I hope this video helps others find out methods of laying down ballast on tracks.
Ballast for sidings.
Posted by nik n on wednesday may 16 2012 10 28 am hi all i was wondering if crushed coal would be an acceptable substitute for the black cinder ballast that woodland scenics sells for sidings.
Mainline ballast is normally a crushed rock typically limestone granite or trap rock that is in the 2 size.
Is there a graph or table for knowing this info.
For example if i was modelling the 50 60s and the mainline would be one type and the sidings another steep hills etc.
Posted by tootall606 on monday october 8 2018 10 43 am i have ballasted my main lines with woodland scenics medium grey blend ho scale.
Many industrial sidings started with cinder ballast but over time dirt built up around the rails so if you look at most industrial tracks you will see mostly earth colors.
I made up a mix of other ballasts dirt etc to use around the warehouses and will add some weeds etc.
New for sorting 844 tonbridge 2 freemans 7 overseas australia newport a melbourne 18 strensall 5 gsmr terminal 18 rtc derby 5 waterloo east 2 hst atp das 6.
Maintenance of the track laid with this material as ballast is very difficult.
Selected earth may be used as material for railway ballast for sidings and also for newly laid tracks.
I have some pictures to illustrate the ballast colors from hobart yard.
I have ample coal supplies but not enough cash to spare for the real stuff.
That way i could ballast by numbers instead of i like that colour etc.
For sidings and also for new laid railway track selected earth of suitable quality is sometimes used as ballast.
So the size model ballast you use should be appropriate to that.
The main purpose of earth using on new formation is to prevent the loss of goods and expensive ballast by sinking into soft formation.
Passing siding would get stone ballast but that track was rarely cleaned so the stone ballast soon was hard to distinguish from cinder ballast.
Typically the ballast on sidings and spurs may or may not have the red ballast.
S ignalling p hotos the railway signalling photo archive.
The top pic is the bnsf mainline in front of hobart yard.
Also i would glue the ballast with a flexible pva or white glue so it deadens the sound.
Today i finally add the ballast to the two sidings on my layout.
Crushed coal as siding ballast.
Lnw north settle carlisle griseburn ballast sidings.
Ballast in yards or subgrade may be smaller 1 or so and ballast for walkways may be chat 1 4 1 2.
Along side of hobart yard in los angeles the mainline has the red ballast but the sidings have grey ballast.