What about Ballast one of my favourite subjects no one has said anything about it for a while. Anything new in this direction either proper working ballast or decorative ballast.
We use nice coloured decorative ballast, of many diifferent colours, Coolangatta Gold, Queenland Cream, and we just love quartz and granite.
Rgds ian
Good idea, wish I thought of that. What cut of quartz do you recommend? I have been using chicken grit (crusher fines) and am pleased with the results. I am expanding this winter (summer for you down under) and the idea of a little color (or is that colour?) apeals to my whimsical side (not my direct-get it done side). I NEED MORE INFO-NOW!!! (sorry, I had a flashback) [oX)]
I’m with you on this one Ian. I remember this one from a while ago and I’m still using Alpine Pink, a well crushed sharp gravel that looks good when it’s down and bonds well. I get it from our local DIY mega store - B&Q - for less than a couple of quid a bag. The sub base is pea gravel that I use a lot for decorative use and it looks good when the track is ballasted. One day I’ll put some pictures up when I get my head round doing it.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]
In southern New Jersey where I live there is hardly any native stone with the possible exception of some relatively rare sandstone, which is not suitable for ballast. If you dig in the soil there are plenty of rounded pebbles washed down by glaciers 12,000 or so years ago, but these are not suitable either. However, the local landscaping centers sell angular crushed stone in two varieties in 3/8th-inch size, which does the job pretty well. I believe both are native to Pennsylvania, west of here.
One type is gray in color and appears to be basalt. The other is reddish, and is shale. Now the basalt is very hard and could hold up much better, but I opted to use the red shale because it seems to fit into my scheme of things. I am able to buy the crushed shale in 50-pound bags for about $3 and I always try to keep some on hand for repairs. Hey, it just “looks right” for me.
Regards,
Bill C.
South Jersey
Here in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia I am using what we call Crusher Dust, which is grey in color and has plenty of tooth to bond together and really hold the track, on embankments and other high areas I mix a bit of GP Cement with the ballast on the shoulder to hold the track bed during wet weather etc. I have seen a pinkish crusher dust at my local Garden Center which I might use for road construction.
No track here yet… but I plan to use, not sure what it’s called, BB71 help me out on this one, it’s a material that resembles crushed concrete blocks that they use under patio pavers, It’s a light grey in color but packs well so I believe it will hold the track in place.
Danny S where the hell are you I live on Kawana Island on the Sunshine Coast an hours drive away, send me ands email.
I also use crusher dust but what we are talking about is decorative ballast.
The quartz we use is 10 mm max and not all landscape places carry it.
The little people look just great working with ballast congrats.
Rgsd ian
I looked all over SE Arizona for chicken grit and no one except a man who had moved here from Indiana had any idea what I was talking about. Asking for Crusher Fines also got nothing but blank stares. What I wound up using was roofing granules purchased from a local building supply dealer. These granules are crushed granite, and come in various colors. Their availability is probably limited by your climate, though, just like chicken grit seems to be limited by your soil. Roofing granules are used where stepping on hot shingles during installation can scruff off the granules and the roofers have to replace them.
I ended up getting the grit from Southern States Feed and Seed. I got a lot of blank stares from the chain stores also, and not a few stares like I had a squid on my head. The friendly folks at SS just asked me how many 50lb bags I needed and how many chickens I was raising! It took some explaining to them what I was going to use the stuff for, and even then I don’t think they believed me. I’m sure farmers in your area know where to get it, or check the yellow pages for feed and seeds or tack shops. It’s actualy crushed clamshells and holds track like velcro. There are several grades, I use the fines which are made for chicks (not pretty girls, baby chickens!). Other grades of the material just don’t “look right” to me, but I’m sure would work just as well.[oX)]
Gentlemen;
Have you tried landscape suppliers or garden suppliers for ballast, we have a big choice of supppliers and and have become quite picky about whom we deal from. We even go to different companies for different colours of decrotive ballast, as distinct from fines for working ballast.
Rgds Ian