Easy Ballasting Experiment

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Last night I had an idea for an easier way to ballast and today I tried it. Here are the results.

This is a scrap piece of code 100 flex glued to cardboard for the test. To ballast it I mixed WS fine cinders ballast and patching plaster in a paper cup. I spread the dry mixture like regular balllast. I then laid an unfolded paper napkin over it to stop it from being washed away. I poured on some water then soaked up some of the excess. Then any mistakes in the ballasting are easily adjusted while it’s still wet by moving it with your fingers. It hasn’t completely dried yet, and may not be strong when it dries, but even then it would stop the ballast from washing away when glue is applied.

So what do you think? Does this technique have merit?

2

Why not mist the water on using a spray bottle instead of pouring it on as you described?

The patching plaster idea is intriguing.

3

My original idea was to mist on the water but I couldn’t find my spray bottle. One thing to note. Don’t use cardboard as a base for anything involving water. The water makes it fall apart. I’m going to retry the experiment on some 1/4 ply and se how that turns out. I did find out from the first experiment that it is easy to touch up while it is wet, just sprinkle on more ballast/plaster mix and once dry the plaster can be stained with thinned acrylics to weather the ballast.

4

Here’s a pic of the experiment redon with a misting bottle. The results were even better. The ballast likes to stick to the rails but when it’s partially dry a stiff paintbrush takes it right of.

You can see some of the plaster between the ballast grains which could easily be stained. I’m going to stain and weather the track now and see how it turns out.

5

Here is the finished ballasted and weathered track. I stained the ballast, painted the rails and ties, and planted static grass to make the track look unmaintained.

How’s it look?

6

Looks great to me. I may try that on part of my layout.

7

I find the moist ballast that inevitably winds up sitting on top of the ties can be removed by touching it with one’s finger and then wiping on a paper towel. I use the stiff brush after the ballast is pretty much dry.

Do you think you can get a photo that is a little sharper in focus?

(Then again, I always find my ballast looks best when I have my glasses off. [:)])

8

Here is the sharpest close-up I could get. I then cropped it so it would look larger when posted.

You can see how the ballast likes to stick around the base of the rail.

9

that looks fantastic . the addition of the grass really makes it work

thanks for the tip !

ernie