PERGOLA SPRINGS RAILWAY

[AndyA]

The whole of the railway was ballasted in 2023. The new 4 track station that I built this year meant that I had to ballast that side of the railway again. As always fresh ballast looks better without the moss and detritus that accumulates over time, even 2 years.

For ballast I use 'Tarmac Grano Dust' and was pleased to see it is still available from B & Q this year.

This time I used a sieve and running water to remove the fine component of the bag leaving the larger size of grit for the ballast. I spread out the ballast and levelled it before squirting a diluted mix of outdoor PVA to fix it.

The fine part of the bag is smaller than grains of sand and is like a thick paste, perhaps it helps to bond the mix to make a solid base. I used this paste to fill some cracks and voids in the concrete block track base and also in larger areas between the tracks.

The 2025 sieved ballasting looks much better, the stones are more prominent, than the non-sieved 2023 ballast and will be my method when I next re-ballast despite the extra work of sieving and the loss of material that ends up in the bucket.

AL

Hi,
I have used 10mm limestone chippings in handy packs from Wickes. It always looks good and keeps track firm - perhaps not to scale but hey, it's my railway!

 

[Jasper]

Hi,
I have used 10mm limestone chippings in handy packs from Wickes. It always looks good and keeps track firm - perhaps not to scale but hey, it's my railway!

Honestly, some things look better when they're somewhat out of scale. Like bricks in a wall, for instance.

 

[dunnyrail]

Hi,
I have used 10mm limestone chippings in handy packs from Wickes. It always looks good and keeps track firm - perhaps not to scale but hey, it's my railway!

Honestly, some things look better when they're somewhat out of scale. Like bricks in a wall, for instance.

Sorry have to disagree with you both, I understand the wish for easy access ballast that does not get nicked by Pigeons, but 2-3 mm ballast gives a much nicer to my eye scale appearance. Though it does need to be glued down and I can understand that being an issue for some.

 

[Chris Vernell]

Sorry have to disagree with you both, I understand the wish for easy access ballast that does not get nicked by Pigeons, but 2-3 mm ballast gives a much nicer to my eye scale appearance. Though it does need to be glued down and I can understand that being an issue for some.

I avoid the problem by not using ballast . It exists in my imagination .

 

[AndyA]

I think it's whatever you prefer. If you choose to model specific countries and operators you go for realism and accuracy - great. I've also used shed felt where it's not convenient or for some other reason - maybe weed suppression etc. My railway exists for my pleasure and it's not perfect.

 

[dunnyrail]

I think it's whatever you prefer. If you choose to model specific countries and operators you go for realism and accuracy - great. I've also used shed felt where it's not convenient or for some other reason - maybe weed suppression etc. My railway exists for my pleasure and it's not perfect.

Indeed so, all model railways are a compromise in many areas. I have to blank out that there is a sonking great fence not 6 inches from parts of my line, when ooerating the train and work due to be done on wagons plus keeping mind of passing other trains blanks much of it out from my mind but what scenery there is in terms of ballast and buildings in the garden helps a lot. In the shed I am able to scenic much more, the scale ballast and background painting plus some buildings just flat paper helps set the scene in here. Sadly in the shed the windows tend to spoil photographs even though they are high as I could fit them.