Cheap Ballast!


Myowngod

Pennsy Tuscan Red Blood
I was on eBay looking for the precission craft steam engine that everyone else missed and was only selling for $15, no reserve and free shipping... and it had 1 minute left on the auction, hehe. When I came across this Item http://cgi.ebay.com/1-GALLON-EASY-GROUND-COVER-JUST-MIST-WITH-WATER_W0QQitemZ110051783233QQihZ001QQcategoryZ11648QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem , as you can see the price is $25 per gallon and he says it covers 80-100 feet of track(the cinders version). That's a pretty good deal! check out his other items.
Now I've got a better one for you and I won't charge you shipping... At my hardware store we sell Sweep-n-Lock for in between paver bricks, it looks pretty damn near what this guy is sell, except it goes for $13-17 depending on where you get it from. And that price is for a 2 or 3 gallon bucket. I could low ball this guy and sell it "dirt" cheap, hehe. Because I can get it at cost. But I know all model railroaders want more money towards engines and not ballast. So check it out. It comes in tan and light/medium gray, depending on lighting. You just add water and it has a binding agent in it. I haven't tried it out yet but I'm going to get a scoop at work from our sample bin. I don't think it would mess up the track in any way.

SIMILAR PRODUCT BELOW
http://www.geoschofield.com/whatsnew.htm

Ok so I'm missing out on a multi million dollar idea, but hell, I'm helping you guys out
 
Sweet, I had NOT thought of that! I got some simular stuff myself, from that building kit I bought, but its a temporary thing, that can be released with soaking, does this stuff do the same?
 
Sounds good, but with any sand type product make sure you pass over it with a magnet to make sure there are no metals in it that could short the tracks.
 
Sounds good, but with any sand type product make sure you pass over it with a magnet to make sure there are no metals in it that could short the tracks.

It's funny after I posted this at 2am I was laying in bed and as I drifted off I thought about the magnet thing, but I was to tired to get up again.

and JBaako
I haven't officially tried it yet but when I get home from work today it's one of the things I'm doing.
Stay tune for further updates.
 
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I passed a magnet over the stuff and a considerable amount of metallic substance came out but there is no more showing up on the magnet. The grey "ballast" held alot more magnetic stuff than the tan did. I did put it on the track and it looks good. I wouldn't rely on just the binding agent in the stuff to secure it though. The good old matte medium and water solution really kept it in place. I'm going to have 100's of miles of ballast for just a few bucks!

This is great.

I think the grey looked better for a pennsy line then the tan did. but, I can use the tan as ground cover.
 
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Heck, I pay about $15 per cubic yard (a square 3' x 3' x 3') for my ballast, and they even deliver it! It's not exactly HO scale though...

As somebody who buys this stuff by the truckload, I always choke when I see what it costs in small quantities. Like the bags of dirt at your local home improvement store. A couple bucks per cubic foot works out to over $50 per cubic yard, which is about 5 times the usual cost. But then again they do have to package it and ship it etc.

The stuff he suggests sounds good, especially for a larger scale railroad.
 
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