Gluing ballast

[Captain Kernow]

I tried a quick rough and ready comparison last night using the old and the new.

 

The results seem to be almost identical. Perhaps the Pledge is marginally less hard after drying, but IMHO not enough to matter

 

[Mr Spock mode]

 

Fascinating.

 

[/Mr Spock mode]

 

 

This sounds a lot more hopeful for those who didn't get any stocks of the old Klear in at the time - well done there, mate!

[The Stationmaster]

Excuse me for butting-in but this thread led to a conversation with the good Cap'n at Camrail over the weekend at which I mentioned the 'underlay' I have used in the past - and here for the Cap'n's information (and hopefully for others) are some pics.

 

The material is a self adhesive (on one side only) dense foam rubber with a peal-off paper backing known as 'Hillseal'. It is available in various thicknesses and cut to whatever width you specify and was recommended to me by someone who has used it on a large layout. I'm also aware that it was used on a layout which was built in a garage back in the 1960s/70s where it is reportedly 'as good as the day it was laid'.

 

As the pics hopefully show it can be curved - with no need to cut it on radii greater than c. 3ft although a couple of 'nicks' on the inside of the curve are sometimes helpful when laying it at 30inch radius. The supplier is not in the model trade in any way so I don't know how they would re-act to umpteen orders coming in from all directions so I won't mention their name yet - but I'd be happy to talk to them if there is any interest. I can't give a current price but I last bought some about 5 years ago, and back then it was cheaper than anything offered as 'track underlay' - it took about a week from ordering to collection (that depends on how busy they are I presume) and the cutting was very consistent.

 

What I don't know is what it's like once ballasted ( ) but it gives very quiet running as an underlay with lightly pinned down track.

 

(please ignore the surrounding shambles in the shed - it got so untidy we moved house )

[dave1905]

here in the US, I use Elmers Glue, the cheap white wood working/craft glue, I buy it in gallon jugs at the hardware stores.

 

I mix water with a few drops of diswashing detergent and then mist it over the ballast/scenery. The sprayer has to be fine to avoid clumps.

 

After the ballast/scenery is wet I take a mixture of 50% glue-50% water, put it in a squeeze bottle (one with a long pointed nozzle) and dribble the glue mixture gently into the ballast. I let it dry, then mist and repeat the glue if necessary.

 

You can substitute acrylic matte medium for white glue and others have used an alcohol/water mix in the sprayer. The beauty of this is all that gets on the track is a little water so it doesn't coat any other scenery or track with anything worse. You do have to be careful around points or other moving parts and if you have drilled electrical feeder holes through teh baseboard, you can get drips under the layout.

 

When dry it is very secure, and is very cheap. I transported modules to shows in the back of a pickup truck, uncovered, driving at 75 mph down the highway without losing any ballast or scenic material.

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks for posting the Hillseal photos, Mike - it looks interesting and with some promise - perhaps particularly for anyone using thin sleepers (as per SMP or C&L) and wishing a dark undersurface to help protray an ash ballast?...

[panniertank]

I agree with your comment re video. I really laughed at the "retarded ballasting" thing! And you are right......a sense of humour [humor for our American friends!] is a great way to encourage good practice in our hobby - besides - miserable people don't live as long!!

 

Slightly off topic, but that really is a great video. It makes a pleasant change from the way model railways are usually presented.

 

Graham.

[PWSlack]

Add a small squirt of washing up liquid while making-up the glue.

 

"Simples!"