Benatkinsonuk Posted January 31 Share Posted January 31 (edited) As you may guess from the title I’m after some thoughts and inspiration for items I should be adding to my layout before I ballast. I have tried googling and searching the forums here for this topic but struggling a bit hence starting a thread. The track is down and weathered, trains running nicely and more testing to go but the task of ballasting draws ever closer. It’s a mid-90’s layout in N gauge, modelling a busy terminus with plenty of point work, a branch line and some sidings. I hope to add signals and some concrete trunking but assume both are added afterwards. Drain covers and the orange cable trunking, dummy point motors and such to add now? AWS ramps after I guess? Any help is appreciated! Just don’t want to ballast and think I’ve missed the golden opportunity for something. Edited January 31 by Benatkinsonuk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philsandy Posted February 1 Share Posted February 1 Point rodding. 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benatkinsonuk Posted February 1 Author Share Posted February 1 Ok cheers. I’ll look into it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted February 1 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1 23 hours ago, Benatkinsonuk said: I hope to add signals and some concrete trunking but assume both are added afterwards. Concrete cable troughing should go in before ballasting IMHO. Andi 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Davexoc Posted February 1 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1 Concrete trunking first, then you can ballast up to it for a part buried look. It's probably easier to put your drain bases and orange trunking down before too, so basically anything that is part buried.... 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted February 1 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 1 Platform (sides at least ) so you can ballast right up to them and you don’t have to clean ‘stray’ ballast away before planting them. 1 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fulton Posted February 2 Share Posted February 2 11 hours ago, philsandy said: Point rodding. I would add the bases first, then the rodding after, probably not so relevant in N scale, more so 4mm or 7mm, in an earlier period posts for signal cables also, I also try to add bases for buildings etc. before ballasting to get away from the stuck on top look. Have used block sand here as ballast to represent shingle. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted February 2 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2 I've already ballasted and laid trunking but am still interested in finding what else is likely to be seen alongside the track on a modern layout. I have both station areas and open countryside. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 2 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2 Often, despite the presence of trunking, there are loose cables lying around on top of the ballast. Also various PW components (sleepers, lengths of rail etc.) that were not tidied away from the last relaying or maintenance job. There are also - on the modern railway - short lengths of rail at strategic intervals. These pieces of rail are there to be used in case the PW have to deal with a broken bit of CWR. The broken bit could be cut out and the spare length of rail then welded in and re-stressed. Also, at some major junctions, there may be a local policy of leaving spare switches and crossings on the lineside, to save time in case one of those has to be replaced following a failure etc. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted February 2 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2 33 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said: Also, at some major junctions, there may be a local policy of leaving spare switches and crossings on the lineside, to save time in case one of those has to be replaced following a failure etc. So much better than having a route clipped out of use while waiting months for a 'special' to be made! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benatkinsonuk Posted February 4 Author Share Posted February 4 Thanks very much for the replies. Some interesting thoughts and I’ll get cracking with these suggestions! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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