Ballasting question

[Trainman440]

Hi, now I know this is a pretty stupid question, but are you supposed to apply ground cover BEFORE you ballast the tracks, or do you apply ground cover AFTER you ballast the tracks?

Thanks,

Charles

[rrinker]

 Doesn't really matter in the end. I paint the base with a earthy brown shade (I try to just get reject custom mixed paint that's close to a plain brown - cheaper that way) before I do anything, but would normally apply ballast first and then ground cover up to the ballast, simply because in the real world you get weeds and grass encroaching on the ballast. There's nothing really wrong with putting down grass/weeds and then ballast over top.

                         --Randy

 

[mobilman44]

Excellent question!   And the answer is "it depends".   Two months ago I did some main and submain ballasting on my HO layout and tried it both ways (because it had been awhile since I ballasted before and just plain forgot). 

In general, I found that using woodland scenics ballast (nut shells?) went down best before the ground cover as the ballast tends to bounce and get all over.  

But using rock ballast (Highball), I put the groundcover in first and the ballast stayed right where I dropped it.

I urge you to try it both ways, and each may find a situation where they work best for you.

 

[Guy Papillon]

There is no stupid question. When your wonder what to do or how to do it, it is always the time to ask. This forum exists for answering questions. Isn't it?

Back to the question. I prefer to ballast first for the two reasons already given:

"in the real world you get weeds and grass encroaching on the ballast." - Randy

"I found that using woodland scenics ballast (nut shells?) went down best before the ground cover as the ballast tends to bounce and get all over." - Mobilman44

 

[carl425]

One more reason to ballast first is that I like a crisp well manicured look to the edge of the ballast on the mainline.  It's easier to clean up the edge with a putty knife if there is no ground cover to worry about.

[doctorwayne]

I usually do both at the same time, or at least the ballast and some of the ground cover along the right-of-way.  That way, excess glue mixture which leaches out of the ballast, sub-ballast, and rock fill doesn't go to waste.
Here's an example, where there's a lineside ditch below the level of the material supporting the track and also below the level of the area beyond:

With the track support material being so deep, a lot of glue mixture is required, and until it begins to seep from the bottom, you have to keep applying more to ensure that everything will be bonded in place.
Here's the field with some ground cover, applied several years after the first photo was taken:

Wayne

 

 

[Trainman440]

Thanks for all the replys everyone! 

I guess ballast shall come first then.

Thanks,

Charles

[kasskaboose]

To present a counter-argument, I do ground cover first almost to the track.  I then again ensure the locos run smoothly before putting ballast.  There's nothing wrong w/ adding a bit more ground cover after putting down the ballast.

I found two great earlier discussions on the ballast v. ground scenery which came 1st debate below.  They somewhat further validate why to put ballast AFTER scenery, but you can find others who do the former (those are links, so copy and paste if they can't open): 

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/225278.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/191138/2092172.aspx

[BroadwayLion]

Depends! LION (on previous layout of him) used paper machette over a plastic fram to create the landscape base. As it dries if lifts up and tries to derail the trains. So get the ground forms in and secure foist.

LION builds subway trains, so little ballast is kneaded. Him uses cat litter for ballast, even if little ballast is needed, 14 miles is a lot of track, and a four track mane lion requires lotsa ballast. Him puts ballast in first since weeds and litter go on top of the ballast. In a four track open cut, it is simply wall to wall ballast, no glue is necessary.

 

On the Franklin Line, ground cover had to go in first since it was an intergal part of the retaining wall. After ballast, still more ground cover blended the railway into the view.

[floridaflyer]

Using Arizona Rock and Mineral ballast I put ground cover on first and then ballast. Figured that is the way it was done in 1-1 scale. However either method would work and the preference is up to the modeler.