Hate ballasting? Maybe you're doing it wrong...

[JamFjord]

Not you specifically, and not wrong per se, but watching this video caused me to think that perhaps there's an approach one can adopt which doesn't trigger a desire to poke out one's own eyeballs rather than get started ballasting that next couple of metres...

https://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2024/01/on-video-mindful-ballasting.html

[AY Mod]

I always enjoy it; precise but relaxing and something not to be rushed. To refine it to improve it and to look at tones as well as texture.

[ColinK]

Worst job on the layout, I really hate doing it.  My last big layout used Peco foam underlay and my 009 layout has Kato track which has a ballast base, well hidden in the landscape.

[westernviscount]

I am looking forward to it. Remove the webs so there is a nice gap under the rail and brush into place. Lovely. 

[irishmail]

Don't mind ballasting myself, one of the aspects of layout building that I quite enjoy is wiring and ballasting.  Its  when it comes to doing the main scenic work that I tend to lose interest and want to start again!  Having said that, my current layout(s) are more or less completed with scenery. 🙂

[MattR]

I hated it on my previous layouts -- so fiddly and irritating. But on Summerseat, it's been rather enjoyable once I followed some others' suggestions, namely:

 

- Pour small amounts at a time rather than dumping a bunch and trying to spread it around

- Use your finger instead of a small brush (I think 90% percent of the tediousness came from trying to use a brush)

- Hit the track to bounce ballast off the sleepers (I use the rubber-coated handle of an X-Acto knife).

 

 

[Dagworth]

5 minutes ago, MattR said:

I hated it on my previous layouts -- so fiddly and irritating. But on Summerseat, it's been rather enjoyable once I followed some others' suggestions, namely:

 

- Pour small amounts at a time rather than dumping a bunch and trying to spread it around

- Use your finger instead of a small brush (I think 90% percent of the tediousness came from trying to use a brush)

- Hit the track to bounce ballast off the sleepers (I use the rubber-coated handle of an X-Acto knife).

 

 

I find that scattering it from a teaspoon held some six inches above the track has the effect that most of it bounces off the sleepers and sits in the beds. Additionally I have a really awful paintbrush that would be no use for painting at all that is brilliant for levelling ballast on the track. It's a 1inch brush has some form of plastic (nylon) bristles about 2 inches long that are stiff enough that when brushed along the sleepers they prevent the brush from dipping into the beds and give an almost perfect smooth ballast level with the tops of the sleepers.

 

Trouble is that I'm ballasting a layout that is 60ft long and has 16 tracks across the boards in places!

 

Andi

[James Hilton]

On 28/01/2024 at 15:19, JamFjord said:

Not you specifically, and not wrong per se, but watching this video caused me to think that perhaps there's an approach one can adopt which doesn't trigger a desire to poke out one's own eyeballs rather than get started ballasting that next couple of metres...

https://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2024/01/on-video-mindful-ballasting.html

 

Thanks James - another friend mentioned he'd seen this posted up, and I'd missed it!

My video wasn't intended to be instructional in the traditional sense - rather a chance to consider a different mindset to ballasting - perhaps the wider hobby?

 

 

Edited February 1 by James Hilton

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks James, that really is a very relaxing video to watch!

 

I more or less adopt those same methods, when I'm ballasting track with 'deep' sleepers (such as what is now marketed by C&L).

 

However, I prefer to lay thin sleepered track, such as the original C&L bullhead flexitrack, which allows me to paint down PVA glue between the sleepers (normally around 3 to 4 sleeper bays at a time).

 

First individual sleepers are painted (once all track has had a spray-over of a uniform track colour):

 

I've also cut all the webs out from between each sleeper by this time.

 

Then, the PVA glue is applied, neat, between the sleepers:

 

 

This needs to be done very carefully, but it does ultimately make for neat ballast when all's said and done. It is quite theraputic as well, but probably best done in small segments of perhaps 30 mins or so at a time.

 

When a section has been glued, the ballast mix is then sprinkled on and the whole thing left to dry for several hours:

 

The layout featured is 'Bethesda Sidings', so not a main line in pristine condition. I also include small pieces of green foliage in the ballast mix, to ensure that weed growth is properly embedded.

 

When all is dry, the excess ballast is vacuumed away (with care and the right vacuum cleaner, it should be possible to save this unused ballast for re-use):