Here is what I need help on. I have code 100 track and I want to start ballasting my mainline, yard and some spurs.What grit do you think is best for an HO scale modern day layout. I think fine may be good but I am not really sure. Next to where I work there is a BNSF/AMTRAK line and I look at the ballast from time to time and it is a mixed grey/white blend and it looks very small. Any input would help,Thanks!
Another ballast question(not about cat litter)
- Thread starter dekker
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Most protoype ballast is about 2 to 4 inch pieces of rock. Depending on where in the country you are modeling, will determine what material they use. The railroad will usually use local rock for ballast.
The ballast here in mid-north Georgia looks like this:
It looks like NS here uses a granite based ballast, with a lot of different colors to it.
I personally would use the smallest ballast I could get on my RR. Most time, in modelling, smaller is better. (Now if I could only convince my wife of that).
Rotor
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Rotorranch
MRR Refugee
Most protoype ballast is about 2 to 4 inch pieces of rock. Depending on where in the country you are modeling, will determine what material they use. The railroad will usually use local rock for ballast.
The ballast here in mid-north Georgia looks like this:
It looks like NS here uses a granite based ballast, with a lot of different colors to it.
I personally would use the smallest ballast I could get on my RR. Most time, in modelling, smaller is better. (Now if I could only convince my wife of that).
Rotor
Not sure where you're located but, assuming this line as part of the original ATSF, the ballast was a mix of dark and lighter gray granite. The best match I've found is Woodland Scenics Fine Gray Ballast Blend (http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/woo/woob1393.htm). The best thing to do is go out to the tracks and gather a sample. Take a photo and compare it to the ballast that's commercially available. You may find that combining two ballast colors together will give you the best match. The ballast shown in Rotor's picture's is actually quite coarse and western railroads usually had a more finely graded ballast.
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