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Ballasting......hate it.

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:58 AM

LION gets a box of cat litter, pours it on the layout, and brush off everything that does not look like ballast. How hard can tha be.

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    November 2015
  • 723 posts
Posted by UNCLEBUTCH on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:44 AM

I guess i don't understand the problem. So often I read of folks carrying on about ballasting, hate it;boreing, time wasting and on and on.I do 3-5 feet at atime, dump some stuff on the track,move it around with a small brush, wet it glue it.have a cold beer. I must be doing it wrong, but then I would rather spendtime on buildings and trees and stuff you actually look at and really see and appreciate

just thinking

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 202 posts
Posted by Bundy74 on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:40 AM

RR_Mel

 

 
Bundy74

I'll ballast for you if you'll do my wiringBig Smile

 

 

 

If you weren’t so far away I’d take you up on that.  I love wiring and absolutely hate ballasting.
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 

 

In all seriousness, I find it's best done when done in sections, as most instructional videos tend to show.  I like to work in other scenery around it, or place structure bases.  That tends to break up the monotony.

Modeling whatever I can make out of that stash of kits that takes up half my apartment's spare bedroom.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:31 AM

bsteel4065
Do any of you (apart from Cody) actually like ballasting?

I rather enjoy it. Now, in the areas where I have to be on my hands and knees and my head inside a tunnel portal can become a bit wearysome...

Ballasted track makes the biggest leap in the scenery progression. The part of the process I do dislike is the painting of the track prior to the ballast. It takes the most prep work and consumes a great deal of time.

Can you post any photos of your work?

Regards, Ed

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:24 AM

Bundy74

I'll ballast for you if you'll do my wiringBig Smile

 

If you weren’t so far away I’d take you up on that.  I love wiring and absolutely hate ballasting.
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Massachusetts
  • 202 posts
Posted by Bundy74 on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:17 AM

I'll ballast for you if you'll do my wiringBig Smile

Modeling whatever I can make out of that stash of kits that takes up half my apartment's spare bedroom.

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: United Kingdom
  • 552 posts
Ballasting......hate it.
Posted by bsteel4065 on Monday, January 25, 2016 9:00 AM

I know Cody Grivno loves ballasting track. I even follow his method shown in MRVideoPlus. I'm very careful....meticulous even. But I have just ballasted 253,265 miles of track!! (OK, not really, it just seems like that much track.) 

It is the most boring part of model railroading but it has to be done. 

Do any of you (apart from Cody) actually like ballasting?

SleepSleepSleepSleep

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