I have about 400ft of track to ballast now, so I was considering building a ballasting jig of some sort - a block of wood with the shape of the ballast shoulders machined into it and slots for the rails. Has anyone tried this? Or is it just as easy to simply pour and brush the ballast into place?
Guy
Might need to add some wieght to it :-)
In message , "Just zis Guy, you know?" writes
When you've finished, you might like to come and help me do mine. I've got about 1000 feet to do. I've started with the hardest bit (the station throat at the end of the branch line) so the rest should be relatively easy. One problem, though -- it's outdoors.
It depends what ballast you use.
I don't like Woodland Scenics because it swells and/or floats when you drip the diluted glue on it, destroying your careful shaping.
I use finely crushed stone but I doubt the one I buy is available in the UK. Possibly some kin of grit is available.
The crushed stone actually looks like fine ballast chips - I also use the one intended for the next scale smaller as it is closer to the right size. I model British O-scale at 7mm/ft in the USA and use HO ballast.
Why not be prototypical and use the Hornby Shark brake van? :)
Fred X
Brush it into place, then mist with wet water and finally add the dilute white glue. Its a lovely mind numbing task, have the stereo in the layout room on and prepare to explore all the Bach Cantatas. :)
Steve Magee Newcastle NSW Aust
PS - I wouldn't recommend Wagner, the ballast gets flung everywhere
On Fri, 2 Jan 2009 15:19:12 -0800 (PST), Steve said in :
What, /again/? I was thinking of listening to some lieder by Wolf, I really need to expand my repertoire.
Guy
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