Ballast Transition

[GWMark]

Does anybody know, or even better have any photographic references, to how the ballasting is transitioned from the neat ballast shoulder on running lines and the cinder and ash style of ballast in goods yards and MPDs? I'm thinking in particular of the big four era and steam in general.

 

Is there a sudden change at the point-work, or is it more gradual or further down the entrance to the yard that the transition happens?

 

Thanks

Mark

[The Stationmaster]

Best I can do is a few pics but a lot of things changed over the years!!

 

This view of Bath Road Jcn at Slough shows the clear difference between the ballasted running lines and the cess footpath and is typical of early 1960s WR - note the distinct lack of weeds and plant growth on the cess - even on the very lightly used Bath Road Curve on the left of the picture. Contrary to liberal applications of 'weeds' we often see on models this is what it really looked like back then - on the Western at any rate (not a transition sorry but showing what running lines looked like).

 

 

This much earlier view, from a long out of issue postcard and clearly from the GW 'red' vehicle era, shows the contrast (not much) between the long vanished Down Main Refuge Sdg and the Main Lines at Twyford East

 

 

Now another 1960s view at Bristol T.M. showing how the running line ballast reaches across to the adjacent line but the far side of that is all surfaced with what appears to be stone dust

 

 

And finally a 1973 view of Radyr Jcn where, again, running line ballast extends to the sleeper ends of adjacent sidings and into the pointwork leading off the running line (although that wasn't always the case)

 

[Classsix T]

My modelling rule of thumb has been to have 'fat' ballast on the running lines and your far more pedestrian friendly stuff where railway folk are likely to frequent.

I can tell you from personal experience that walking on running line ballast is most tiresome.

 

C6T.

[GWMark]

Thanks for the responses, and thank you very much for the photos Mike, I particularly like the first one - some great detail and, as you say, it has all been kept very neat and tidy.

 

Mark

[Jonsie66]

Hi Mark,

 

I took a couple pictures this morning at work of link from the up March line to Nene carriage sidings at Peterborough.

As you can see the March line is ballasted in the normal way but the lead/ point work into the sidings has a mix of ballast and flyash base.

It continues that way until the track gets closer to the exit signal (located on the right hand side on a post) where the ballast ends and the flyash takes over.

The pictures can be seen in the links below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/on_the_bank/7205581144/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/on_the_bank/7205575672/in/photostream/

 

Regards,

 

James