Has anyone see this product before? Anyone know if it is marketed in the US? And why would someone put it on YouTube without including contact information?
All it took was a google search for “Delta Hobbies” and up turned the home page for the Co in England. A search on their site search engine and I turned up this @ about 10 pounds sterling:
http://www.gascupboard.co.uk/the-ballast-box-for-oo-gauge-p-8937.html
I did find this:
I sent a email to The Gas Cupboard Hobbies and crafts in UK to find out if they ship to USA. awaiting reply. will let you know.
Yes a search of the term Delta hobbies ballast box does turn up a few hobby shops in the UK that sell the product. But when you go to this site Deltahoddies.co.uk I find no search engine or links to anything. The only thing there is a video of the product. Not point of contact or info to order from the maker.
It is a variation of a device described in MR many years ago made from a PVC pipe.
Having the basic configuration in my mind I will just make one. I just thought that while being a simple put together box it would be easier to order one then make one but it would appear that I was wrong. 1 plastic sheet and some glue.
Edit; Poor marketing poor marketing
Go for it, Johnnny_reb !
I was looking around on the net for “small plastic box” and was having trouble finding what I was looking for. Then went to the restroom. A pond returning to my chair I found just the thing, a large medicine bottle. (I have quit a few) With a few holes and some cuts to follow the rails I’m set and best of all its FREE and green its recycled. lol
MLR has offered one in HO for years and years, as part of their overall track laying product line. It seems to operate on a very similar basis to the British one shown in the video, in that you load it up and run it along the track as it deposits an even amount of ballast. It is somewhat like an upside down salt shaker in that by turning the bottom you regulate how many and how large the holes are that the ballast comes through. I followed a suggestion in MR and added a bit of a “bulldozer” or scraper with a bit of old rubber band. It scrapes the ballast off the tie tops.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/479-5008
Dave Nelson
I’ve tried the MLR one, like the Micro-Mark one. It didn’t work very well. Lots of jamming and not a very even spread of ballast. Notice in the demos they are ballasting track laid flat on the base, with no raised roadbed - I have a feeling that’s the real issue.
–Randy
Had one years ago.
It never worked very well. It would always clog and the ballast would come out unevenly.
I ended up pitching it and spreading the ballast by hand. Results were much better.
-G-
I sent an email to Delta Hobbies In the UK asking if they ship to USA or just Europe. It is nearly 10 Pounds for the ballast box and the shipping is below as noted. Here is the quick reply:
{SO about 19 Pounds total, which I think is about $30 US now.}
Hello Galaxy
No problem to send to US. Standard international shipping is £8.97.
The ballast box has been tested on Peco, Hornby, Bachmann, Lima HO code 100 & code 75 track and should therefore work ok on code 83 track (Atlas, Peco etc).
It doesn’t make ballasting any more fun, but it does make it a whole lot easier and quicker!!
Sorry at that price I’ll make one.
Their video makes the ballast spreader appear to be a very useful device, but unless you know exactly what brand and type of ballast they’re using it may not work as shown.
I know from personal experience that the one sold by Micro-Mark as their catalog number 84115 doesn’t perform as advertised if you don’t have very fine ground ballast.
Also, what’s not shown in the video – what happens when you reach the end of a siding or come to a turnout and need to stop and remove the spreader – does the remaining ballast make a messy pile or is there some way to shut off the flow.
I looked at your youtube link. Down at the bottom of the screen where it says “uploaded by deltahobbies” there is a little note called “show more”. If you click on this you get more info, including 'currently available from www.gascupboard.co.uk ".
I do believe that has been covered
Yes, the contact information was covered. I was not responding to that. I was responding to the fact that you said that no contact information apparently had been included with the youtube video. If someone else happened to mention that, then I apologize for being redundant.
I also tried the Micromark version, didn’t work well, and don’t see how that version would be better. I ended up doing it the normal way, (starting with several rum & cokes) and spreading ballast by hand, I had better results.
You are correct, I missed this link the frist time.
As I have several large medication bottles ready to throw away. I will save them and try my hand at making a ballast spreader. It’ll be cheaper then paying something like $30.00 for one. If nothing else it’ll be fun to see what I can dream up. May I’ll try building the vacuum jar thing.