Thank you for all the info.
-Alex
My Layout Photos- http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/ajwarshal/library/
Remember the point that one of the causes of "rusty rock" was rust. On on old line there has been rail there happily rusting for over a century. As a kid, the CB&Q always had a rust wash to their track. Steel grades may have improver some since as the rust seems lighter.
Here's some Canadian National track near Hamilton, Ontario:
...and the same spot on a different occasion:
...and yet another time:
...and probably the most recent view:
This one is several miles up the line which diverges to the right in the previous photo:
Another CN line, but about 20 miles away from the first:
Ex-NYC track near Buffalo:
As has been mentioned, the ballast colours, even on the same railroad, can vary from one location to the next or even over the years at the same locale if the origin of the ballast changes.
Wayne
ALEX WARSHAL Hello everyone. Does anyone know what woodland scenics ballast color and type, would be the best for a New York Central Railroad themed layout in upstate New York circa 1950s. Thanks in advance. -Alex
Hello everyone. Does anyone know what woodland scenics ballast color and type, would be the best for a New York Central Railroad themed layout in upstate New York circa 1950s. Thanks in advance.
Alex,
I model the C&O in 1949, but also do a little NYC since the 2 roads jointly ran a shortline in West Virginia (NF&G), so I know a bit about the NYC. I believe, for mainline ballast, NYC used Kaibab ballast in your time period. This is a light tan/greyish colored rock that is available from Arizona Rock and Mineral Company. The link is http://store.rrscenery.com/ and the item # is 1022 for HO scale or if you prefer 1021 for N scale. This product is the real thing, so it has real weight that is useful when spraying with "wet water" for gluing.
Hope this helps.
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
I grew up in Northern New Jersey 40 miles from the Hudson River. I've ridden Amtrak along the Hudson and it was rusty brown. (there's a lot of Iron in the region). In N. Jersey on the Erie Lackawanna the ballast color was the same rust color. Only in Pennsyvania did I start seeing a lot of cinder/coal black ballast and that was quite a way's south.
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Well, I grew up on Long Island and the ballast there was "rusty rock". See:
Now my grandparents lived in Irvington-on-the-Hudson, and I recall a similar "rusty" sort of a ballast. A recent photo at that same location shows a light gray on the new tracks and a redish gray on the older.
You pay your dime you take your chances. It all depends on what quary the railroad got a deal on for ballast that year. And it wears and discolors unevenly.
LION just does not believe in trying to match a specific color of ballast, for the truth is it varried along the same line, from quarry to quarry, from year to year, from wear, weather, grease, oil, ash, and trash.
NYCT has even been known to use SEASHELLS for ballast!
But if you must know, the LION is not all that fussy about ballast. On the layout of him, him uses cat litter.
ROAR [CAW]
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS