# Ballasting Track



## sptrains.com

Does anyone have a good way of ballasting track to roadbed where the ballast holds the contour nicely, and doesn't interfere with the operation of crossings and turnouts? I ballasted my track, but I'm just not satisfied with the results. It's going overtop of woodland scenics roadbed, and I've been unable to find a way to get the ballast to stick to the sides of that (on the slope) without heaping on tons of ballast and having the stone end up really wide. I also got some stuck in my crossings which has been a major pain to get out.


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## ulf999

I apply white glue with a brush on the slopes, then add ballast on the sides. When it's dry, I add more. The second layer 'sticks' to the first layer


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## Lownen

When applying white glue with a brush, you might want to thin it with water. 1 part water 1 part glue or 1 part water 2 parts glue should work well.


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## sptrains.com

Okay, I'll try that, I was using the wet water / dilluted glue through a spray bottle method but still getting some clumping. Thanks for the advice!


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## Lownen

Josh;

I didn't notice Woodland Scenics products in your scenery section. They have good books and videos on building scenery using their products.


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## sptrains.com

I'll have to work on the search then, we actually carry the full line of products and I used their grand valley system to construct my layout.

I'll see what I can do to improve the searching, it's always good to get feedback on what's not working. I'm in the process of rolling out a new wishlist feature on our site so people can save their favorite items and share them with friends and loved ones, so we get the things we want, and not another handy bundler!


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## ntrainlover

What i do is I put ballast down and spred it with a flat bristled paint brush and soak it many times in senic cement.


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## alfalfa

Good thread. :thumbsup:
I will not ballast for awhile and was wondering the same thing. I bought ballast and have been practicing with less than good results. I have plenty of glue.


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## Boston&Maine

Ahh, the joy of owning MTH RealTrax and having the ballast as part of the track


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## sptrains.com

Here's a picture of my ballast, not the worst thing ever, but definitely not perfect.


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## Lownen

Not bad at all, Josh.

Tell us about the train. I can't make out the loco wheel configuration. But it looks good with those vintage heavyweights. Who made the loco and cars... this is HO, right?


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## sptrains.com

Yes, they are ho. the engine is a proto2000 2-4-0 DCC a sound. Its my first steam engine and I use it to run sightseeing excursions. The cars I picked up at strausburg pa and are replicas of the heavy weights they have there.


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## alfalfa

Looks pretty damn good to me. :thumbsup:


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## fsm1000

It is not much but I have a video showing how I lay ballast that might be useful. It is on the main page of the Model rail section of my website. Hope it helps


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## B.C.RAIL

Ummm, what is ballasting??


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## Boston&Maine

B.C.RAIL said:


> Ummm, what is ballasting??


"Ballast" is the crushed stone that is laid around the ties which help give the rails and ties some structure... You can buy model track which already has ballast molded onto it, but some people like to make their own, hence the term "ballasting"


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## B.C.RAIL

Ooook rite, I see, well now I knowhwell:


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## fsm1000

Bob here is the link to my video. It might help 
http://s55.photobucket.com/albums/g144/fsm1000/Videos/?action=view&current=Ballasting101.flv


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## rutlandville

This is a big help. I'll be doing this chore right the first time! Using a brush to brush on the glue mixture is a great idea!


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## stationmaster

I spray the glue/water mix. I don't worry about cleaning the rails, as that would be done anyway because of weathering the track. 

The cleaning is with a fine emery cloth attached to a wood block.


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## stationmaster

The trick is in the patience you have. Just take your time.

Bob


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## randall_l

*Ballasting*

I found a website (YouTube channel) before I started that has a wealth of videos on ballasting and just about everything else model railroad related at: http://www.youtube.com/thebige61

I hope this helps.

Cheers!
Randall


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## fsm1000

randall_l said:


> I found a website (YouTube channel) before I started that has a wealth of videos on ballasting and just about everything else model railroad related at: http://www.youtube.com/thebige61
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Cheers!
> Randall


Much better then the stuff I do. No need for me to make anymore with people like this doing them.

Good catch there Randall :thumbsup:


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## B.C.RAIL

fsm1000 said:


> Much better then the stuff I do. No need for me to make anymore with people like this doing them.
> 
> Good catch there Randall :thumbsup:


Keep making them, because everyone has a different way of doing things and different techniques. It's good to see things from more than one person. 

Just my opinon.


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## tankist

all right, feels like fine day to do some ranting.

BCRail, i actually going to partially disagree with you. true, there are several ways to accomplish things but just how many vids do we really need? IMO that video of 13 year old doing ultra fast but ultra sloppy ballasting job (comes up in top when searching) is redundant. It is remarkable that the boy embarked on MRR path and doing things with his hands, its truly is and i can understand the desire to show off. but before posting his poorly done video (from technical stand point) showing quite poor workmanship and impatience, he should have take a critical look at his work and said "this is not a very good material".

here is a golden rule: 
Just because you own a camcorder, it doesn't mean you have to post videos on youtube

but i guess we are living deep in "look at me, i'm so special" era...



fsm1000 said:


> Much better then the stuff I do. No need for me to make anymore with people like this doing them.


Stephen, i took some time to peruse your website. 
the railroading section is, ehmmm...
...
hmmm
...

computer section on the other hand was attention catching. i'm as big of MS fan as of any other brand out there - completley impartial. but for goodness sake - lay off the poor Billy! do you realize that mr gates has long retired and very little to do with vista or any other microsoft products in past years ? 

now, while there are issues with MS products, the reality is , amount of bugs and issues is REMARKABLY low compared to its complexity. those that know what it takes to build software, how grinding it is to work with documentation, cooperate with others, coordinate his development team (project managers), can't but take of hats to people behind it (while cursing and bitching in a respectfull way about some annoyances). we are human, we make mistakes, given the complexity of the task, Windows quality simply pushes inhumane levels. i can truly say MS employees i worked with on several projects were hands down the most professional professionals (no pun) i EVER met and worked with.

windows is a tool, yes, there are issues, but as with any imperfect tool, it is your job as professional to work around those issues. i will even say that your ability to overcome issues and still complete your task defines your level of professionalism. and if you think the tool is that bad, perhaps you using wrong tool in the first place?





rant over, assuming responsibility.

flame away 

ADD:
oh and BTW, try to think of it as friendly rant. what i wrote was not for the purpose of insulting or offending anyone.


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## Big Ed

Someone I know is retired and makes tools for things to make life easier to build your RR.
He has a ballast tool for N or HO scale. Check it out on e-bay. He lists certain days of the week for 1 day auctions.
If the bidding gets to high for your wallet wait till the next one.
If you buy the tool you will need the track inspection car too. It comes in handy for checking your track.
He has a deal for both of them so you save a little.
Go and check him out. Very fair on the shipping price. And an honest seller.

Tell him, Big Ed (aka CNJRR) sent you.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140352246972&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT


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## tejohn

The method talked about works, but is difficult to get in between the ties. What I do is spread the ballast where you want it, then mix 50/50 water and alcohol in a spray bottle, spray the ballast until it's soaked. Then water down some white glue and use a baster or syringe to put down the glue. The water and alcohol mix allows the glue to soak.


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## stationmaster

I just spray my ballast with water a few drops of dish soap, using a spray bottle. 

Then a 50/50 mix of Elmers and water with a couple of drops of dish soap. Then I use an empty Elmers bottle, soaking the ballast good. Faster, more efficient, and cheaper. And the alcohol tends to evaporate too quickly leading to the ballast "blowing out".

I do have the ballast "blow out" sometimes, but after laying over 1700 lineal feet of track, those are uncommon, but still happen if the ballast is not wet enough from step #1.

I've done sections as long as 60' without a problem.

As far as leveling the ballast, I use a styrofoam coffee cup to lay it down and a soft bristled 1 1/2" paint brush to spread and level it.

I made a suggestion to Gary on another site. He was looking for a way to "feed" the ballast from the car. I'm waiting to see what he comes up with to use as a hopper. As well as a method to regulate the flow.

Bob


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## B.C.RAIL

I have a couple of old beat up hoppers that have hatches on the bottom that open up. I haven't clue who made these.


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## stationmaster

I have a set of similar car made by Bowser.

Bob


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## Southern

After the glue dries I use the vacuum to recover the rocks. I only use this vacuum bag for ballast.


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