Ballast

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I have heard that artist black sand makes a good ballast. What ele makes a good ballast?

shane

2

Cat Litter

3

Your track work is something you will look at more than anything on your layout. make your track work great by using good ballast. Brennan’s Better Balast is hands down the very best product out there. If you keep your back issues of CTT, I had an article on ballasting a couple of years ago, and I was using old tube track. Ballast makes a difference.

4

The article I referenced was November 2014 CTT, page 32.

5

I’ve used black sand to replicate a coal pile on my HO layout about 1" wide x 4" long x 3/4" high. It took a while for thinned white glue to soak into it and required several applications to make it solid. Just something to consider when you’re ballasting many feet of track.

6

I forgot to mention it is tube track and original post war era equpiment. As long as it something that would have been used then and is decent looking i will try it.

As for back issues of CTT. I only started getting them two years ago. So i will delv back into the digital version to see your article for nov 2014.

My goal is a period correct early model railroader style layout not so much a trainset for a kid.

Thanks

shane

7

I used parakeet gravel. The size and color looked good.