# Ballasting for shunting area of layout



## RibCageNinja (Sep 11, 2021)

Greetings

I'm very new to the hobby, and before I start gluing my track bed to my base board, I'd like to find out, if the shunting yard has the same height track bed as the "running/traveling" side of a railway? 

I get mixed info from the internet and so I'd thought I'd ask you guys!

I'm creating a "small" (1800mm x 400mm) shelf layout in HO scale, which was meant to be a night light diorama for my hallway, but once I started building the base board I thought I'd turn it into a working piece where I can play with the layout instead of just a still standing diorama.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

It just depends upon where the yard is. As a general rule, yards are not usually on heavy ballast, but again it depends upon where you are, the railroad, etc. That's why you are getting conflicting information on the internet.

My five track yard is on roadbed with ballast like the rest of the railroad, but the engine service facility tracks are right on the sub-roadbed and lightly ballasted.


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## RibCageNinja (Sep 11, 2021)

MichaelE said:


> It just depends upon where the yard is. As a general rule, yards are not usually on heavy ballast, but again it depends upon where you are, the railroad, etc. That's why you are getting conflicting information on the internet.
> 
> My five track yard is on roadbed with ballast like the rest of the railroad, but the engine service facility tracks are right on the sub-roadbed and lightly ballasted.


Thank you, I'm building just a 2 rail receive and send to/from one "warehouse"


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

RibCageNinja said:


> Thank you, I'm building just a 2 rail receive and send to/from one "warehouse"
> View attachment 566479


 As MichaelE said, it varies.
In general, yards get fewer track upgrades than the main line does. This makes sense as the main caries heavier traffic at higher speeds. Its not unusual for a yard, siding, or branch line, to have smaller rails, older ties,(sleepers) and less ballast, than the main. speeds are slow and traffic on any given track may be lighter in a yard, and certainly on sidings. Another factor was the financial condition of the railroad company. If funds were tight, the sidings, & yard tracks, might might not get much in the way of maintenance.
In the steam era yards, and particularly engine service areas, were ballasted with the cinders removed when locomotives had their fireboxes cleaned out. So, you have plenty of choices. Just about anything you choose was probably used on a real railroad at some time or place.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Check the yards and spurs of the railroads in your 
area. If they're like I've seen, you'll find a well maintained
mainline but when you see the spurs they will be flat on
the ground with a 'lighter' rail, often dirt and ashes will cover the ties
and it's not uncommon to see weeds growing between
the rails. 
.
Yards also can look pretty rough...rusty rails laid
aside...loose ties here and there...even some mysterious
rusty 'parts' can be strewn about.

On the other hand, humps, major switching yards and
passenger terminal tracks are likely to be much cleaner and
well maintained.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Largely, this depends on the size of the yard and how much use it gets, as well as the plant maintenance practices of the owning railroad. Generally, yards don't require the same heavy rail that is in use on the mainline because of the low speeds involved, but as Traction Fan said, pretty much anything you will do will be fine.

The thing to remember is that whatever is between the ties IS ballast. With very few exceptions, you will not see ties and rail just sitting on the ground.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

If it were me I'd put the whole thing on the base level, not much room for grade changes.
Use nice clean looking ballast on the "main line" and some dirtier looking stuff for 
the yard tracks. That diagonal track into the yard is pretty short for much of a grade change.
You could build up the yard base some but I don't think that look very good, not much room.

By the time you add scenery and buildings the ballast won't be noticed that much.

Magic


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## RibCageNinja (Sep 11, 2021)

Thank you, everyone for all the feedback, I really do appreciate it a lot.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

RibCageNinja said:


> Greetings
> 
> I'm very new to the hobby, and before I start gluing my track bed to my base board, I'd like to find out, if the shunting yard has the same height track bed as the "running/traveling" side of a railway?
> 
> ...


So that no rolling stock might lose the brakes and run over turnouts and foul the main, or foul the lead to the ladder, or foul arrival and departure tracks (AD tracks), railroads do two things
:
a. They tend to accept no more than about 0.2% slope or grade in their yards; and
b. They place the sidings and yard trackage somewhat lower than the mains running through or past them. Rolling stock on a near-level grade can't roll up hill unless impelled by locomotion. Here in N. America, you'll find most sidings at least 8" lower than the mains beside them. There are exceptions, surely, but they are by no means the practice.

Dirt is used in yards for ballast. For my layout, I use sifted garden soil. I use an old pair of panty hose. I mix it with Plaster of Paris and masonry dye, brown, to tint the plaster powder. I wet it liberally with a spray bottle using diluted wood glue. When it dries, it forms a crust that holds the yard tracks in place and looks like typical prototype yard surfaces. 

Take pains to cover and protect mechanisms that need to work afterwards. The points and throwbar should be covered with masking tape before you pour or sprinkle the dirt plaster mixture, and you must not glue it before you have cleared the points rails and the area of the frog. NEVER glue terrain material until it has been well groomed and until items that need to move have been fully cleared of material and appear to work freely.


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