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Re: Ballast
Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:13 pm
by glencairn
I too use Woodland Scenics when ballasting, but I must be one of the few who does not use PVA. It is just dry ballast.
Glencairn
Re: Ballast
Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:54 pm
by Walkingthedog
I paint my ballast so the colour is irrelevant.
Re: Ballast
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:34 am
by Puddles
Does any one else leave ballast unglued ?
Re: Ballast
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:43 am
by RogerB
Personally I would always glue it down.
I say that because in the past I have, in error, missed a short stretch that disappeared when I hoovered the track. Very annoying when you have to ballast the same stretch again.
R-
Re: Ballast
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:50 am
by Steve M
Always glue and paint. And once it’s all dry Hoover up any loose bits - just one bit of ballast in the ‘works’ and that expensive loco you’ve just bought is knackered.
20181230_185217 by
Steve Mumford, on Flickr
Re: Ballast
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 6:48 pm
by Walkingthedog
I always glue it down. Saves it disappearing inside the vacuum cleaner or a loco.
Re: Ballast
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 11:06 pm
by Brian
Puddles wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 10:34 am
Does any one else leave ballast unglued ?
Goodness No. Unless you want to replace some or all of your locos sooner than necessary!
Re: Ballast
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:22 pm
by alanto6
I never glue ballast but then again i dont use it,I use bird grit seived into 2 pile,coarse and fine,the fine fo the four foot and coarse for everwhere else,take a look at my layout pics,the grit is multi coloured and resembles proper ballast
Re: Ballast
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:29 pm
by Walkingthedog
Well I hope you glue the bird grit.
Re: Ballast
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 11:17 am
by LC&DR
Ballast colour can be variable depending on its source and age.
Fresh ballast will usually have a colour depending upon the quarry it comes from and type of stone it is made of.
I have seen pink, green/grey, dark grey, yellow/white and blue/grey in different places.
At places where trains are braking the ballast quickly becomes brown. as too does the landscape nearby. This is caused by hot iron dust thrown up by friction from the brake shoes and wheel treads, it etches into paintwork and window glass.
At places like signals and the end of platforms the ballast soaks up oil, ash, sand and general rubbish until it forms a shiny black sludge. Locomotive stabling and servicing points are similarly affected.