Using common paver sand for ground cover

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have an updated webpage discussing the use of home improvement sand as a replacement for decomposed granite as a simple ground cover.

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/gravel

Hope that helps someone[:D][:D]
Harold

2

Thanks for the tip, that’s a lot cheaper than woodland scenics AND you get far more of it!!

I use a grey paver sand (looks almost like kitty litter) as balast. It’s cheap and I can get a ton of it for a fraction of the cost for a woodlandscenics canister.

[:)]

3

be careful about the sand you choose…there are some sands out there that contain iron…not a good thing for motor winding internals…picks it up like a magnet from the track and trashes your engines…Chuck

4

I’ve been buying “brown” colored sand from Hobby Lobby. It works well and actually looks better in photographs than it does in person, but it makes a decent ground cover. Perhaps it’s a little bit “Oklahoma Clay Red”, but I like to look of it. If I can figure out how to post a picture on here I will.

5

two things to think about if you use pavers sand as dano sand it looks lik kitty litter. Therefore if you have a cat IT IS kitty litter. I learned the hard way. Also if it gets wet it makes a clay like soup that if it gets on your track you will have a whole lot of cleaning. Andrew

6

Andrew-

Correct you are BUT, if the sand is glued down (with the traditional 50/50 water/elmers mix) then cats hate the stuff cuz it’s like scratching at a rough concrete block, I should know i have 2 cats. At least one of my cats only sleeps on the undeveloped (pink foam) areas. The other ignores the layout completely [:)]