Ballast for 009

[saxman1530]

I will soon have to start ballasting my latest layout which is based on 009 in an urban setting and looking for recommendations for the best ballast to use.  
Is standard 00 scale oversize or is N scale too small?  Any guidance most welcome.
 

[sb67]

Hi @saxman1530 I guess it depends on the look you're after. I would say generally OO scale ballast could be too big so maybe the N scale stuff would be better, or even a mix of the 2, but you could always use fine sand or something like chinchilla dust.  I'm no expert but I guess on a narrow gauge line the ballast would be a lower grade or could even be any material they could get at the time of laying the track. 

Hope that gives you food for thought. 

[Steven B]

Ballast sold for N Gauge is typically over-scale for 1:148 so it probably a better starting point than that sold for OO scale.

 

Steven B.

[saxman1530]

Thank you for that.  I will try a sample tomorrow.

[saxman1530]

The chinchilla dust sounds interesting.  May have to try that as well.

[lezz01]

Ikea do coloured sand that's quite good or as mentioned above chinchilla dust which is my own personal favourite. Finely crushed BBQ ash is also very good but you will need to prosses it first. I sieve it first to get the bigger lumps of charcoal out. Then smash up the bigger bits with a lump hammer. Add the smashed up charcoal back into it and put it into a bucket outside in the garden and add water until it's a paste. Leave it in the bucket uncovered giving it an occasional stir for 2-8 weeks. The longer you leave it the darker it goes. Drain off excess water mix it up into a stiff paste then put into one of those old school enamel pie tins and bake in the oven at a low heat until you have a brick. Smash it up again with the lump hammer and then smash it up a small amount at a time in a metal bladed coffee grinder and you have ash ballast made from ash. The more you grind it the better it looks. It is a bit of a faff and it takes a while to prosses but it is worthwhile.

Regards Lez.     

[sb67]

7 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Ikea do coloured sand that's quite good or as mentioned above chinchilla dust which is my own personal favourite. Finely crushed BBQ ash is also very good but you will need to prosses it first. I sieve it first to get the bigger lumps of charcoal out. Then smash up the bigger bits with a lump hammer. Add the smashed up charcoal back into it and put it into a bucket outside in the garden and add water until it's a paste. Leave it in the bucket uncovered giving it an occasional stir for 2-8 weeks. The longer you leave it the darker it goes. Drain off excess water mix it up into a stiff paste then put into one of those old school enamel pie tins and bake in the oven at a low heat until you have a brick. Smash it up again with the lump hammer and then smash it up a small amount at a time in a metal bladed coffee grinder and you have ash ballast made from ash. The more you grind it the better it looks. It is a bit of a faff and it takes a while to prosses but it is worthwhile.

Regards Lez.     

 

I've never heard of doing that, I've used ash for other areas on the layouts, but I really just sieve it straight over the top of paint etc. I'll have to try that process 👍

[saxman1530]

Thank you for all your suggestions all of which are most appreciated.  

[drduncan]

9 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Ikea do coloured sand that's quite good or as mentioned above chinchilla dust which is my own personal favourite. Finely crushed BBQ ash is also very good but you will need to prosses it first. I sieve it first to get the bigger lumps of charcoal out. Then smash up the bigger bits with a lump hammer. Add the smashed up charcoal back into it and put it into a bucket outside in the garden and add water until it's a paste. Leave it in the bucket uncovered giving it an occasional stir for 2-8 weeks. The longer you leave it the darker it goes. Drain off excess water mix it up into a stiff paste then put into one of those old school enamel pie tins and bake in the oven at a low heat until you have a brick. Smash it up again with the lump hammer and then smash it up a small amount at a time in a metal bladed coffee grinder and you have ash ballast made from ash. The more you grind it the better it looks. It is a bit of a faff and it takes a while to prosses but it is worthwhile.

Regards Lez.     

I don’t suppose you could send me a bag of the finished product? 😁😁

[Nearholmer]

Narrow gauge railways varied from superbly engineered and maintained things like the Festiniog or Lynton & Barnstaple, to temporary lines consisting of portable track panels plonked down on the ground, so you you need to decide what sort of railway yours is, and maybe whether it’s fallen on hard times and allowed the track to become a linear weed patch, as happened to the Talyllyn.

[Oldddudders]

Chinchilla dust was recommended in these pages many years ago, so I got in a supply, but I have struggled ever to make a success of it. Having laid it in and cleaned the sleepers etc, I then mist it with water prior to adding glue - but the act of misting seems to disrupt all my attempt at neatness and it looks dreadful.

 

I hope others' mileage varies, as they say!

[Pete the Elaner]

OO ballast is too coarse for OO. I have no idea why it is marketed that way.

Compare it with the real thing.