Hi,
This is a follow up on my previous thread on Woodland Scenics ballast. My situation is that I have a lot of WS ballast for both the mains and other trackage. BUT, while I'm not knocking it, I'm questioning if I should use something else.
I'm fixin to place an order with Kleins and notice that other than WS, they carry the "Highball" brand of ballast. What can you tell me about it, and what do you prefer?
Thanks all!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
like you I'm always looking for a better Idea, and will watch this thread with interest , that said, started mine with W.S. and found OK for flat NO road bed (YARD) , but more difficult to work on main w/roadbed .
tried real stone "Arizona rock & min", much easier to work on roadbed and good looking BUT pricey ...,
then about a week ago some one posted a formula of mix of Grey sanded grout ,white and black decorative sand from Michaels " creatolgy sand". and going to give this a try, just need the white & black sand. looks like a cheaper alternative and avalible every where...
and have seen some good result with "scenic express mix" , but this could get pricey shipped to Calif ...
I will follow this looking at PICT'S , and price ,and ease of use ....please post PICT'S & descriptions JW
I personally don't like the real stone as they can shine. The WS stuff is what I use and it is dead flat. The people that have a problem with it, do it the hard way. The best way I have found is to paint with white glue the boundaries of the ballast, add ballast just enough to cover, let dry, vacuum up the excess and then ballast the area and matt medium it after wet water. The perimeters of the ballast end up where you want them and very little matt medium gets past it (great to keep junk out of switch areas) Nothing floats (as some say). Then as you do the other scenery stuff, if you need a tough more ballast near the edge, just all it but that is rarely the case.
hmmm, I did similar painting glue on shoulder , but did NOT allow to dry before adding next lift or layer of ballest , I well have to "chew on that " maybe retry...
I have less than limited experience, having done just two tunnel entries, but I have a plan. I decided to try the Highball Products basis the Virginian project. I ordered some HO "limestone" color and cinders for the yard, ala the project.
But I found the limestone color too consistent in color for the mainline (my local UP ballast in Tx has a mix of rock colors that clued me in) so have concocted a color mix. I mix three of the Highball products "genuine limestone ballast" colors (i.e., all are limestone) as 2-1/2 parts "grey mix", 1 part "limestone" (color), 1/4 part "cinders", plus 1/2 part South Texas Ballast (a local guy) #50 HO/N Strata Grey. The point is, I like the mix in hues as being more prototypical, so it's more than a matter of ballast types. On my yards, I expect I will also experiment and not just use 100% (limestone) cinders.
On application techniques, besides what I've read in the forum, I like the videos I've viewed, particularly Cody Grivno's on Video Plus on the Thin Branch project, where 2 videos cover ballasting mainline track and also turnouts. I'm particularly interested in how to effectively ballast mainline shoulders and also how to ballast turnouts without gumming up the throwbar.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Mobilman, I like the ease of application, irregularity and blended contrast of Arizona Rock and Mineral ballast. I prefer a courser look, so make a 50/50 mix of their HO Mainline and HO product.
Highball was my second choice, it too is easy to work with and has nice irregularity, but seemed too fine and bland for my taste.
regards, Peter
BIG JERRI will follow this looking at PICT'S , and price ,and ease of use ....please post PICT'S & descriptions
I answered the OP's question on another thread, but will throw in a photo or two.
I use a combination of sand and real rock ballast like Scenic Express. This scene uses Scenic Express #40 dark gray for the main, blended gray for the siding, and two or three different colors of sand for the base fill and secondary tracks.
This industry spur is ballasted with fine sand. I weathered the rails with chalk dust after ballasting, and allowed the weathering to discolor the ballast as well, which is common on tracks sitting in the dirt like this.
The fill here was built up from rocks, then sand, and all that was glued before applying ballast, again from Scenic Express. Note how this mainline fill has a stepped profile, with the top wider than the base of the ballast slope. Ballast is tall and even.
This track is on a branch line, so it doesn't have the same heavily built fill contour. The ballast is also shallower and the ties weathered more. Also Scenic Express ballast over natural rock and sand.
Rob Spangler
VERY impressive ballest job ,Rob.....sold JW
Rob, great looking hillside in the last shot of your post
I use everything from rocks and dirt I gather myself to commercial products such as WS to ballast track. It all depends on the look I am after and the prototype being modeled.
For mainline ballast I use a blend of Arizona Mineral - sp grey (HO & N), Csx Grey (HO & N) Natural stone (HO) and Woodland Scenic Grey, and cinders (fine). I would definitely suggest getting some samples and experimenting.
I take lots of time to get the ballast as perfect as I can - no rocks on ties, even contour etc..If it looks good when sighting down the track between the rails, then you are good to go. I apply alcohol as the wetting agent with a needle bottle applicator and then 50/50 white glue soaked through the ballast until it looks like spilled milk.
A second ballast application fills the inevitable holes. Some washes or powders for weathering and done.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Rob and Peter,
Those are, ''great'' looking, ballast laying skills.
Cheers,
Frank
Hi!
Before I hit the subject of the thread, I gotta say..........I never ceasedto be amazed at the terrific work of some of our Forum members! What we see in the MR mags are just the tip of the iceberg as to what's out there.
I took a good look at my ballast inventory and have a very large coffee can 2/3 full of the WS mixed gray ballast. As 1/4 of my mains have this on it already, I believe I will bite the bullet and finish up with it.
For the sub-mains I've got two big WS containers of fine buff. Why did I get that color? I should have got a darker grey. Soooo, that will be a decision to make later on - use the buff, or sell them on Ebay and get a darker color.
Mobilman44,
You are supposed to use those,WS containers of fine buff, on your aggregate facility, you havn't started working on yet!
This is an earlier thread that I posted regarding the size of ballast and what others used. I actually measured WS Fine and Medium Ballast to see how they 'scaled' to the prototype.
-Bob
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/221581.aspx
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!