Someone, please make a turnout tutorial on ballasting.
I have manual Atlas #5 switches and when the time comes, I want to know how to ballast them without getting rocks in the gears and still maintain smooth operation.
If this was already a post, I am sorry.
Place the turnout with joiners, and do not solder them.
Next, cover the throwbar and points with a length of 1" masking tape. At this point, you could also cover the hinges on the closure rails, the ones that meet the moving points rails, but it is not necessary. Might be smart with fine ballast.
Sprinkle the ballast in between the rails, just a little, and use a semi-stiff artists brush to sweep it around so that it is even and level with all the ties up to the tape covering the points rails. Be sure to leave no ballast material above and atop the ties from the hinges to the taped throwbar if you want easy operation of the turnout.
Sprinkle some ballast on either side of the turnout, outside the rails, and try to carefully sweep it off the tie ends. Let the ballast material fall as it will toward the bottom of the roadbed. If it gets too ugly near the bottom of the roadbed, use a stiffer brush (cut the bristles shorter on another brush) and holding the shaft of the brush vertically, gently sweep the ballast back up onto the cascade around the tie ends. This can quickly become an issue in diminishing returns, so be patient. Return to it later if you get cheesed off.
Next, wet the ballast with 70% isopropyl alcohol and water, and then dribble on a white or yellow glue mixed with lots of water and two drops of dish soap. Do not soak the ballast, as you will elsewhere around your trackplan. If you allow too much glue to harden the ballast, your turnout will be very hard to take up later, and will be hard to clean. Also, too much glue will likely affect the operation of the points if you soak it enough that it runs under any of the tape that you placed. So, go light, and keep the glue away from going under the tape...only glue until about 1/2" on either side of the tape.
Let it dry. It'll take at least 6 hours, probably more like 10-12.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
One other tip, not just for turnouts.
Use your fingertip to get most of the ballast off the tops of the ties, instead of a brush, both between and outside of the rails. The finger won't get it all, but it'll get 90% of it, at least ten times faster than a brush will, with one tenth of the hassle.
Then use the brush to get the individual grains that the brush misses, especially up on the tie plates and spike areas right next to the rails.
Use the brush and the finger in the direction you want to extra ballast to move, towards the unballasted end on regular track, away from the points on turnouts.
Just before gluing, I use a brush to get the very few loose grains of ballast at least an inch away from the embankment edge so there's no chance they'll get glued down, then a dustbuster can suck them up easily for quick, post gluing clean-up.
I followed the Tony Koester method of handlaying turnouts precisely because it allowed me to pre-ballast before laying the rails and avoid the whole "how do I keep the rocks and glue out of the mechinaism" problem.
But, I'm sure if you take your time, and follow the advice you've received so far, you'll do fine.
Good Luck,
Tom
ANYTHING that can dislodge or hinder the mechanical throw of a turnout - isn't worth the risk. Most ballast everything BUT turnouts. Brave souls have regreted trying it.
Cork roadbed, or coarse Sandpaper, may, or may not, be an acceptable substitute,
You can ballast the entire turnout except the space between the ties where the throwbar is. Unless you're using jumper wires, do solder the turnout in place (why would you want to leave a weak electrical connection at such a critical area? - properly soldered rail joiners can be easily unsoldered if you ever need to remove the turnout), then paint the roadbed beneath the points some shade of black: on the prototype, this area was often well-greased, and the dark colour will make any spots where the ballast is thin less noticeable. Apply your ballast material: I use a paper cup, as it affords good control and you can squeeze it to distribute the ballast very precisely. Using a soft brush, and brushing away from the throwbar area, distribute the ballast where you want it to be. Be sure to keep it below the tops of the ties in the area where the moveable points are. Don't be too fussy about ballast atop the ties, though, as the next step will easily remove it. Now, grasping the brush lightly by the ferrule, lay the handle horizontally across the rails. With the fingers of your free hand, lightly and rapidly tap the handle while simultaneously moving the brush along the track. The errant granules of ballast will "magically" be removed from the tie-tops. Now, apply some plastic-compatible oil to the tops of the ties over which the point rails move, then flip the points back-and-forth a few times to distribute the oil. Make sure that there is no ballast in the space between the ties where the throwbar is located, and that all flangeways are clear of ballast. "Park" the points at mid-throw, so that they're touching neither stock rail, then spray the entire area to be ballasted with "wet" water. Make sure that you wet the area thoroughly: otherwise, you'll end up with a hardened crust on top of loose ballast. (You could also use alcohol for this step, but it will tend to "degrease" the ties that you so carefully oiled. In my opinion, alcohol is what you drink while admiring your nicely ballasted turnouts. ) Now apply your 50/50 mixture of white glue and water. Many use an eyedropper for this, although I prefer a plastic squeeze bottle that dribbles out the glue when inverted. I usually do all turnouts and track in the area at the same time, so this is much faster. Don't skimp on the glue mixture either, as it forms a poor bond at best with the plastic throwbar and ties, and shouldn't cause any problems. Pour yourself that drink (if you're so inclined), then come back the following day to check your handiwork. The points should move freely: if they don't apply some light finger pressure to free them up, then throw them back and forth a few times. When the glue is fully dried, clean the tops of the rails, then run some trains.
Wayne