# Patio Paver Base as Ballast?



## Tom Ruddell (Jan 9, 2008)

I've been away for quite a while and apologize if this subject already has been around the block a few times.

Track on the outdoor part of the Bethlehem Central is fastened to 2x6PT and I've been using Mt. Airy Brand Grower Size Gran-I-Grit for ballast, glued on each side of the ties and floating in between. Gullywashers and occasional indiscretions with the gas-powered leaf blower mean much stray ballast. With 1,600 feet of outdoor track and a bunch of turnouts to jam up, that means a lot of reballasting of track and many tweezer pickins' on the turnouts. The bigger problem, though, is that the crushed granite has gone way up in price and no longer is available at feed stores in the area (unless I want to buy an 18-wheeler load).

Anyhow, my friend Dan Harrison recently told me about GardenPlus Patio Paver Base, available at Lowes for 3 bucks and change for a 50-pound bag— about a third the price of the hard-to-get Gran-I-Grit. I've reballasted or touched up about 300 feet of track so far and it seems to be holding up well. The product has some stones that are a little too big, but they find their way between the ties and smaller stones and the powdery binding agent have a good bit of "clingability" without hardening like concrete. Over-all, after a shower or two, I'd say the appearance is almost as good as the expensive stuff, maybe a bit better because of a more "rustic" look. And the maintenance, so far, is a good bit less.

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this and what the results have been.

Best wishes,

Tom Ruddell
Bethlehem Central Railroad
Midland City (Dothan), Alabama
www.gardenrailwayministry.com


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom, 

Welcome back to MLS.










I've used something similar here in the Prescott area. It's about 28 bucks a bag but sounds like it works similarly.

I've used it in areas where the track was moving because of heat expansion and it worked quite well. It will wash away a bit after a heavy rain so it must be maintained.

I mixed it half and half with my normal decomposed granite ballast to make it go a bit farther.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom- 

What kind of coverage (feet of track) are you getting per 50# bag? I assume not the full 300'? 

I was using crush and run for the base and sifting out the fins for the top layer, but my "too big" pile is shrinking fast!


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## Ralph Berg (Jun 2, 2009)

I could not imagine using paver base as ballast. I've used 8 tons of 1/4 inch gravel so far, and need more. 
I did try to use paver base for a road and parking lot. Even this required too many bags and turned out too expensive. 
Ralph


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## Tom Ruddell (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks for your replies, guys.

28 bucks a bag, Stan??? Wow! That must be really good stuff!

Some years back, when Gran-I-Grit was advertised in GR for 40 bucks per 50-pound box plus $10 shipping (and I found out I could buy the same stuff at the feed store for $6), I calculated 50 pounds would ballast about 125 feet of "bare" single track fastened to 2x6PT. With the paver base, it's hard to say because most of the track already has some Gran-I-Grit remaining and some of the 300 feet is on two and three-track mainline with drainage screening between tracks. All in all, I've used two of the three bags initially purchased.

Being the guy with nine thumbs on each hand when it comes to confusers, I need to rediscover how to post pictures here. My do-it-yourself web site took more than a month to figure out, but thanks to GoDaddy's unlimited 24/7 tech support, I managed to avoid ending up in a rubber room. Anyhow, I'll try to post a closeup pic of what track looks like when ballasted with patio paver base.

Happy ballasting, y'all...

Tom Ruddell
Bethlehem Central Railroad
Midland City (Dothan), Alabama
www.gardenrailwayministry.com


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## Fred (Jan 2, 2008)

I found the paver base to wash away way to quickly for my liking.
Tom, glad to read the BC RR is alive & well again, still enjoy watching your DVD.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Have found that dry mixing my ballast with portland cement and or mortar then doing my ballasting with the mixture. Once I have every thing in place I wet it. It drys up nice and solid. But not solid enought to stop me from removing the track to make changes. It also stops some of the creatures from digging in my fresh ballast . 

There are times I add powdered concrete color to take away some of the harsh gray tones.


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## Tom Ruddell (Jan 9, 2008)

That sounds like "a plan," John. I've got some mortar mix left over from paving street car tracks. How much mortar mix would you recommend for about 10 pounds of ballast? I'll try it with a bucketful of patio paver base and a bucketful of my remaining supply of Gran-I-Grit, then report back after a couple of good gullywashers.

Many thanks!

Tom


Tom Ruddell
Bethlehem Central Railroad
Midland City (Dothan), Alabama
www.gardenrailwayministry.com


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

I used pea gravel run through a 1/4" screen and looks pretty good.









Don


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I use medium chicken grit from the feed store.


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Tom Ruddell on 14 Nov 2009 08:11 AM 
I calculated 50 pounds would ballast about 125 feet of "bare" single track fastened to 2x6PT. With the paver base, it's hard to say because most of the track already has some Gran-I-Grit remaining and some of the 300 feet is on two and three-track mainline with drainage screening between tracks. All in all, I've used two of the three bags initially purchased.

Happy ballasting, y'all...

Tom Ruddell
Bethlehem Central Railroad
Midland City (Dothan), Alabama
www.gardenrailwayministry.com 


Thanks Tom, I think this wil "fit the bill" for my needs and be much cheaper than another truckload of C/R for the repairs I need to make.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm.. Sounds promising. I'll drop by Lowes this afternoon and see if my local store has this stuff. I'm gonna need enought for about 300' of track.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By Tom Ruddell on 14 Nov 2009 03:34 PM 
That sounds like "a plan," John. I've got some mortar mix left over from paving street car tracks. How much mortar mix would you recommend for about 10 pounds of ballast? I'll try it with a bucketful of patio paver base and a bucketful of my remaining supply of Gran-I-Grit, then report back after a couple of good gullywashers.

Many thanks!

Tom


Tom Ruddell
Bethlehem Central Railroad
Midland City (Dothan), Alabama
www.gardenrailwayministry.com 

Maybe a pound to 10 pounds. I use a 5 gal bucket and a cement mixer. I have a scoop and put in 3 large scoops to 5 gal of ballast.


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## Tom Ruddell (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks, John. I'll give it a try tomorrow. 

Dave, Is your track fastened to something solid or are you using it for embankments? One reason it doesn't tend to wash out on the BCR is there are glued tie-heighth "walls" of Gran-I-Grit on the outside edges of the 2x6s with the ballast free to move in between. I use a 50-50 mixture of Titebond II outdoor wood glue and water. 

Incidentally, I ran the leaf blower over the railroad this morning and compared the effects of a little too much wind on paver base vs. loose Gran-I-Grit. No doubt about it. The paver base has more "clingability." It's easier to turn loose Gran-I-Grit into a "ballast storm."

Tom

Tom Ruddell
Bethlehem Central Railroad
Midland City (Dothan), Alabama
www.gardenrailwayministry.com


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom: I'm still in the process of moving 20+ cubic yards of fill into the raised bed where the tracks will go... No tracks down yet. 

I will most likely affix them to some type of subroadbed, I don't know what yet.. Maybe PVC pipe?? Maybe PT 2x6s.. I dunno yet. 
The entire thing will be fairlly well protected and mostly flat. I don't forsee too much ballast movement but... famous last words , right.. 

But it sounds like you're having good success and the cost sounds very appealing.. I'll certainly look into it.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well out here we use what is called 89 rock and is kind of like screenings from granite and is the right size for ballasting track. Cost $26 a ton. goes a long way and resist wash due to rain as it will inter lock. Pea gravel is not the way to go as it rolls to much. Later RJD


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

I stopped by my local Lowe's tonight and out here, they do not carry the GardenPlus brand of stuff. They showed me a local product of paver base aggregate....it's small enough I guess and irregular in shape but the color is far too red for my liking.. I'll keep looking..


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## Dr G (Jan 16, 2008)

Dave, 

My guess is that paver base will be whatever is available locally--this stuff is too heavy to ship long distnace. Here in Florida paver base is basically limestone or some other sand mixture. My ballast is limestone 3/8 minus screenings that I run thru a 1/4 inch screen for the top. A little frustrating and heavy work, but nothing else available in south Florida that I can find. 

Matt


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