sandpaper balist????

[Anonymous]

after looking at balasting a layout for a swtiching yard I got real nervous about derailing the cars with sloppy balist or even in clogging the turnout frogs.

HAS ANYONE USED SANDPAPER GLUED DOWN AS BALAST AND LAYED TRACK OVER IT???

I was thinking with a little ink wash it shouldn't look too bad, and should be close to level.

IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?

[Jetrock]

The problem with sandpaper as ballast is that (1) it's too small, unless you're talking very rough sandpaper representing very fine ballast, in which case (2) the rails wouldn't be embedded IN the ballast, they'd be sitting visibly above the bits of grit--real railroad ballast goes pretty much up to the top of the ties. In addition, you'd also be left with the edges of the sandpaper every foot or so, sticking out under the track and looking unrealistic. Plus, (3) if you put on an ink wa***he paper would probably wrinkle and warp, making it look worse, and (4) I AM NOT GOING TO LET SANDPAPER BE ANYWHERE NEAR WHERE MY MODELS MIGHT FALL OVER!

Level ballasting isn't all that hard. It takes a little practice and it isn't effortless, but no, it really is not much work as long as you have at least rudimentary hand-eye coordination, and you use a wetting agent to help spread the glue through the ballast.. As mentioned in another thread, prototype railroads didn't put ballast around the turnout frogs, so you don't need to bother.

In general, though, it wouldn't look that good--too small, too regular, and it defeats an important purpose of ballast, namely submerging the ties. Properly done, model railroad ballast helps stabilize the trackwork, just like on the real thing. It can also be interestingly varied--from neat, manicured ballast on a Class 1 mainline to scanty, weed-overgrown ballast on a little-used siding on a sleepy branch line. Or you can do what I do and hide the track under concrete slabs...

[brothaslide]

I found that a little time and patients will produce prototypical looking balast. I use a a medium sized paint bru***o spread the balast. I keep working with it until it has the desired contour and is level with the ties.

Sean

[DSchmitt]

The real problem with sandpaper would be appearance since the tiew would appear to sit on the ballest instead of in it, and it would be too uniforn in texture and possably color. A "wet and dry" sandpaper probably wouldn't wrinkle or warp.
I saw a toy train book once that suggested sandpaper. I think it was a reprint of a Lionel trains book from the 1930's. I don't think there would be much danger of damaging your models unless you draged them across it.