Beginner Question

[Anonymous]

What is the reason that Railroads Ballast there rails. I'm thinking it has alot to do with drainage of water. I know it's a stupid question but I never really got an answer to it yet.

Brock

[Train 284]

Railroads ballast their rails for drainage as you said and to kind of hold the track in place so it does not move around to much with the contractions of the steel rail.

[Anonymous]

Hey bro79, No question is a dumb one. Ballast is for drainage to keep the tracks in place.

[selector]

Drainage, but mostly to fix the rails in place by jamming it in amongst the ties. The ties serve to keep the rails in gauge, but the ballast keeps the ties in place. Otherwise, the train would look like a snake was it wove right and left down the track...not good at high speed.

[loathar]

I think it's to give us modelers a tedious, frustrating detail to model. (I HATE ballasting track!!!!) chuckle...
loathar

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your answers. Thats one less question I don't have to give my usual answer for.

Brock

[cheese3]

QUOTE: Originally posted by loathar

I think it's to give us modelers a tedious, frustrating detail to model. (I HATE ballasting track!!!!) chuckle...
loathar

[#ditto]

[Jetrock]

Actually, ballasting is also part of the suspension of the railroad! The pile of rocks holds the ties steady, and the big ballast pile stops the ties from sinking into the dirt beneath. Railroads have extremely high ground pressure, and while the ties spread out that pressure some, it's still a lot of weight! Ballast spreads out the weight over a much wider area, reducing the chances that your tracks will sink into the muck in wet weather.

I don't mind ballasting track...it requires a little patience, but is easier than modeling in-street track!

[Anonymous]

I REALLY don't like ballasting track but it makes such a difference in appearance that I've never seriously considered doing without. I remember when I was a newbie and my first time ballasting track. I thought I had destroyed my railroad!

[selector]

I know what you mean, WV. I thought that I had destroyed my interest in model railroading after about five minutes of gluing the ballast. I won't use a spritz bottle again.

[loathar]

You pick up a bag of what looks like the PERFECT color. Spend all the time getting it to lay down right, than you spray it with scenic cement and Dohh!!!!! IT'S TOO DARK!!!!!
Better get the light grey chalks out. sigh...

[johncpo]

The Ballast question is asked by everyone ! , What color, how much, can rock color be blended ? whew !! Too many questions.

But there are all good answers and here in Deming New Mexico there is an oppurtunity to see just what it is that makes a rr run. UP is putting down a second track from AZ to El Paso and the track work goes through Deming. A local gravel company got the contract to supply crusher made on the spot ballast. And truckloads of it go every day to the worksite. Cool, eh ? and the local rock is gray, just like the scenery kind we all buy.
Now all I have to do is ask the gravel company to supply me with crusher-super fine for my rr. Oh well...I can dream

[Anonymous]

Johncpo,
Don't laugh too much my wife's uncle went to our local gravel quarryand they gace him a 5 gallon bucket of gravel dust for free. he strained it through window screening i believe and has 3 gallons of perfect colored ballast for our area. Ride over to the quarry and ask maybe they have the same. I think he told me they called it gravel dust.