Shirebrook - N Gauge 1980's era layout.

[Hoover 40]

C looks right to me  

[P.C.M]

I think C, Are you going make the loads removable. I have done it with my oo gauge ballast wagons.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Ted-ish]

Another vote for C

[woodenhead]

A looks like a load of potatoes, B looks like you've been to the beach. C gets my vote as it looks like gravel.

 

Unless of course you were planning to move peeled potatoes by train.

[Duncan.]

22 hours ago, Scott B said:

C for me out of the three but I still think it looks too large, sorry.

 

Are none of the ballasts available from the like of GreenSceene/Woodland Scenics etc not suitable ?

 

Scott

 

21 hours ago, MarshLane said:

 

Duncan, I have cast my vote above - but while I agree on the choice, I'd respectfully disagree with Scott on the size aspect.  I thought the same at first, its still bit big, but looking around I am not sure it is.  We need to bear in mind that the photo view is different to the eye view, and makes it appear bigger.  It might be worth doing a picture of the wagon with a pound coin alongside for some perspective?  

 

EDIT: Having said all that, I have just looked at the picture below and compared with the shot of 'C' above, the ballast in your wagon does look perhaps larger than what is beneath the wagon, under the track on Shirebrook....

 

If you look at this shot https://www.tauntontrains.co.uk/photos/gallery/class37/7 of 37025 (fourth picture down on the page) the ballast in those seacows looks similar to me.  

 

As does this shot ... 

 

which is a screenshot from this Youtube video (not mine):

 

I suspect it could be a get it close, then its personal preference time.

Rich

 

11 hours ago, 03060 said:

C for me but I agree with Scott.

 

6 hours ago, woodenhead said:

A looks like a load of potatoes, B looks like you've been to the beach. C gets my vote as it looks like gravel.

 

Unless of course you were planning to move peeled potatoes by train.

 

On 23/02/2020 at 16:03, Steadfast said:

Seacows look great Duncan, especially the texture on the chutes.

As for the load, perhaps a bit large grained and lacking uniformity of colour? What ballast did you use on the layout, I'd be inclined to use the same so you have continuity between the too, albeit a cleaner colour.

Edit, found this pic of a ballast load. Not the best, but the best I could find on my phone. Illustrates the uniformity of the load though

Hope this helps

 

Jo

Firstly, thank you to all respondents. I hope this simple question has sparked a continuing discussion, perhaps we can all benefit from it and find the most realistically sized product to use.

The three types were A- Cotswold grit size 20, B sand collected from Bamburgh- the dunes are a finer grade, this came from the high tide line and is coarser, and C is N scale ballast from Dapol and by far the 'winner'. It was my choice also.

Steadfast suggested I use the same as I used to ballast the track, which was a french product by GPP. I thought I had used it all but I found some. To put the cat among the pigeons I have photographed some of that. Can I ask all of you that have kindly commented or left 'votes' to repeat this exercise between 'C' the Dapol product and 'D' the GPP product.

Scott B asked about Greenscene/Woodland Scenics but these I found to be coarser than those I shortlisted.

The Dapol Product

The GPP Product

The GPP Product

So your votes again please Like for the  Dapol and Informative for the GPP

Cheers

Duncan

Edited February 25, 2020 by Duncan.
Additional text

[Steadfast]

Definitely another vote for C! It has the nice uniform look that wagon loads of new ballast have. Is it worth considering a very light dusting of a light to mid grey over the load from the airbrush to tie the ballast and interior together?

For what it's worth, the ballast in the coalfish picture that I posted comes from Stud Farm (Cliffe Hill) in Leicestershire.

 

Jo

[37058]

Type C for sure. 

 

Great job Duncan. 

 

Cheers

Anthony 

[03060]

I prefer the colouring of the Dapol product but I think that the grain size of the GPP is nearer to the mark, particularly in the 2nd GPP photo (hence my vote for this), could you work your airbrush magic on this load if it were PVA'd together ?

 

Regards,

Ian.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

If using the pre made loads, would it bother you that they all look the same?

A faff I know, but I would carve pieces of foam to size and shape and then cover with N ballast/casting sand/chinchilla dust or whatever.

 

Mike.

[Stuart A]

I don't want to make the decision more difficult, but would this be an option for you Duncan?

(Please ignore the build quality of the wagon, I built it a over a decade ago!)

 

https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/tiny-friends-farm-charlie--harry-and-gerri-bathing-sand-15-litre

 

£2 for 1kg

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Stuey
Added url and price

[Duncan.]

4 hours ago, Stuey said:

I don't want to make the decision more difficult, but would this be an option for you Duncan?

(Please ignore the build quality of the wagon, I built it a over a decade ago!)

 

https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/tiny-friends-farm-charlie--harry-and-gerri-bathing-sand-15-litre

 

£2 for 1kg

 

How does everybody feel about Stuey's bathing sand... I've downloaded his photos and the prototype ones Steadfast supplied to view along side my own, it's very tough, I just may have to get some at the weekend and do a side by side test.

I am delighted and again thank everyone for their valuable contributions-this is what a forum should be. Please keep your views coming it is very interesting.

Cheers

Duncan

Edited February 26, 2020 by Duncan.
typo

[Ted-ish]

I'm surprised Stuey bathes in that stuff... but it's a good compromise between size (very scale accurate) and colour (a touch off, but very close).

[Stuart A]

1 hour ago, Ted-ish said:

I'm surprised Stuey bathes in that stuff... but it's a good compromise between size (very scale accurate) and colour (a touch off, but very close).

It's really good for exfoliating....

[Hoover 40]

I think that might have thrown the cat amongst the pigeons so to speak , that looks very lifelike prefer that to Dapol.

[TomE]

3 hours ago, Duncan. said:

How does everybody feel about Stuey's bathing sand... I've downloaded his photos and the prototype ones Steadfast supplied to view along side my own, it's very tough, I just may have to get some at the weekend and do a side by side test.

I am delighted and again thank everyone for their valuable contributions-this is what a forum should be. Please keep your views coming it is very interesting.

Cheers

Duncan

Looking at the pics here, I think it’s a better look size wise than the previous samples personally. I’ve always found ballast marketed as N Gauge to be way overscale and the bathing sand (I had no idea such a thing existed!) looks about spot on to my eyes. 
 

Tom. 

[Northmoor]

40 minutes ago, TomE said:

Looking at the pics here, I think it’s a better look size wise than the previous samples personally. I’ve always found ballast marketed as N Gauge to be way overscale and the bathing sand (I had no idea such a thing existed!) looks about spot on to my eyes. 
 

Tom. 

I find many if not most OO layouts in magazines to be apparently ballasted with boulders.  Those that use N-gauge ballast always look better.

[Steadfast]

Just measured two bits of ballast from the yard. First one is 60 X 60 mm, second is 85 X 60 mm. Some smaller, but they both look mundanely average

 

Jo

Edited February 26, 2020 by Steadfast

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 hours ago, Steadfast said:

Just measured two bits of ballast from the yard. First one is 60 X 60 mm, second is 85 X 60 mm. Some smaller, but they both look mundanely average

 

Jo

 

Well, there's the answer Duncan, you'd better get measuring and filing!

 

Mike.

[Duncan.]

Morning Everyone,

What I am going to do... I have arranged for delivery of a small test quantity of 'bathing sand' and will photograph next to the Dapol ballast. I think I will also make loads with the ballasts glued onto formers and see what looks best. I am still keeping an open mind. I think the whole process has been rewarding for everyone and perhaps at the end of it we can persuade manufactures to change/improve their products.

Cheers

Duncan

[5BarVT]

I’m not N gauge and I’m  years away from ballasting, but I’ve enjoyed following the discussion.

Thank you.  Paul.

[Ted-ish]

I asked my girlfriend when she was next shopping to nip by Pets at Home and grab me some bathing sand.

 

I was met with a blank expression...

 

Question to Duncan: what paint colours did you use for your signal boxes?

[Duncan.]

2 hours ago, Ted-ish said:

I asked my girlfriend when she was next shopping to nip by Pets at Home and grab me some bathing sand.

 

I was met with a blank expression...

Hi Ed,

You can further confuse your girlfriend by showing her the photos below, don't forget to tell her bathing sand is quarried and carried in huge tonnages about the rail network!

Regulars to this thread will know that we've been having a bit of a discussion about ballast, N scale ballast in particular. The photos below show the most popular products from the votes earlier in this thread. Once again I request you indulgence and request you vote for your preference. Type A to the left is the 'bathing sand' and to the right is the Dapol N scale product. To vote  for 'A' please 'Like' this post, to vote for 'B' please 'Informative' this post and please ask a friend to ask a friend to get involved, let's get a really useful result. 

Thanks everyone.

Cheers

Duncan

[DavidMcKenzie]

Hi Duncan (not Simon),

 

That ballast looks great, Ican't believe how good the 'bathing sand' looks. Will try to find some for ballasting the track on the next sections of track I do. Thanks for sharing the information and discussion. Useful information to all. Could I ask if the bathing sand smells funny? I know that's maybe a strange question, but it looks too good to be true. 

 

It would have been easy to have overlooked how outstanding those wagons look out on the layout with a full load. All credit to both your skill and patience to have modelled a whole rake.

 

All the best,

Dave

Edited February 28, 2020 by DavidMcKenzie

[Duncan.]

4 hours ago, Ted-ish said:

 

 

Question to Duncan: what paint colours did you use for your signal boxes?

Hi Ed,

During the period that the model covers I think the signal boxes changed colour of the framing timbers. As ever I used photographs to work from.The panels are rail white (sort of an 'off white') while the grey framing is I think silver grey but to be honest I'm not sure now. I will have used a colour that best matched a photograph.

Cheers

Duncan

Edited February 28, 2020 by Duncan.
Additional text

[Duncan.]

18 minutes ago, DavidMcKenzie said:

Hi Duncan (not Simon),

 

That ballast looks great, I can't believe how good the 'bathing sand' looks. Will try to find some for ballasting the track on the next sections of track I do. Thanks for sharing the information and discussion. Useful information to all. Could I ask if the bathing sand smells funny? I know that's maybe a strange question, but it looks too good to be true. 

All the best,

Dave

Hi Dave,

The bathing sand does not have any odour. Could always get you some and post it to Germany, post at cost.

Cheers

Duncan

Edited February 28, 2020 by Duncan.
Additional text