I have used Woodland Scenics ballast for quite a while now, but I am thinking about going to some other brand that may be better. (HO scale)My question is: What do you use, and Why? (What do you like about it, or what don't you like about it?)
Thanks in Advance.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Vancouver Island beach sand. I wash it, dry it, test it for stuff that will migrate towards iron-content metals, and then ballast as per normal. I use it because it is the correct size and the right colour for my tastes.
-Crandell
Crandell:
So THAT'S why your ballast looks so good!
I've got to come up there and get me a couple of buckets--oh heck, any excuse to visit Victoria again, LOL!
I use WS medium and fine mixed. Shades of light and medium gray with a touch of cinders. It fairly well replicates good old Sierra Nevada gravel.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
I have been using Arizona Rock & Mineral ballast - they have real rock ballast is several prototype variations. I have tried Woodland Scenics ballast but some of it appears to be something other than rock and 'floats' when wetting it(I have heard it is crushed walnut shell material). I put down the ballast 'dry', then 'mist' it with 71% alcohol(Walmart). Once it is wetted, I dribble diluted 'matte medium' on it. Woodland Scenics 'Scenic Cement' will work as well. Diluted white glue will also work, but dries rock hard and seems to transmit a lot of track noise.
I used Campbell and John's Lab ballast many years ago, but they do not seem to be around any more. Highball makes some good ballast as well. A lot of Eastern modelers mention Smith & Son ballast as very good ballast as well. They do not have a web presence, but this is the address:
Smith And Son Ballast13630 GAR Highway (Rt. 6)Chardon OH 44024Phone: 440-286-4890
Arizona Rock & Mineral is sold in some stores, but I just order it over the phone. Here is their web URL:
http://www.rrscenery.com/AZROCK5.html
Jim Bernier
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
I used Woodland Scenics on my current layout, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have used Arizona Rock & Mineral, real rock works so much nicer than walnut shells. Imagine that?
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
I originally used Woodland Scenics and hated it. I had lots of it and threw it all out. I even went so far as to pull my track up and relay it. The problem is that it floats. The reason being is that it is dyed crushed walnut shells. I now use Arizona Rock and Mineral as it is real rock and doesn't float. It is much easier to use and looks better to me.
I work for a sand and gravel operation so I can sieve all the real ballast I want and the price is perfect ($0). Modeling Cape Cod using real Cape Cod sand and gravel can not be any better. Run a strong magnet and wash it real good in a swirling motion in a bucket with a standard #16 sieve will separate all the metal and organic stuff out. Most of what I use comes from a sand screw and is called fine mason sand. I sieve it even finer for scale loads.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
Have the posters here that experienced floating used alcohol? I have many jugs of W.S. so I'm committed and wondered about this. Thanks.
I have another buddy who has a bag of Arizona Minerals Ballast but hasn't used it yet. I wanted to go that route but decided on something I could buy locally and as needed.
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Thanks, Tom. You're not too shabby yourself in the scenicking department, ballasting being no exception.
Capt. GrimekI've been told by several ops sessions guys that W.S. ballast works fine and won't float provided you use alcohol (70%-90%) as a wetting agent rather than dish detergent or dish detergent only.
That's funny. I've been using WS ballast and the H20/dish detergent wetting agent combo for 25 years with no floating. My only trick is saturate it with a fine spray misting bottle instead of my wife's watering can.
Matt
chicken grit....great color and variation, non-magnetized, and you can crush it to any scale you like (use a home-made sifter out of tin can and drill the right-sized holes if you want to really get exact).
Bingo!
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
salt water cowboy Capt. GrimekI've been told by several ops sessions guys that W.S. ballast works fine and won't float provided you use alcohol (70%-90%) as a wetting agent rather than dish detergent or dish detergent only. That's funny. I've been using WS ballast and the H20/dish detergent wetting agent combo for 25 years with no floating. My only trick is saturate it with a fine spray misting bottle instead of my wife's watering can. Matt
Actually, I tried using alcohol as a 'wetting' agent on my garage layout, but the dry heat here in the Central Valley tended to evaporate it very quickly (I do most of my sceinicking work during the summer). So I went back to the 2-3 drops of liquid detergent mixed with water in my spray bottle and I've never had any problems with the WS ballast 'floating.'
One thing I have found, is that if I used the thinned WS Scenic Cement as a bonding agent rather than thinned Elmers, it seems to stay more 'flexible' as a bonder, and also elminates noise better. Evidently the Elmer's dries much harder and acts as a 'drum-head' when I'm running the trains. I can certainly notice the difference on several sections that I originally bonded with the Elmer's.
But alcohol doesn't seem to work very well in my case.
I still have some WS ballast and am going to use it up. I was using wet water and it did OK, but then I tried 70% alcohol and liked it better. I had some "John's Ballast" several years ago and it was stone. I really liked it, so that is why I am going back to stone ballast.
Thanks Jim for the link to the Arizona Minerals company.
I used Woodland Scenics mainly because it was all that was available in this area at the time. I've had no problem with it floating when using tap water with a few drops of detergent as the wetting agent, and no issues with noise, despite using white glue/water to hold it in place.
Wayne
I'm very satisfied using WS medium sized ballast for HO. I first spray a ton of rubbing alcohol on about 2 ft per session. Then I use an eye dropper to spread WS cement down the middle first, then down each side. The key for noise reduction is to use WS foam roadbed (sorry if I sound like an advertisement ) but its true, it really works much better than cork. And if you use loads of alcohol and distribute it evenly with a spray bottle, you will not have to deal with floating.
I tried several times using the fine sized ballast, but its too much like dust for my tastes, it would work better for N scale in my opinion. Now that I use the medium size stuff, I am much happier with the rock like appearance and texture.
The colors I use may be a little bit too radical for the HO world, but I find the Hi-railers 50/50 cinders and light grey work very well when blended together. Although not exactly prototypical, I feel that it gives the ballast a nice smokey, sooty appearance, with pieces of coal scattered about.
If you want a more conservative color, I say go with light grey. When spreading it, it looks almost white, but keep in mind once the glue dries, it will always end up a shade darker.
As for real crushed rock, I have never used it due to fears of getting metals and other impurities with it which could wreak havoc on any electronically operated railroad.
I had plans of using AZ Rock for the ballast but after speaking to the gent who owns it I made my own. He was kind enough to tell me how he did it and I went from there. I use dirt collected and sifted from the local mountains here in Southern California. Mine is very fine and weathered.
San Dimas Southern slideshow
Very nice work, Jeff, and a good-looking scene, too.