# Track Ballast. What do you use?



## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

I have tryed differant things over the year. The last things I have tryed is woodland's ballast, Coarse gray and medium cinders.










What do you use?


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## stationmaster (Dec 7, 2008)

I use Woodland Scenic also. Usually the Medium fine or a mix of different coarseness. I used black around the round house, coal mine, engine repair shop, cinder pit, ect on the steam modules. I prefer a mix of the lighter gray and dark gray on my lines.

Bob


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

the pics are of a test. I am not happy with the result.


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## Lester Perry (Nov 7, 2008)

I have been reprimanded for this but it works. I go to local asphalt plant with a 5 gallon bucket and shovel. Tell them I want to buy a bucket full of stone dust. After some funny looks they tell me to just go get it, no charge. I then take it home sift it through a piece of screen toss the big stuff and I have free ballast. You be the judge of how it looks



















There is small pieces of iron in stone dust that supposedly cause problems some way. I have never had any trouble and I have a lot of it on my layout.










I is all glued down well enough that I can use a vacuum cleaner hose to clean my layout.
Les


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## stationmaster (Dec 7, 2008)

How fine is it Les? What do you use to screen it? We have an asphalt company and gravel company very close here. Might be worth a trip.

Bob


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## cicsos2 (Jan 25, 2009)

*Pigeon Grit for Ballast*

I've just started applying ballast. After reading several discussions about chicken or chick grit, I decided to give it a try. There is a small feed store in town. They did not have any chick grit in stock but did have some pigeon grit. I bought 10 lbs for $4.00. I also have to put it thru a strainer to separate out the pieces that were too large and as well as the few non grit items. I have a large spaghetti strainer bought at a garage sale. (Keeps me out of trouble with the "boss".) I had a 75% yield of material that matched in size to the WS Coarse blend. 

The material is red in color. After gluing it I then painted it a medium grey. This shows some ballast painted and some ready for paint.










The other pictures can be found at http://s638.photobucket.com/albums/uu107/cicsos2/My HO Layout/Adding Ballest/


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## Lester Perry (Nov 7, 2008)

stationmaster said:


> How fine is it Les? What do you use to screen it? We have an asphalt company and gravel company very close here. Might be worth a trip.
> Bob


Bob I used a piece of screen wire like you have in a storm door over a bucket pushed it down into the bucket about 2 inches. I think I used duct tape around it to secure the screen. Its been a few years ago. put some stone dust into the dipped down screen, I used a spoon. Shake the bucket and move the dust around on the screen with the spoon. remove the large stuff and repeat. It is very fine. From a powder to probably scale 3 inches. I have never actually measured it. You can get a good idea of the size from the pics especially the one of the front of a light Mikado (next to last pic)


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