Ballast test

[C&S]

Ordered some ballast samples recently and took these pictures of the results. Although I only received very small amounts there was just about enough to judge the result. The material is flint grit, in nominal sizes of around 3mm, and 1mm to dust.

First picrture shows the two grades side by side. I though the larger size a bit overscale on its own; the small looked about right for sidings or a line ballasted with sand.

The second picture shows the two sizes combined, with the large grains put down first and a small amount of the smaller grit added on top.

Think I prefer the latter - shame I'll have to buy two 25kg bags- still that's cheaper than 5kg tubs which is the alternative.

Meanwhile a snowy days meant most other jobs on hold, so I got down to starting work on the baseboard for the new Cattewater & Southern RR

 

[johnsaintjim]

Very interesting. I am still on a search for the holy grail of the "right" ballast. I like the finer one. Where is it coming from please?

Oh and I buy the stuff by the bootload. 300 kg was only the top-up after last winter. Don't ask me where it goes but go it does.

 

[dunnyrail]

Ballast has a habit of disappearing if it is not glued down. It can get blown away, birds particularly Pidgeons like it for their crop. If you have chickens, well they liike it too. I remember a story in one of the USA mags where a flock of some kind of birds used to decend on the Railwy and munch up the ballast. The poor owner did not seam to know where it was all going till he took a day of work and saw the little blighters.

A good way to put the Ballast down with some permanence is to use PVA watered down to a nice wet mix, put some washing up liquid in or spray the ballast first with water and a bit of washing up liquid. DO NOT USE AN EYE DROPPER except near points unless you want to spend the rest of your life doing ballast gluing. I prefer to use an old Resin W glue bottle with a good sized hole in it. Just pour it on the ballast after you have wetted it, try not to get any on the rails. The Washing Up Liquid should help to spread the glue all around. This is a job for a warmish day, then be prepared for a day or two of drying time.

Do not worry too much about being able to lift and clean the track, the thickness of the PVA when watered diown will ensure that this is no problem. Any remaining can be power washed off after you lift the track.

To put down the ballsast dry, just pour a generous amount on the track, use a largish brush to spread the ballast around. Tidy up the edges with the brush or a straight edge to make it look neat then do your glueing.

I rather liked the ballast, was a better size than you see sometimes. Where did it come from?
JonD

 

[C&S]

Jon D gets the closest, as it is indeed chicken grit. The larger size is Hen Grit, the smaller is for Chicks. It comes from a firm called Flytesofancy which you can Google for information or to place an order. I can't remember exactly where they are - somewhere in Hampshire I think. Both grades come in 25kg bags at around £18 or 19 per bag including carriage (which makes up about a third of the cost). The smaller grade is slightly more expensive than the larger. Both sizes are also available in 5kg tubs, which might do as a better sized sample for evaluation. If you call, the staff are very helpful if you say you're not using it for agricultural use, and just need information. They were quite surprised at my request for a sample, but sent it out within a couple of days. I recommend them purely as a potential satisfied customer.

Looking at the pictures again, I think the Hen Grit is probably OK for use outdoors; as my layout is inside, I'll probably go for the mixture, perhaps with some odds and ends of O and OO scale ballast I have in stock from other projects mixed in. With luck I won't need more than a 25kg bag of each size. However it will be a while before I'm ready for ballasting, so don't expect any more pictures in the near future.

 

[Steveford666]

Looking through the photos, I realised that ballast is something I had not thought about. I am setting my layout as early 20th century USA trains. (A mix up as all different company locos and coaches have been bought.) I have to work on the track. I have a few pieces to be getting on with. Work in earnest stats once my shed has been demolished and resited.

Back to the ballast. B&Q do a ready mixed building sand and mortar bag. It is a reddish colour so I will be using that with water / pva glue mix. I have used it in some places. Just put the dry mix on top of some that has been wet mixed and it comes up lumpy. IOt is perfect for the desert areas. Pick out bits that are too big. I have filled a large square using this system as base for my wild west town.

For granite. B&Q and garden centres sell bags of granite chippings. It is hard work. Put the bag in a strong bag and pulverise it with a hammer. Best done with a roller used for tarmac. Get them to run over the bag of granite. It should reduce to powder and larger lumps.

Cat litter is also an obvious choice. PVA glue it down and sprinkle some on top. It will soak up the glue and stick. I used it on a OO gauge layout. I have never used it outdoors I must admit, but I think the glue / water mix will stop it soaking up more water and shorting out the track once it rains.

 

[Bredebahn]

There is one hell of a difference in ballasting an indoor and an outdoor railway. Personally I wouldn't use cat litter anywhere near the great outdoors. Sharp stones, preferably less than a nominal 5mm in size and of the correct colour, are what I favoured for my old Bredebahn. Loose lay it and tamp down as the edges of the stones will ensure that they interlock. Float the track on top and then apply a top layer around the sleepers and, when the time comes as one day it surely will, you will be able to recover 100% of your track - in retrospect I am more than glad that I adopted this method as it will have saved me hundreds - nay, including the price of pointwork now, thousands - of pounds. And for anyone new to building a railway outdoors, then 25kg bags are fine for testing, but for the reality think in terms of ton cranebags if you are building more than a basic oval.

 

[Rhinochugger]

There is one hell of a difference in ballasting an indoor and an outdoor railway.

Absolutely - and in the great outdoors, if you have problems with leaves on the line, and are tempted to buy a garden hoover, you need a size of grit that the hoover won't suck up.

it may not be to scale, but it stays under the track

 

[Steveford666]

Thanks for the warnings folks. I am setting up a test patch. But as I say, mine will be mainly sand / mortar/ PVA glue / water based.

 

[Rhinochugger]

The gravel in this shot doesn't disappear up the Flymo garden vac - carn't vouch for other makes