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i'm starting on my new yard i have just built. and i have a question on something sort of minor. i have 3 tracks set up about 2 inches apart (thats all i could do without flex track) and i am wondering doi just continue the ballast gravel to the next track or do i do something else (i.e. scrub grass) in between the two tracks?
Depends. If this is yard owned by a major railroad, the whole yard would be ballasted, usually with cinders. It wouldn't be maintained as well as mainline track but they will usually spray to keep the weeds down. If this is a shortline, the yard ballast will probably be only right at the tracks and the intervening spaces will be filled with weeds and other scrub growth. This a picture of part of the yard for my Prattville and Northern, a poverty stricken shortline, so there's not much money spent one keeping up the ballast or keeping down the weeds.
I think this works the best. Ballast everything. Then spread some white glue here and there. Press down some Woodland Scenes earth color course turf where you spread the glue. Sort of flatten it out a little. The earth color seems to look the best. This is how I did it in the scene below. If you want you can add some taller weeds. The yard I use to work in had very short weeds everywhere. The only tall weeds I can remember were around the light poles. I guess no one ever trampled them down there.
thanks for your help guys, my railroad's a branchline soo i think i'll ballast and put on some weeds. im goingto have unloading docks on one pair of tracks so i think we'll be fine with ballast and some weeds.
George, that's a great example of a relatively well maintained and weed free Class 1 yard compared to my down at the heels shortline. The northeast also seems to get more brownish weeds like that. Down here, weeds are big and green.
actually, the yard isn't built up roadbed like your mainline is. It can be laid out on flat material and ballast spread across the whole thing. A lot of your ties won't be visible either as they usually sink into the mud.
Be sure to throw some stacks of unused and broken ties along the sides of your yard along with pallets, paint cans and other debris. Hand thrown ground throws make the yard easier to operate than remote control selonoids. I found that double pole double through slide switches are great for the yard turnouts. They can be buried in the yard surface, are easy to operate and can provide the electical connections for your turnouts power routing. I drill a small hole in the black plastic nub slider and use hard wire to connect to the end of the turnout throw tie.
