# Franklinite for Ballast? North New Jersey People!



## Hellgate (Nov 9, 2011)

I am fairly new to North New Jersey, but I just went to the Franklinite Museum in Franklin New Jersey. There is a rock that is found there that glows under UV light. I was thinking about using gravel like glowing rocks for my layout. 
Has anyone been to the museum before, or has anyone tried doing this already?

Where are my fellow North Jerseyians?


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Rumor has it _all_ the rocks in NJ glow at nighttime!



Do you have a UV light set up already?

Never heard of that for ballast before, but hey ... it's your layout ... you're the boss!

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

My Uncle used to hunt for rocks there in the 60's. I have a bunch from him, he had a machine that milled and polished some.
NJ.......Franklinite is a mineral with formula ZnFe2O4. It is associated with the Franklin Mine and Sterling Hill Mines in New Jersey.
THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD YOU CAN GET IT!
Where you ask? ONLY IN NEW JERSEY.:thumbsup:

Whoops this is not my Jersey thread, ( http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3808 ) I wonder if I have it in there.

NJ does have a bunch of interesting rocks in it's earth.

Go for it I think it would look good, an Alien train layout with it would be great.....ALL ALIEN.:thumbsup:


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## Hellgate (Nov 9, 2011)

I was thinking about attaching a small UV light to a caboose so when the train went around the track it left a streak of awesomeness. 
The part I have to figure out is the UV light. I know nothing about them or where to get them


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Hellgate that's a really cool idea. Any chance I could get some of those rocks from you? Pete


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Hey I've got UV LED's wonder of those would work for you? 
Easy to hook up to the bottom of a car!
If some one has a chuck of rock they could spare I'd give it a checking out!


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## Hellgate (Nov 9, 2011)

Sean
Pm your address and I will send a sample. I know black lights won't work..... have to be shortwave or long wave. Worth a shot though. If it works I will have access to a lot of it for cheap. I can then be the go to source for glowing rocks....... this could be huge


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