What type of Ballast should I use? I got a bag of Coarse Gray and did a small section on my mainline. Would medium gray be perfered? I kinda like the coarse it looks good to me.
Also, is it OK to have my mainline gray and the yard black? What about industries, should they match the mainline ballast? I was thinking the medium light grey/white for the industries.
btw this is for HO scale modern diesel era.
FAIL. Use fine for HO. Medium is iffy. I assume this is woodland scenics brand?
Oh… really? OK then. Yes WS brand. Any advice on colors then?
Yes, really. Course is waaayyy too big. Each yard is different, but cinder would be a good color IMHO. My mainline uses “pink lady” color ballast because of the actual pinkish color seen on the Soo Line eastern Iowa trackage. You’ll have to determine what color is right for you. Medium gray does look good however as I have used that color before.
Unless the railroad you are modeling has a specific color ballast, due to its source, gray is common color. It’s your layout, if course looks good to you, use it. Many folks feel it is a little big in HO, some mix course and medium together. Try a little of the medium and some mixed, see which hou like best.
As for color, yes, there is often a difference in not only the color, but amount of ballast. Mainlines are better cared for due to higher speeds. Sidings may be the same or different color and are not usually as heavily ballasted. Yards were often black in the steam era due to the use of the cinders cleaned out to the locomotives. Yard tracks and lesser used sidings oftern do not have ditches along the sides and the tracks are sunk into the ground, due to poorer drainage. In more modern yards, the color would be more likely to match (but not necessarily) the mainline, but could be a finer texture to make it easier for crews to walk around the yard.
Have fun,
Motley - For HO usually the fine ballast is more like what you see in the real world but use what you think looks good - it’s your railroad. As to colors, the mainline is usually lighter as it gets more attention. Black for an older yard would be fine as most were done with cinders as were many sidings (not so much traffic so not so critical on stability or longevity with heavy traffic/. The secondary lines are usually not piled so high with ballast and don’t get the attention of the mains. Ballast colors varied greatly nationwide and some roads used a single distinctive color for all their main lines. Hope that helps get you started. J.R.
unless you are modeling a particular prototype use the gray you can get in the finest texture. real ballast stone is crushed and screened to a max size of 1.5". in the steam era cinders were used on yard tracks, sidings and also for station platforms and driveways
Thanks for the feedback! I think I’ll try mixing the coarse with the medium gray/white for both the mainlines and sidings. And then just medium gray for the yard.
OH REALLY? LOL
Like you, I used Coarse ballast and thought it looked good. For a while. It’s starting to look bigger and bigger the more I consider it. When you consider that the pieces, in scale, are about half the size of a man’s head, it starts to look not so good.
However, it IS your layout, and if it looks good to you, then it is good. [Comment removed]
I prefer a 70% fine / 30% medium mix of gray ballast.
There’s a lot more options on the market than using WS ballast…
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=highball+ballast
[Comments removed] To the OP, do what makes you happy. It is your railroad…if you want to use coarse, use coarse. If you want to run SP cab forwards with a CSX AC6000, do so. This hobby is about enjoyment. Do so to your fullest.
[Comments removed]
Another… ORRRRRRRRLY?
Is that Highball stuff good? I’m liking that limestone color. Is their HO ballast similar to WS medium or fine? I wonder if my LHS might have it…
Highball ballast reportedly is not as clean (stone dust in it) Arizona Rock and Mineral & Smith Ballast are made of real rock and are both clean. Smith Ballast is very cheap $2.00 a pound when I last bought some 3 months ago. They have a good selection of ballast,cinders, real minature coal and dirt.They make ballast for N,HO & O gauge.
It’s OK guys, no big deal here. It’s only ballast.
I appreciate all the great advice.
Boys, I’ve seen people come to blows over cars, women, politics, but ballast!?!? Highball ballast has been around for decades. There are many smaller producers offering great products. WS is a wonderful resource, but not the only choice. Era, region and prototype you are modeling should guide your decision. If you are freelancing based on a prototype, see what the real road used. Lots of articles have been written on ballast and ballasting. Mixing a little dark ballast with your lighter ballast will look like shadows, giving a more 3 dimensional appearance.
Ahaaaa, that’s pretty cool idea.
For the mainline, do whatever you want. Then apply the same basic theme to other tracks. Sidings and spurs and such often had lower grade ballast than the main. Also, vary the grade of the ballast of different spurs, depending on how much they’re used. If it is used little, it will probably have black ballast, but if it is used more, better quality ballast is in order, but not too good, remember, this is the not the main. Get yourselves some pictures and study what you find. Hope this helps.
Often it’s not what you say, but how you say it, especially in a forum or email. Advice intended to be in the best interest can be interpreted as negative, especially when written in short form. I think the word ‘FAIL’ in caps was the trigger here, taken as denigrating. I’m pretty sure the intent was to provide advice that coarse ballast can look unrealistic - as in the rocks are half the size of a person’s head - which conveys the message more clearly.
I never felt sniped, I took it as constructive criticism. In the end, I’ll do what looks good to me, as long as it’s within the “modeler’s code” for prototyping.
Although, I must say, I will probably go with the medium ballast now. I have some great ideas now for what colors I want as well.