play sand ballast

[riogrande5761]

That depends on how much you need I suppose.

A 32 oz bottle of Scenic Express ballast is about $12 - not a model train budget buster and will ballast quite a bit of track.

And here is the thing about beach sand (coming from a geologist by education/career). Even if you go to the trouble to get seives and “screen” it to get it the right size for your scale, and then get it dyed or colored appropriately, it still may not look right as beach sand tends to be rounded and railroad ballast is usually angular.

If appearance matters …

I have thought of taking a couple of cups of sand from the beach a few blocks a way, sifting it to remove junk and applying it. One thing I definitely, don’ want to do is lug home a 50 lb bag of sand or other material that could go all over and put me in divorce court. Add Qu

You won’t need a 50 lb bag unless you plan to fill an aircraft hanger with trains. I do hope you aren’t on such thin ice with your spouse that a bag of sand won’t push your marriage over the edge. [:O]

Back when I was a starving college student, I might have considered beach sand, but it seems otherwise there are better options. Your RR of course.

[hardcoalcase]

Guys - I asked my friend Bob Wundrock (the author of the article in question) about the ballast question. Here is his response which he asked me to post here:

"When I had to tear it down, it was a sad day. A new layout is under construction. … I have many more feet of track to lay. I just can’t afford all the new Peco turnouts I need for the terminal yards. I buy a couple a month.

To answer the ballast question: I first lay and shape the ballast (sand in my case). Then I wet it with the tinted 70% isopropyl alcohol and then apply the 50/50 white glue. I described this process in an article in the February 2014 MR."

Dave Nelson

Update to the original post…

Bob Wundrock’s article in the Feb. '14 MR is “Expand a staging yard into the aisle”. The reference to using play sand for ballast is on page 70; and the 70% isopropyl is tinted with black leather dye. BTW, the track and ballast looks great!

Jim

[PC101]

If using beach sand, could it contain salt? Would this type of sand not be good to use on a layout? Salt draws moisture. I have shied away from using beach sand on my layout from my thinking, am I wrong in thinking this?