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I’ve looked around the area ( N. Ohio) and the only sutable roadbed material is Chicken Grit. It’s all rock, no shell. Runs about $5.50 per 50# bag. It comes in 3 grades, fine, medium, and course. Any suggestions on which would be the best to use? The course seems to be about the same size, possibly a bit smaller, than #8 lime stone. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Mark
I use the fine grit. I like it a lot and probably wouldn’t consider anything else. The jagged edges of the crushed rock or shell really grips the track and holds it in place. Sorry I don’t have a close up shot, but you get the idea.
[oX)]
Call around and look for crusher fines, it looks like crushed up concrete block.
I’ve seen alot of landscapers using it under patio pavers.
I use a mix of starter and grower grit - probably what you get as fine and medium.
The fine grit helps lock the ballast and the medium holds better in the rain. Of course the real reason is that my significant other likes the look. I also cheat and add a little dry cement into the mix.
NOTE: I said a little cement. Too much and you will have a rock hard mess that won’t drain and won’t flex. The cement makes up for the rock dust that you would normally have if you were using crusher fines.
I use a mix of 3/8" crushed gray rock and stone dust. 50/50 for roadbed, 70% dust and 30% rock for ballast. I’ve had great sucess. 1time a year a quick runover with dust to touch up ballast.
I also use chicken grit and have used both starter and course. I find the starter (fine) is closer to prototype in size.
Mark
Crushed blue stone fine gravel from a local quarry, the quary describes this product as dust , and this is what is used to lay paving stones as described above. Water in with a water can.
Mikadousrp
The ballast in the photo is medium chicken grit just for your information. I also use the fine grit for some detailwork.
Richard
new guy … when you guys are discribing road bed, is the track fastened to anything first and then the crusher run added just for looks ?
Joseph,
The only place I fasten track to anything is one or two small brads on trestles and bridges where I have no ballast. I use a concrete sub roadbed with the track sitting in a bed of ballast - no fasteners. There are a half dozen different ways of doing the sub roadbed that work really well. The key is to get the subroadbed strong and level.
The track itself then floats in the ballast. Temperature variations cause the track to flex during the day and from season to season. It needs to be able to move around a bit. You will be surprised how well the ballast holds the track in place. Just be sure to pack it well.
hello,
I have been using the coarse chicken grit as road bed since I put my garden train in. The only problem I ever had with it is that it sometimes gets carried into the frogs on my switches. Other than that, it looks great, holds the track in place and does allow it to move in the temperature variations of Pennsylvania
Use Crush & Run for the deep base, then use crusher fines for the top. Also, for ballast you can use what they call 89’s, that’s No.8’s mixed with No.9 size stone. This is the mix used in the top coars of asphalt it works great, and you can get it very inexpensive in larger quanties.
I’m new to this, where would I find Chicken Grit, or the other materials mentioned?
I get my Chicken Grit at the local feed store. You may be out of luck if there are no people growing chickens or other fowls in your area but a good feed store can order it for you.
I probably would have used crushed granite if there had been a good source in my area. In my case, i have to pass the feed store anytime I go to town so it was very convenient for me.
guysaab
I have been useing pea gravel from lowes or home depot, before putting it down i put 1 ft. wide plastic to help to keep the weeds out of the track.it’s been almost 5 years now , each year you add a little where it settles under the tracks. BEN
I use pea gravel, but I do not recommend it! It does’nt hold very well in the rain and temp. differences. The track gets really off centered. I will be upgrading to crusher fines VERY soon.
Im in the planning stages of a Garden RR and i was wonder what do you all reccomend for the Eastern Shore of MD? and any places that may sell it around here? and also what kind of road bed may work the best?
thanks
monkeyman2
sorry 4 all the newbie questions lol
There’s not a lot of freezing and thawing that occurs on the eastern shore, though it does get a bit nippy from time to time. You do, however, get your share of rain. I’d simply dig a trench around 3" deep under where you want your track to go, and fill it with crushed stone around 1/2" in size. A local landscaping supply or rock yard will have something that works. Also, you can find 50 lb. bags at Lowes or Home Depot, but that’s a bit more expensive a route.
Use that as a base and lay your track on top of that. You can anchor it periodically if you desire, but it’s not necessary. Some folks drive stakes into the ground. In that climate, they’ll rot in fairly short order, and you’ll lose any advantage they may offer. My dad’s railroad is on the other side of the bay, just outside DC. His redwood stakes have long since disintegrated. You can probably use Trex or other composite material, though. Also some folks lay a brick every so often and fasten the track to the brick. I’d use a masonry screw, but there are glues that will work as well. I may go that route myself, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.
Anyway, once you have your track in place, you can go ahead and ballast it. Being on the eastern shore, it’s a good bet that much of the chiken grit you’ll find will have oyster shells in it instead of crushed granite. (Perhaps a mixture of both.) I’ve heard that seagulls are rather fond of the stuff, but that could be an old farmer’s tale. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a supplier of crusher fines, aka rock dust at least relatively close by.
If you haven’t gotten in touch with them yet, there’s the Mason-Dixon Large Scale Railroad Society based out of Bel Air. Their contact info is in the back of GR. If you come up empty on sources for ballast, they may be able to point you in a better direction.
Later,
K
Monkeyman2
Where on Eastern shore are you located? Check out www.SLGRC.org
Thanks for the suggestion! theres a gravel place around here that may have some…
we do get lots of rain sometimes we got about 3 inches the other day lol.My Garden RR is only in the planning stages tho hopefully this summer i can start working on it 
And Capt Bob Johnson I live in Talbot County MD, Looks like a Cool club!!!