NittenDormer Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 My local railway, newly laid last year on an older trackbed, has a small ridge of ballast at either end of the sleepers. I may have read, heard or possibly dreamt that this is to do with preventing the sleepers moving sideways under the weight of trains. It is just visible at the bottom of the photo attached. Is this correct? Is this a recent development or has it been around for a number of whiles? (Or Bachmann eras.) I have never seen any reference to this on a model. Is it just too fiddly to be worth the effort, or does it just get taken as assumed if ballasting has been modelled? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted January 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2017 The ballast shoulder is to help hold continuous welded rail track in place and stop it buckling when the rail expands in the heat. If your track would be long welded rails (normally on concrete or steel sleepers) then it needs the shoulders to be prototypical. Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Conversely, if you are modelling pre 1960's these ridges should not be present, the ballast should not cover the sleepers at all but should slope down to a neat "cess" of ash / clinker about 18-24 inches wide on plain running lines, before the grass/weeds of the embankment or cutting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 7, 2017 Concurring with the above, a little story. In around 1975 I was guard on an up Waterston-Langley fully fitted train of oil tankers carrying aviation spirit, with a driver and secondman, over the SWML Badminton cut-off which had recently been re-balllasted in the modern style in anticipation of the high speed trains running at 125mph over it, when we were stopped at the signal controlling the entrance to Sodding Chipbury loop. The secondman, a lovely chap but of diminutive stature, promptly climbed down from our 47 to go on the phone to the panel, only to let go of the bottom of the handrails and disappear with a forlorn and helpless cry of despair which had me and the driver in hysterics. He'd slid down a scree slope of about 4 feet, not far off his own height, and got precious little sympathy for his efforts! Ballast shoulders... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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