# Eastern Canada Ballast



## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I am sure this topic has been covered to death but I must bring it up once again. I live in Halifax NS Canada and I am looking for cheap ballast ideas. I know that crusher stone is not the best but not even sure what to look for and what to stay away from. 

I am also looking at edging ideas for the ballast. There is much to choose from and when looking at 400 ft of it the price gets a bit out of control. I have around 200 feet of track and by the time I edge both sides of the track and then ballast it I will have to get creative.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

After laying out a few designs and careful consideration I have decided to go with the following dog bone design. I am still not sure what ballast to use and still have much work before I am ready to get it down. I am now lifting the grass and attempting to level it out a bit first.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I'd suggest you trench it out and use some of that gravel from your walkway to lay the first level of rock and to provide drainage. 
Are there any gravel banks in your area? The criteria for ballast is broken rock, take some buckets and some 1/4" hardware cloth and screen it as you shovel it. 

All my ballast is found on my property, I gather it on windy days and winnow out most of the dirt as I shovel it and pour into the screen covered bucket. 
The coarse sub rock will slow the migration of the ballst into the dirt (others use weed barrier cloth). 

Looking good, I hope that curve near the depot is foreshortened by the camera as it looks real sharp! 


John


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

NavyTech, 

My first winter and stone dust seems to work. Irregualar shape, fine, drains and retains. 

gg


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

How deep is your organic soil layer and what kind of subsoil do you have? If possible, I would excavate out the frost-susceptible soils in a trench about 10" wide, then backfill it with compacted clean (ie.


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