Ballast question

[CTValleyRR]

superbe

IMO using an eye dropper or a pipette is best for applying the wetting agent. Doing it this way gets the wetting agent down deep in the ballast. Srpaying covers the surface well but not down deep.

For the first time your ballast looks pretty darn good, just a little too much between the rails which causes it to get on the ties. Before applying the glue mixture take the time to knock off the pieces of ballast from the ties and especially the rails as has been mentioned.

Bob

I use an old glue bottle, but the effect is the same.  I can get the nose right down there and just dribble it on.  Acceleration due to Gravity = 0, Force =mass x acceleration where a=0, F=0.  'Nuff said.

[CTValleyRR]

yankee flyer

Hey

One of the "tricks" I found that helps to not splash soft water all over the place is to use one of the Misters in the kit for cleaning glasses. It puts out a very fine mist and you can confine the mist to just track right of way.

One of the things I haven't solved is the static electricity on the brush which lifts the ballast up on top of the ties. My ballast is probably walnut shells.

Anyone have a solution for that?

Lee

 

Static electricity is pretty easy to cure.  Make sure it's a stiff bristled brush, then dip it in liquid fabric softener (Febreze, Downy, etc.) and let it dry.  That will usually kill the static electricity.

FWIW, if you have problems with shag carpeting generating static electricity in the winter, spraying it with undiluted fabric softener works for that too.

[doctorwayne]

I use a paper cup to dump ballast between the rails, moving along as the cup empties.  There's usually enough ballast  to also do the area outside the rails and the shoulders of the cork, but it's easy to dump more where it's needed.   I use a 1/2" soft brush to distribute the ballast, dragging it along it the direction of the as-yet un-ballasted track.  Don't use the brush as you would when painting, though:  Instead, hold it almost parallel to the track, and drag the ballast along.  This prevents the bristles from catching on the ties, then flinging the particles of ballast all over the place when they break free. 
Once you've established a suitable depth for the ballast, lay the handle of the brush across the track so that it's resting on the rails, then, while loosely gripping the ferrule of the brush with one hand and moving along the track, tap the brush's handle rapidly using the fingers of your free hand.  Any ballast sitting atop the ties or clinging to the rails will "magically" bounce into the spaces between the ties.

To wet the ballast, I use a large sprayer which produces a high volume of fine mist, aiming the first few spritzes upward and allowing the mist to simply fall.  One the ballast is damp, it can be sprayed directly, and I spray until there's water in the lineside ditches.  Usually, I also apply the ground cover alongside the track when ballasting, so that the entire right-of-way gets sceniced at the same time.  I use a plastic squeeze bottle to apply the thinned white glue, and usually do 10' or 12' of track at a time.  Turnouts take a little longer, but this is all easy work and you should be able to ballast 50' or 60' of track during a relaxing session.

It takes a lot of "wet" water and a lot of diluted white glue to affix all this stuff in place:

Wayne

[superbe]

The foam brush as pictured is an alternative to a bristle brush. It is cut down so as to fit between the rails. The tapered shape is good for grooming the ballast on the out side of the rails.

I like to use it to also tamp down the ballast and to take care of stray ballast before wetting

Try it and you will like it.

 

Bob

[alexstan]

Here's a shot of yesterday's effort. I think it looks better. (I'm probably a bit too much of a perfectionist after looking at guys like Pelle Soeberg, etc, in MR...lol)

[superbe]

Alex,

The next time some one posts a question about ballasting you can tell him all he needs to know. 

Great job

Bob