Walton shale will be used everywhere in my layout to build up rail beds and to lay track ballast. This was an early work up at my metal scrapyard - much more refined now. There are no giant boulders on the tracks now that I have a better technique for laying down ballast.
This is a shale outcrop that will eventually have soil and moss on top.
Shale bedrock used by the company to pile real Nova Scotia scrap metal.
Time to replenish my fine shale supplies.
Each test track has a hopper car load. That's it for shale.
Thanks for posting this experiment-in-progress. It obviously merits little appeal to some here, but I have wondered about such things without bothering to set up an experiment. In my case, it's the durability of the drive mechanism that would be of interest as I read about a wide variance across many posts. However, your own interest is handily laid out for us, and I will be interested to read of your findings. I use local beach sand (east coast of Vancouver Island) for my ballast and have no regrets. I don't have real loads, but I have some chunks of local anthracite that will probably end up in a gondola or two. So, have at 'er!
One caveat that would also be something I would want to keep an eye on is the 'price' of the heavier natural loads on the bearing cones in the plastic Delrin trucks on the rolling stock. Again, it's hearsay, but I have read that the plastic won't stand up for long. Is it so? Would a lube of some kind, say a molybdenum or graphite work, white lithium, Dextron III Mercon ATF (as I was convinced to use years go), extend the lives of the cones?
-Crandell
OldSchoolScratchbuilder RR_Mel I have several HO locomotives with well over a thousand hours of run time. I am not testing the lifetime of locomotives themselves - of course there is no need. I am testing the locomotives running in a layout environment that uses real iron, sulphur, carbon, salt and powders made from various rocks, minerals, and other natural materials.
RR_Mel I have several HO locomotives with well over a thousand hours of run time.
I am not testing the lifetime of locomotives themselves - of course there is no need. I am testing the locomotives running in a layout environment that uses real iron, sulphur, carbon, salt and powders made from various rocks, minerals, and other natural materials.
So, you are conducting this experiment to test the adverse effect on your locomotives and rolling stock?
Hmmm, I think that I will stick with fake loads.
Rich
Alton Junction
(3) Coal Nova Scotia has a long history of coal mining. A real operational (animated) coal mine will be built for my layout. I will be going down into a coal mine on a tour in May. The coal in these test track hoppers is from a few nice lumps found on the beach in Parrsboro on the Bay of Fundy. Tomorrow I will be on a full day field trial around the coal seams of Chignecto Bay, Nova Scotia. I can make coal particles much smaller just like I described for gypsum.
richhotrain OldSchoolScratchbuilder RR_Mel I have several HO locomotives with well over a thousand hours of run time. I am not testing the lifetime of locomotives themselves - of course there is no need. I am testing the locomotives running in a layout environment that uses real iron, sulphur, carbon, salt and powders made from various rocks, minerals, and other natural materials. I just re-read this thread and realized that I had missed this when I asked, what do you mean by lifetime testing. So, you are conducting this experiment to test the adverse effect on your locomotives and rolling stock? Hmmm, I think that I will stick with fake loads. Rich
OldSchoolScratchbuilder
I just re-read this thread and realized that I had missed this when I asked, what do you mean by lifetime testing.
doctorwayne My tests were as I mentioned previously, and I saw no reason for alarm or worry about using "real" materials for scenery or live loads, although a little common sense is always a good idea.
Agreed 100%. My gondola filled with the scraps of Atlantic Ocean driftwood LOL ...
My gondola filled with scrap metal gathered from Nova Scotia road and highway shoulders. LOL again. Nice to know I am not alone in my interest in using real materials.
After reading doctorwayne's experience, I'll wrap up this thread. Any noteworthy developments on my continuing lifetime experiment will be posted.
The prototype uses deisel-electrics to haul all these types of "live" loads, and some mining railroads used electric traction. Are model electronics any more susceptible? You can't argue with the realism of live loads.
I first went to Nova Scotia in 1979. The provence was practically ringed with rail back then. Sad to see how much has been lost. I was glad I rode the Cape Bretton VIA tour train (in 2001) before that ended.
OldSchoolScratchbuilder After reading doctorwayne's experience, I'll wrap up this thread. Any noteworthy developments on my continuing lifetime experiment will be posted.
Check your "Messages" OldSchoolScratchbuilder.
Wayne
Wow, looks like a lot of work.
1. I'm "modeling" in the steam era and have lots of boxcars in my trains. Are they loaded or empty? I'm not sure that matters.
2. So far as obtaining and crushing one's own ballast or ore cargo--I would simply buy ballast from Arizona Rock and Mineral or one of the other companies that have it already made in colors and sizes appropriate for certain railroads of my particular interest. It's faster and easier.
John
I have some experience with live loads on friends' layouts. There's the obvious difference in the weight of the train and the pulling power of an engine when the cars are full vs. empty.
Sloppy, careless railroading can mean derailments, and that's a real problem. You certainly have to avoid anything that conducts electricity, or which might damage your cars due to a chemical reaction or excessive weight.
I can say from experience that there's something special about seeing a coal car that has been weathered through the natural process of hauling real coal. Obviously the effect needs to be enhanced by adding the appearance of dust.
Tom