# What makes the best ballast?



## zr1rob (May 27, 2020)

I'm new to this kind of modeling, so I don't have what you guys have in the way of experience when it comes to ballasting.


My track is laid on PVC trim strips and 2x4s. I've posted in this subForum about the construction. Right now, the track works well enough that I don't have derailments. That's fine with me!


For practical reasons tho, I want to ballast it. First, when it rains, the dirt gets kicked up by the raindrops. After the rainstorm, bits of dirt cling to the sides and tops of the rails and ties. I have to run a special train with a 3M pad under a car to wipe the dirt off the top of the rails. And second the trackage just 'looks' wrong! The track looks like it was laid right on top of the soil without any kind of ballast.


Is there a material used that looks right and will also keep the track clean from a storm's mess making?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Good question... Scale ballast will look great, will wash away and bounce all around. You can try gluing it, good luck, some people do try and it's a lot of work.


I use ballast just a bit smaller than the spaces between the ties. Nothing washes up, and it stays in place.


Why can't you use scale ballast? Because raindrops are not to scale! I think I calculated prototype raindrops scale to 6 to 8 inches! No wonder scale ballast washes away. Also wind does not scale.


I'm happy with my overscale ballast, and it stays put and takes little maintenance.


It's a crushed stone (you do not want smooth rounded pebbles), and I found it in Home Depot and Lowes.


With the size of your layout, you can find what you want in a gravel company and get a few tons delivered.




Greg


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## SophieB (Nov 22, 2015)

Greg Elmassian said:


> ...I'm happy with my overscale ballast, and it stays put and takes little maintenance...Greg


What he said. We had 13 tons of #57 crushed gravel delivered. It mostly stays in place as longs as you keep your roadbed flat.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I was fortunate to be able to get 1/4 inch gravel. I mixed this with 1 part stone dust to 4 parts 1/4 inch gravel. I placed this in a 4 inch deep 6 inch wide trough lined with weed block. The weed block does nothing for weeds, it prevents dirt from mixing ewiththe gravel. over 15 years here in South Easterm MAssachusetts and never reballested my RR. Some times material being used is cost (my gravel was $10 for 1/2 ton in my sons pickup truck). I still have a 20 gallon trash can filled with stone dust that cost $5 dollars at a gravel yard.


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

I have used Lowe's Paver Base Step 2. Looks like the right size and color. Each spring I touch it up where the rain has washed it away but I rarely use more than a bag or two.


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## choochoowilly (Oct 31, 2016)

I use chicken grit and it is crushed granite


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I use #5 roofing granite available at roofing supply companies. Be forwarned that some of this stuff is magnetic and will stick to any surface magnets and electric motor blocks.

When I first built my railroad (1997) it was ~$1.65/80# and is now probably >$8/80#. I think I paid ~$6.50/80# for a few bags several years ago.


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## Chistech (Dec 19, 2019)

Has anyone ever tried reclaimed asphalt fines? I know it binds well and if sifted to be 1/4" and some dust to get the larger pieces out, it would be the right size. Any thoughts?


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## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

Decomposed Granite works great. Hardened up after a few rains. Not to hard that you can’t break it up and start over. And it’ll harden back up. Can see it in this picture.

Jason


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## zr1rob (May 27, 2020)

I'm seeing a lot of references to granite here: decomposed granite, chicken grit, roofing granite. What's the differences? All the posts that like granite seem like they're definitely hooked on it. So what colors and is there a size you'd recommend?


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## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

I found mine at my local landscaping quarry. Since I’m doing a desert/mountain scene it fits right in color, size and it’s heavy won’t wash away. It looks good for my liking.

Jason


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Do you have a closer picture of ballasted track, like to see the size when the track is actually ballasted.


Greg


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

I always thought the main thing was chicken grit.

Doug


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## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

Here you go. An up close view

Jason


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Ballast using Lowe's Paver Base Phase 2.


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## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

*Road Bed*

Decomposed granite. I have used it for 25 years. If the DG is on a hard surface (concrete) I glue it down with Titebond III diluted with water and maybe just a bit of Joy detergent for a wet agent. Every place else free standing. My RR is a narrow gauge one and the SPNG did just that with the local dirt for road bed in the Owens Valley and Nevada.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The smaller grit looks great, I agree, but how do you control it from washing away?


Glue is pretty much the only option unless someone scales down real rain droplets.


Greg


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## zr1rob (May 27, 2020)

James Kuhns said:


> Decomposed granite. I have used it for 25 years. If the DG is on a hard surface (concrete) I glue it down with Titebond III diluted with water and maybe just a bit of Joy detergent for a wet agent. Every place else free standing. My RR is a narrow gauge one and the SPNG did just that with the local dirt for road bed in the Owens Valley and Nevada.



What happens if it doesn't have a hard surface? Does it sink when it gets rained on? 



BTW - do you have any pics of your SPNG? I am going to run #8 and #9 on mine!


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

I used three parts chicken grit mixed with one part mortar mix, and dry-mixed those items first. I did not put any ballast within the ties that had the switch throw. Once I had the ballast profiled the way I wanted it, I misted it with the garden hose. The mortar sets up, but not so hard that it cannot be broken with a tool such as a screwdriver. My track had hard clay underneath the ballast. The ballast stayed undisturbed while I had the layout - about eight years.

Don't know whether this would work for every environment, but it worked just fine in southwest Virginia.

Regards, David Meashey


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## James Kuhns (Jan 12, 2008)

As Jason ddrum31 said DG hardens up on its own given a little time.


James


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

DG weathers really well, like James says, after it sits a while, it "hardens".


The problem will be finding it, common in southern california, would think you might find it in AZ.


People in other states that have not experienced it, won't really "get" it, i.e. how it "sets up".


Greg


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