ballest colour

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Hi As a UK railroader modeling UP I need advice on what ballest to use I will be useing products from the Woodland Scenics range

also what adhesive is best for Walthers cornerstone kits

many thanks Mike Glover Hereford UK

2

Mike:

I’m assuming you are modeling in HO. You will get many opinions on the “correct” ballast size to use but I would guess that the majority would say to use the “fine” size. The color depends on the location and other more experienced modelers can give you the proper information. For assembling Cornerstone kits I have had good luck with both Tenax and Plastruct liquid cements. They are “welding” type cements that actually melt the plastic together to form a strong joint. They are applied by first assembling the joint and then applying the cement to the inside of the joint with a fine brush. Capillary action draws the cement into the joint to weld the seam.

Joe

3

I used to live in Lawrence, Kansas and frequently photographed the Union Pacific through there. It may be different in different parts of the country (depending on which quarry is used), but there across the midlands, the closest match for color would likely be “light grey”. The UP ballast was always well-maintained: clean and with generally “sharp” edges.

Bill

4

I was in Northeast Oklahoma today, and noticed the Union Pacific ballast was a medium to dark gray. The ballast for the South Kansas and Oklahoma RR is a light gray and really close to the UP’s tracks that I mentioned.

5

Crushed rock prototype railroads use for ballast is rarely monochromatic, unlike the ballast some model producers make with colored nut shells and such. Best to use a natural-rock product or at least mix 2 or 3 colors of ballast into a pleasing/desired blend (like light gray with some dark gray and white and a bit of red).

Mark

6

General answer a “grey”. Specific depends on the era, and the location. Some area used “blue” rock (dark grey), some used “pink lady” (pink granite), some used lighter grey, some used copper slag (dark brown), some used brown ballast. Ballast is mined at “local” pits so depending on where it is mined the rock can have wildly different colors. Rock in Wyoming is not the same color as rock in Wisconsin as rock in Texas.

Any glue for styrene. I use Testors liquid in a bottle.

7

Do a search on ballast or ballast colour on here and you’ll find tons of stuff… so I’m going to make this short (for me - on ballast)

Stood on the track at Wilmslow a few years ago I counted 18 different common colours in the ballast. (Waiting for the delayed end of a T3 Possession… working on not being bored…) More recently on track north of Crewe there were five different distinct “overall” colours in four tracks… plus myriad details. (If you’re by Crewe - Liverpool lines - take a careful look from beside Parkers Road bridge… be careful where you park the local constabulary have become fussy and the neighbours can be hostile).

Things to consider about ballast colour…

  1. What date are we looking at?

  2. What is the location (where in the country)?

  3. Whch RR(s)?

  4. Steam or diesel?

  5. Local location - running line, platform or yard?

  6. topographical location - cut, fill, flat… wheat fields, trees, mountains (rock), loam, sand…?

  7. What is the ballast? Sand, ash, crushed brick, granite, limestone, slag…?

  8. where did the ballast(s) come from?

  9. how long has the ballast been in place?

  10. what work has been done on the ballast?

  11. what pollutants will have affected the ballast?

  12. How recently has work been done onthe ballast?

  13. Has ballast been cleaned?

  14. Has ballast been topped up?

This is the short version!

Things to do

8

I personally am not a big fan of W/S ballast although I recently visited a layout with outstanding ballasting all done in W/S go figure. I think you might want to look into Arizona Rock & Mineral’s ballast. I had a very nice informative conversation with the gentleman who owns AR&M and he informed me that he travels around the country collecting actual ballast form the railroads he sells it for. So if you purchase UP ballast from him it’s the real deal. I have found all of his products to be outstanding.