Hello everyone. Hope the new year is treating everyone well. My question to you all today is, "When is it considered a good time to begin your ballasting? I’m finally at the point where I’ve laid all my track and everything I’ve read and seen sort of puts this part of builing your layout up the in air. Like when ever you want too. So I’m requesting a little help in this area. Thanks.
Once I’ve glued my track in place and done all the wiring, I like to run the trains for a month or two before I start ballasting. This gives me a lot of time to spot and fix problems with the track. Since the surrounding scenery is pretty time-consuming, it may be quite a while before I actually get back to the ballasting phase.
Ballasting is the last thing I usually do. I work in small areas for scenery, though, maybe a square foot or two at a time. So, I generally only ballast a few feet of track in one session.
Why would you expect the answer to change by asking it again?
In the past, ballast did not have a functional purpose on model railroads - it was strictly for looks. Then Linn Westcott noticed (or at least he was the first to publish the idea that I know of) that the glue used to hold ballast in place would also hold the track in place. All you had to do was temporarily fasten the track with some sort of pins, and then ballast - voila, the track was glued in place. The lesson I draw from the article is that if you use the ballast to hold your track in place, then you want to ballast right away.
When I hand lay track, I prefer to ballast before laying the rail. I spread the glue for the ties, place the ties, and ballast right then and there while the glue is still wet. This has the advantage of not gluing ballast on or to the rails, and is easier to keep off or remove from the tie tops. And the ballasted ties look like prototype track being laid, waiting for a track crew to come and place and spike the rail. This is especially true if the track is surrounded by rudimentary scenery.
OTOH, when I use commercial track on Homasote roadbed - which holds spikes or track nails very well - I often don’t get around to ballasting for years, if ever.
As you can see, the right answer for you is going to depend on your preferences and choice of construction methods.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
I have historicaly done as above, but I also have added one additional thing to my routine. I like to not just “check the rails out” for a month, but after I start ballasting (especialy around switches) I like to then try “the ballast” out for any issues.
Sometimes it’s loose leftover. Sometimes a glob of glue gunk. Sometimes a small chunk of roadbed from a trimming. Whatever. I like to run the rails, then ballast right after I’m satisfied, then not stopp the total tweak untill I’m happy all together. On my current layout, DT&I river spur, I already ballasted my steel mill, but won’t worry about any of the mains or interchanges untill the entirety of the layout is done. I will however go in and ballast each yard along the way as I lay them, and tweak.
My process, ballast first that which you care about most, ballast last that which gets to to and from.
Make sure you have all the bugs worked out of the track. Cars with six axles are more prone to picking out the derailment spots that four axle cars, so use then if possible. Try to operate the layout the way you intend, maybe you need to add a run around siding, or move the location of a turnout or spur, all of this is easier to do before ballasting. However, once ballasted, track and turnouts can still be easily moved and reballasted.
Ballasting is one of the most rewarding aspects of building a model railroad.
Forgot to mention, I would paint all the ties and rails before ballasting.
Hear is a tip I came up with others may have also.
Cut several drinking straws full length snap them down over the rail over laping them. I do both rails for about 3 ft. while I put ballast down in the center area, Moveing them forward as I go.
Great idea!! Why didn’t I think of that!!? [tup]
I build the trackwork, run it, trouble-shoot if necessary, and once I am happy, I tape it all up and begin scenicking around it. Once my scenery is done, I pour the ballast and groom it. This way, it looks like it was added to the terrain extant prior to grading the subroadbed, and the ground foam and other greenery looks like it has grown back and make its usual small marginal incursions at the edge of the ballast.
The second last thing I do, before placing trees and structures, is to weather the ballast. The last task for trackage is painting the rails. In my case, I do want my paint to wash down a bit onto the tie plates and ties under the rails because that is precisely what happens in the real world. The rust migrates the same direction that gravity induces contaminants and water to move…down onto the items under the rails, including the ballast.
-Crandell