Like you, I used Coarse ballast and thought it looked good. For a while. It's starting to look bigger and bigger the more I consider it. When you consider that the pieces, in scale, are about half the size of a man's head, it starts to look not so good.
However, it IS your layout, and if it looks good to you, then it is good. [Comment removed]
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Thanks for the feedback! I think I'll try mixing the coarse with the medium gray/white for both the mainlines and sidings. And then just medium gray for the yard.
OH REALLY? LOL
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
unless you are modeling a particular prototype use the gray you can get in the finest texture. real ballast stone is crushed and screened to a max size of 1.5". in the steam era cinders were used on yard tracks, sidings and also for station platforms and driveways
Motley - For HO usually the fine ballast is more like what you see in the real world but use what you think looks good - it's your railroad. As to colors, the mainline is usually lighter as it gets more attention. Black for an older yard would be fine as most were done with cinders as were many sidings (not so much traffic so not so critical on stability or longevity with heavy traffic/. The secondary lines are usually not piled so high with ballast and don't get the attention of the mains. Ballast colors varied greatly nationwide and some roads used a single distinctive color for all their main lines. Hope that helps get you started. J.R.
Unless the railroad you are modeling has a specific color ballast, due to its source, gray is common color. It's your layout, if course looks good to you, use it. Many folks feel it is a little big in HO, some mix course and medium together. Try a little of the medium and some mixed, see which hou like best.
As for color, yes, there is often a difference in not only the color, but amount of ballast. Mainlines are better cared for due to higher speeds. Sidings may be the same or different color and are not usually as heavily ballasted. Yards were often black in the steam era due to the use of the cinders cleaned out to the locomotives. Yard tracks and lesser used sidings oftern do not have ditches along the sides and the tracks are sunk into the ground, due to poorer drainage. In more modern yards, the color would be more likely to match (but not necessarily) the mainline, but could be a finer texture to make it easier for crews to walk around the yard.
Have fun,
Yes, really. Course is waaayyy too big. Each yard is different, but cinder would be a good color IMHO. My mainline uses "pink lady" color ballast because of the actual pinkish color seen on the Soo Line eastern Iowa trackage. You'll have to determine what color is right for you. Medium gray does look good however as I have used that color before.
DrilineMotley I kinda like the coarse it looks good to me. FAIL. Use fine for HO. Medium is iffy. I assume this is woodland scenics brand?
Motley I kinda like the coarse it looks good to me.
FAIL. Use fine for HO. Medium is iffy. I assume this is woodland scenics brand?
Oh... really? OK then. Yes WS brand. Any advice on colors then?
What type of Ballast should I use? I got a bag of Coarse Gray and did a small section on my mainline. Would medium gray be perfered? I kinda like the coarse it looks good to me.
Also, is it OK to have my mainline gray and the yard black? What about industries, should they match the mainline ballast? I was thinking the medium light grey/white for the industries.
btw this is for HO scale modern diesel era.