The old mainline of the Northern Pacific/Burlington Northern and now BNSF in my local area is very well groomed. I am talking about the tracks between towns, not in the towns and cities along the way. Staples Minnesota, which is a division point on the BNSF, has a 1.5 mile long, 8 tracked yard that appears to be ballasted with dirt. (An interesting feature of looking at this area on Google Earth is that the layout of old roundhouse at Staples is still visible. Te same is true at Dilworth, near Fargo).
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
BRAKIE Once again I'm the odd man out..I like to ballast my track as you would see it on a urban industrial branch and that means I lighty ballast with a mixture of cinders,dirt, and dark gray ballast.For "dirty dirt" I lighty overspray the track with a mist of Floquil Grimy Black in the rattle can.
Once again I'm the odd man out..I like to ballast my track as you would see it on a urban industrial branch and that means I lighty ballast with a mixture of cinders,dirt, and dark gray ballast.For "dirty dirt" I lighty overspray the track with a mist of Floquil Grimy Black in the rattle can.
Your not the only one Brakie, at least as being odd man out. I don't get it, whats all the angst over ballasting? Maybe it's me being weird but I've always enjoyed it.
Karl
NCE über alles!
richhotrain eaglescout From what I have seen ballast in the real world is not nearly as neat as folks try to make it on their model RR. If I have a few specks on my ties and a little uneven shoulder it looks more prototypical than a perfectly groomed track. As long as it does not interfere with operation and you can live with it, don't lose any sleep over it. I will agree with this assessment. The old Rock Island tracks are very near my home, and they are now used by Metra for its commuter trains. When I stand on the platform and look down at the tracks at the station and beyond, it is not pretty and there are definitely pieces of ballast on the ties. Rich
eaglescout From what I have seen ballast in the real world is not nearly as neat as folks try to make it on their model RR. If I have a few specks on my ties and a little uneven shoulder it looks more prototypical than a perfectly groomed track. As long as it does not interfere with operation and you can live with it, don't lose any sleep over it.
From what I have seen ballast in the real world is not nearly as neat as folks try to make it on their model RR. If I have a few specks on my ties and a little uneven shoulder it looks more prototypical than a perfectly groomed track. As long as it does not interfere with operation and you can live with it, don't lose any sleep over it.
I will agree with this assessment.
The old Rock Island tracks are very near my home, and they are now used by Metra for its commuter trains. When I stand on the platform and look down at the tracks at the station and beyond, it is not pretty and there are definitely pieces of ballast on the ties.
Rich
I have seen both neat and messy.
If you ever watch train MOW crews, the last step is redistributing the ballast which involves running a shovel blade over the sides giving it a very groomed appearance. I imagine over time the ballast settles and gets moved by trains, and mother nature giving it a less groomed appearance.
However I have seen Penn Central and Forrestry track that was just the ugliest thing you ever seen.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I actually find ballasting sort of fun. It calms my heart rate and gets me happy. However, the amount of my layout that has been ballasted is maybe only 25%. I don't apply the ballast until the adjacent scenery is completed and on much of my layout, the scenery is only shelled up.
As far as having any philosophy about it, I only try to make it look like the real thing. I can get it so it is graded perfectly; but, when I use wet water to wet it down and dribble on the scenic cement, it can get moved around and the last thing you want to do is try to move it back into position when it is wet. I know this from experience!
I see that there is a ballasting car made by Ballast King, for $239.00. The advertisements says it will cut your ballasting time by 90%! Maybe it's worth it, for those of you who hate the job.
I pretty much do the same as Mr.B. Ballasting is one of those things that really needs to be done. I only work on one area at a time, roughly about 1 to 2 feet only, and I stay with it until it is completed. That last step is to ballast that 1 to 2 feet, and then move on to the section.
Sam
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I try to do a good job with my ballast, but I'm not always successful. On the other hand, when I'm done it doesn't look "inadequate." In all likelihood, we are our own worst critics on stuff like this.
I do scenery slowly, a few square feet at a time, and the ballast is generally one of the last steps. So, I try to keep up with "finishing" each small scene, and that involves a few feet of ballast, at most, in one session. That way, I don't have an overwhelming amount to do all at once, so the task isn't so dreadful.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Alton Junction
Ballast? Ballast? Whats That? LION builds subway train, does not need too much ballast, not in tunnels or on elevated structure. It is required on embankments and in open cuts.
LION uses no built up roadbed. Trains running in an open cut need it not. As a matter of fact even the embankments on the NYCT seem to be innocent of roadbed.
Ballast? LION buys ballast in 25 pound bags at Walmart. Him has over 14 miles of mane lion railroad. Actually, it is CAT LITTER! :) LION sifts it through a window screen, and give the big lumps back to the cats.
LION spreads it where needed, but does not glue it. Gravity works just fine, thank you.
Here is NYCT on an embankment:
Here is NYCT in an Open Cut:
Here is LION in open cut:
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I think using a foam brush makes this tedious job a little easier. I trim a 1" brush so it just fits between the rails & drag it along at about a 45 d. angle. It doesn't dislodge the ballast grains like a bristle brush does.
jerry
I try to get it to look good, but often it doesn't make the grade. Like others , I find it's one of the most tedious jobs in the hobby. When done right it looks very realistic but, like many other things, it's certainly not my strong suit. Maybe it's a patience thing.
Let's put it this way. I try to be very precise and I try to groom it nicely.
But, the end result looks like I just spread it and let it go at that.
For all of the ballasting that I have done, I have yet to perfect a method for nicely grooming it.
Let's say that ballasting is just about my least favorite thing to do. Somedays it is tedious, gets on my last nerve and tries my patience. (Ask me how I really feel). So, i have been looking at your pictures - some of you are very precise ala Cody Grivno precise and others of you just seem to spread it and not worry.
Now I understand for realism sake there are different looks - but what camp do you favor and why? Are you in the 'very precise' camp or in the 'let's spread it and get it over camp?'
Just askin......
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....