# Black ballast



## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

I'm looking for some sort of black ballast for my track. I have seem some pics of something called black starlight decomposed granite which looks interesting. However, I can't seem to find where I can get it. Any other suggestions?


----------



## s-4 (Jan 2, 2008)

I was able to find fish tank gravel/stone in black at a local pet supply shop. These stones have held up well for 10 years outdoors, but I would be cautious because many brands seem to be white stones which have been colored.


----------



## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

You could look at sand blasting material it comes in 50 or 80lb bags the course is close. it is burnt coal ground. TCS has it


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

be careful with black ballast, some of it is magentite, which is magnetic... carry a small magnet to test it. 

Also, if you are track powered, this stuff can be somewhat conductive. 

Greg


----------



## adir tom (Dec 4, 2011)

check with your local escavating companies. In NY it is required that they place "black stone' over buried utility services. This is so any future escavations, the operator will know when he is getting close to the utility. One gave me half a pick up load that was left over. other club members have gotten 5 gallon pails of the material. It is 1a in size. a little course for prototype ballast but works.


----------



## Dennis Cherry (Feb 16, 2008)

Check your local roofing suppliers, they always have buckets of roofing gravel used for repair purposes. many colors to pick from.


----------



## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I buy black ballast from Manufacturers Minerals in Seattle. It is perfectly sized for G Scale.

I have a receipt which I cannot find right now but I will look for it.

It is sold in 50 pound bags for five dollars.

They also have a display case in their office with examples of many other types of crushed rock available. There are at least six or eight colors so material which is perfectly sized for G Scale.

It does not appear to be magnetic.

John


----------



## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

The reason I was wanting the decomposed granite is because it seems to set up good. Here in central Texas, all I seem to find is the redish/orange which actually comes from a place pretty close. Obviously why it is common in these parts and is what was originally used for the state Capitol. Anyone know where I can get this starlight stuff?


----------



## Greg Vocks (Jan 2, 2008)

Have you tried this? http://www.blackbeautyabrasives.com/


----------



## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

Mickey, 
The reason our decomposed granite from Marble Falls sets up so well is the amount of fines that are in it. In our dry climate, the fines just lock everything in place.


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Mickey:


In a strict sense, black decomposed granite doesn't exist. Crushed black rocks among them basalt, will yield a black product suitable for ballast. The products left in decomposed are predominately two minerals, quartz (white to clear) and potassium feldspar (white, pink, or orange). 

Granite is used as a generic term in decorative stones tops counter tops, here many other rocks are lumped in which are not granite.

When I lived in the Denver area I knew a place up in the Front Range where I could drive and fill up bags of decomposed granite in the borrow pit. It was pinkish orange and was a good size for ballast. In Virginia I go to a local landscape rock supply yard and shovel "crusher fines" into the back of my SUV. The local quarry is a grayish igneous rock called diabase. Railroads used whatever local rock met their needs, so the color varied with the local geology. The Santa Fe uses scoria (a form of basalt the is full of small bubbles, like a sponge with small holes) from the basalt volcanoes east of Flagstaff, AZ. This is reddish in color. They load it directly into hoppers with very little preparation. At least that is what it looks like from I-40.Other RRs use different colored ballast. 

Unless, you have your heart set on black ballast, do what the did. Use a local source and save on shipping.

Chuck

If you look between the shredded leaves and the damaged cars, you will see the borrow pit ballast in Colorado. This picture is the aftermath of a hail storm. On the left of the picture is a hail screen that wasn't long enough.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

http://www.kellermaterial.com/gravel/midnight_path_stone.html 

I left Austin in 2002, never been to the above, but sitting here in Vail Az., I googled; Black Crushed Rock central Texas ..... most black rock will look grey unless wet or sealed or polished.... midnite path stone looked like the right size in the pic, if too big ask if you can sift for fines. 

John 
Edited; didn't realise Sou. Tex....


----------



## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

I found a place in WI which is sending me a sample. Surprisingly it's not bad price, but everything is relative. $25 for 50 lbs plus $20 ups shipping. Yes more than the local stuff, but I was wanting the contrast in color for the ballast. Here in New Braunfels we do actually have black ballast on the real tracks. But I'm not real big into it being exact of anything, place or period. It's what my eyes feel is right. 

I'll let everyone know how the sample works out. John, I did talk to Keller and he said it is more gray and multiple colors of gray. I do plan to go look at it, but didn't sound what I was wanting.


----------



## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

So Chuck, is the "pink ballast" I see on Cajon Pass, SF RR, from the Flagstaff area also. 

I would like to see samples of the multi colored grey rock as well as the rock in your area Mickey. 

I think they all may serve me well on My project. 

Dirk - DMRR


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Dirk, I doubt it. I'd have to look at it. My guess is that it is a local quarry in California. Chuck


----------



## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are the types of ballast I use on my Railroad. I get them from Manufacturer's Mineral Co in Renton Wa

1. Lapis Luster Coarse 50 pound bag Black 10.00
2. Bridge Topping 6 X 10 50 pound bag Grey 5.00
3. Rose Marble #0 100 pound bag Rose 11.00
4. Tangerine Marble #0 100 pound bag Tang 11.00

I use the black ballast around my yards and coal mine.

I use the bridge topping most other places. It scales out to a perfect size for ballast. I always hate to see a beautiful model on track with ballast the size of watermelons. This ballast makes the most realistic ballast I have seen.

The other colors I use for contrast in various places on my track. Both are realistically sized and look really nice.


----------



## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

I finally got the sample in of the starlite black decomposed granite in from Kafka and it looks perfect to me. It is duller that their pic shows even after rinsing off. Gonna order now and update as I go. 

http://www.kafkagranite.com/decorative_landscape_stone/index.php


----------



## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Greg, how our you doing, miss seeing you at Marty's. 

Reading this because I need to find a new ballast can't find my old kind.


----------



## mgilger (Feb 22, 2008)

I make my own, and it's very easy. I go to Home Depot and get some of their Ops special for around $5 a gallon. So it might take you a while to find some dark colors, but it will come along. I then pick up some chicken grit, medium or fine. I have a plastic 2 gallon bottle with a lid on it. I fill up the bottle about half way, put some paint or deck stain in and shake it well. You will need to experiment with how much it takes to get the color needed. For me it's about 6 or 7 tables spoons. After shaking for a bit, I throw the batch out (spreading it around) on a tarp laying in the sun and let bake for a while. While that batch is drying, I start on another and continue until done. I did up a batch last year, put most of it out and redid a batch this year but did not have to put any of that out as the first batch was still ok. Less work to do next year I guess. 

Mark


----------

