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Ballasting

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  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: Westcentral Pennsylvania (Johnstown)
  • 1,496 posts
Posted by tgindy on Saturday, May 5, 2007 9:42 PM

 waterline wrote:
I'm about to start ballasting. Does anyone have any good links with hints on how to do the job? My scale is HO, and I've used flex-track

Grab this INTERACTIVE PDF on May 5-6 during the Model Railroader Subscriber Only Content Preview...

http://www.trains.com/mrr/objects/pdf/ballasting_and_weathering_track_pg2_only.pdf

Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Wausau, Wisconsin
  • 2,354 posts
Posted by WCfan on Saturday, May 5, 2007 7:21 PM
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Saturday, May 5, 2007 5:02 PM
  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • 2,742 posts
Posted by Dave Vollmer on Saturday, May 5, 2007 4:58 PM

Having worked in HO and N scales, I've found (as you'd expect) HO track is easier to ballast.  Here's a shot of ballasting my current N scale layout: 

I run a bead of glue along the roadbed edge before I apply the ballast.

I use a stiff model brush to distribute the ballast, making sure not to cover the ties. 

I pre-soak my ballast with straight 70% isoporopyl alcohol.  I bond it with 50/50% diluted white glue "wetted" with a drop of detergent.

More pictures and description can be found by clicking on my layout website hyperlink in my signature block.  Follow the link for "Construction 2006."

Good luck!  This is one of those tasks where you need to do a little at a time and be extra careful.

Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.

  • Member since
    November 2006
  • 15 posts
Ballasting
Posted by waterline on Saturday, May 5, 2007 2:39 PM
I'm about to start ballasting. Does anyone have any good links with hints on how to do the job? My scale is HO, and I've used flex-track

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