. I prefer rock, but the WS walnut shells will work. WS has the tendency toward static, swells a small amount with liquid on it, and doesn't let liquid drain through it as fast. With a little practice, it works almost as well as rock. EDIT: Note on the CRC 2-26. I use this sparingly as a contact aid. Generally, I will moisten the inside face of points and the rivet that holds the point assembly and allows it to pivot. All my turnouts are treated this way. This is probably one factor in spraying matte medium working for me. I advise pre-treating these areas before ballasting so that the CRC 2-26 helps repel moisture/matte medium on these contact points. I shape my ballast after spreading it, dressing it with some related ground-cover as needed using the ballast container and brushes. Be careful to us absolutely no more than needed around the area where the points move. Taking a relatively short section, because the 91% alcohol evaporates so fast, wet it well by spraying. Then do the same with your 50/50 matte medium, keeping it away from the point area. You can use the eyedropper method to apply the 50/50 before or after spraying the surrounding track with the sprayer. or if you're careful and brave, just mist the 50/50 lightly right over the points... STOP! some are screaming at this point. Yep, I understand your angst, but I have a solution. Take the 91% and mist the point area, which forces the matte medium down into the ballast and away from the points. I find that with a little experience, about 3/4 of the turnouts work well after drying out. Most of the rest can be freed up with the little phosphor-bronze pieces and a little more 91% spray. You can also build a "mask" out of cardboard to cover the points while you're spraying. Or just go wild with the eye-dropper on 'em if you're really worried. Immediately after finishing spraying, take a 6" section of 2x4 block, wrap a doubled over paper towel around it, stand on edge on the track, and wipe everything down you just sprayed, refolding and rotating the paper towel as needed as you wipe all the rail that was sprayed. Change the paper towel, spray with the 91% alcohol, and wipe all the rail again. Let dry. The point of the wiping is to get most of the matte medium off the top of the rail before it dries. Otherwise, even with the Brightboy you'll really have to scrub, unless you take 91% and wipe again. So you do it sooner, rather than later in my scheme, before it dries. Same thing with the contact spots on the points, etc using the Q-tips and the worn-down but sharpedged Brightboys. While the matte medium is drying, periodically check the points to make sure they move. Use the skewer/uncoupling tool to verify they spring back and are not hanging up from glue or a piece of grit. Once things are dry, you should have all the turnouts that hang-up identified. Again, it's a matter of scraping off anything interfering with point movement, plus a small shot of 91% as needed. When things are drying, take the skewer and/or knife and run along the inside head of the rail to knocks off small bit of ballast that might cling there. Check inside the guardrails and around the points to flick any particles clinging.
I used several different ballasts, both in colors and rock vs walnuts (AKA Woodland Scenics ballast). I also like to work quickly, so my methods are considered a bit out there by some, who find them unorthodox and risky. Well, here's how I do it.
Before you start, make sure your turnouts and track are in tip-top shape. The points that hang up on you in the yard throat? Get 'em fixed before you ballast, as they won't get better on their own.
Some say your scenery should be done before ballasting. I agree basic scenery base should be in, but no need to wait past that.
I'll start with tools.
I use matte medium diluted half and half with water for binding down ballast and most light scenic materials. Nothing controversial about that EXCEPT I prefer to spray my matte medium.
WARNING! Matte medium will stick things up if used indiscriminately, no doubt about it. That's why many people say they'll never spray it. I do and it works for me, but you need to be aware that it can be a PITA to deal with if you aren't conscientious about your process. YMMV
For wetting agent, I use 91% isopropyl alcohol. Some folks are wary of this stuff, too. Many use regular 70% isopropyl alcohol, but I find it tends to get things too waterlogged, especially when using WS ballast.
WARNING! 91% alcohol can affect finishes and other stuff in some cases. It's not been a problem for me, except for a little bleed through from old Sharpie marker markings, easily solved. You may want to consider any potentially affected things close to the track when spraying 91%
The funny glass jar with the metal top is from one of my wife's Japanese seasoning containers. You could find one in the Asian foods section at the grocery or come up with whatever you have that lets you pour out your ballast where you want it and under control. I use a funnel to fill it.
The brush is for distributing and shaping ballast. This one has semi-stiff bristles and I also use another with limper bristles as needed.
These tools are mostly for after things are set and you're getting the track back in shape to run.
The bamboo skewer/uncoupling tool is run along the inside of the rail head to knock misplaced ballast particles off the rail. The knife is used along with it, including digging bits out of turnouts. The small pieces of phosphor-bronze sheet are used to free up points. The swabs and sticks are to help spread alcohol and CRC 2-26 on the points. Finally, the small glass jar holds a small pool of CRC 2-26 with the end of a cork, plus a toothpick and craft stick for also s[preading it.
Sorry about the focus on this one, but it still works. The point is you want some Brighboys in various states of wear. A fat new one for polishing most rails, plus several that have gotten wore down to pointy -- because you want to be able to work it between the point and stock rail to polish that contact area.
You're probably say, "Of course, you've got all those tools because you're about to totally gum up the layout by spraying it with matte medium!"
Actually not.
Here's how I do it.
I use different colors/textures/profiles of ballast on track to help guide my operators as to what kind of track they're on. I prefer rock, but the WS walnut shells will work. WS has the tendency toward static, swells a small amount with liquid on it, and doesn't let liquid drain through it as fast. With a little practice, it works almost as well as rock.
EDIT: Note on the CRC 2-26. I use this sparingly as a contact aid. Generally, I will moisten the inside face of points and the rivet that holds the point assembly and allows it to pivot. All my turnouts are treated this way. This is probably one factor in spraying matte medium working for me. I advise pre-treating these areas before ballasting so that the CRC 2-26 helps repel moisture/matte medium on these contact points.
I shape my ballast after spreading it, dressing it with some related ground-cover as needed using the ballast container and brushes. Be careful to us absolutely no more than needed around the area where the points move.
Taking a relatively short section, because the 91% alcohol evaporates so fast, wet it well by spraying. Then do the same with your 50/50 matte medium, keeping it away from the point area. You can use the eyedropper method to apply the 50/50 before or after spraying the surrounding track with the sprayer. or if you're careful and brave, just mist the 50/50 lightly right over the points...
STOP! some are screaming at this point. Yep, I understand your angst, but I have a solution.
Take the 91% and mist the point area, which forces the matte medium down into the ballast and away from the points.
I find that with a little experience, about 3/4 of the turnouts work well after drying out. Most of the rest can be freed up with the little phosphor-bronze pieces and a little more 91% spray. You can also build a "mask" out of cardboard to cover the points while you're spraying. Or just go wild with the eye-dropper on 'em if you're really worried.
Immediately after finishing spraying, take a 6" section of 2x4 block, wrap a doubled over paper towel around it, stand on edge on the track, and wipe everything down you just sprayed, refolding and rotating the paper towel as needed as you wipe all the rail that was sprayed. Change the paper towel, spray with the 91% alcohol, and wipe all the rail again.
Let dry.
The point of the wiping is to get most of the matte medium off the top of the rail before it dries. Otherwise, even with the Brightboy you'll really have to scrub, unless you take 91% and wipe again. So you do it sooner, rather than later in my scheme, before it dries. Same thing with the contact spots on the points, etc using the Q-tips and the worn-down but sharpedged Brightboys.
While the matte medium is drying, periodically check the points to make sure they move. Use the skewer/uncoupling tool to verify they spring back and are not hanging up from glue or a piece of grit. Once things are dry, you should have all the turnouts that hang-up identified. Again, it's a matter of scraping off anything interfering with point movement, plus a small shot of 91% as needed.
When things are drying, take the skewer and/or knife and run along the inside head of the rail to knocks off small bit of ballast that might cling there. Check inside the guardrails and around the points to flick any particles clinging.