One of the main reasons I have many times considered moving to larger scales is because HO track is so finicky. I have tried ballasting my code 100 track several times, with mixed results, I seem to be getting better, particularly when I use the WS fine size ballast on the track itself, however when I get to switches, thats a different story.
I have taken exceptional care to not clog up my switches with loose grains of ballast, but so far, its been an absolute disaster. I have a double cross over, and all 4 switches are jammed, and I didn’t even put one drop of glue down yet. We are using Atlas code 100 under the table switches, these have come with countless electrical problems themselves, had to buy a separate power booster just to get two of them to operate correctly, but the ballast has now made this expensive endeavor a complete waste of money and time. I must have spent $80, at least, on the these things alone, and now the ballast seems to have wrecked them.
I have watched instructional videos online, but I just can’t seem to get it right, its so frustrating, do you think perhaps I still put too much ballast in the switches? I wish I had pics, but I don’t right now.
Any similar experiences out there? I’m just surprised this is happening considering I haven’t used any glue on the switches yet.
I use very little ballast under and around turnouts. Especialy around the points and guard rails. Paint the sub road bed the same color as the ballast and use very little ballast and you will have good results. It take a little practice to be able to put the right amount of ballast down. Its easier to add than to take away too much.
good advice from Pete. let me add, i squirt a small amount of oil around and under the throw bar between the head block ties to keep any glue from sticking things together. use the labelle with the little needle to feed the oil in just where you want it. make sure the oil you use is compatible with plastics.
I’ll agree with using a ballast covered paint, you can now get textured paint that looks even closer to ballast. Just check to make sure the texture doesn’t make the throwbar drag, can be sanded down just under the throwbar. Also, with any painting, if you have any foam on your layout, be sure the paint is foam friendly (take a small piece an try it) or just use a latex paint as an undercoat. Good luck,
One thing I did while ballasting my diorama was to work the switches while everything was drying. This helped me spot a few places where it would have snagged and let me clean them out while it was still wet.
I have a small attachment for my shop-vac. It’s a small hose (about 1/4" in diameter) that I can use once I get the ballast in place (before gluing). I remove all ballast from around the points and the cross-bar. A drop of Wahl’s clipper oil on the rivets will help, too. Once I check the movement, I glue the ballast in place. A medicine dropper will give you great control of the glue placement.
… I just put a few (really only a few) drops of ordinary sewing machine oil on the moving parts of the switch, move them a couple of times and than ballast the switch like a put ballast on my tracks. Never had a problem with switches being jammed or stuck, maybe I was just lucky…
I’ve “been there, done that” and have come to the conclusion that ballasting turnouts is something to be done carefully by hand “grain by grain” and only at the tail ends of the two tracks. It helps if your roadbed is painted a similar color to the ballast, making it blend in fairly well. If you really have to, you can ballast the roadbed slope along the entire length of the turnout.
My last HO layout was running for 14 years, and even in the last years I would find several grains of ballast that had been somehow moved into the guts of the turnouts. This could only have been caused by train movements on some of the turnouts, or during track cleaning time.
Same here. I use real sand glued with diluted matte medium for ballast. My only issue was once spilling a bit too much oil - it stained the ballast a darker shade for an inch either way.
Perhaps the lightweight stuff is causing the OPs problems[%-)]
Notice how the ballast is cleared out from the moving parts. Especially helpful in winter, when snow-ice accumulates. Seems a bit darker, too, from lubing the switch. Don’t worry about oil discoloration, it happens.
Something to consider: Put a piece of duct tape under the switch, in the moving part area. Keep the throw rod clear, of course. Then use the tape to hold the ballast in.
Also have painted under the switch, with speckle paint.
Gordon Odegard’s favorite technique was to stick electrician tape to the underside of the switch 3 to 4 ties each side of the throw bar. whatever ballast stuck to the tape was all he used. Usually most real switches are not filled up even with the ties.
