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I see some of you have ballasted your turnouts. As a beginner I was nervous to ballast any track at all but so far so good. I would like to try to ballast the points of my turnouts too. Most are operated by Peco PL-10 switch machines but some are finger flicked.
I would really appreciate some tips before I attempt one. Thanks!
That's a start. Anything more specific?
Paul: My last layout had ballasted TO's. Found that you do not want any glue/whatever on the rail sides where they meet the stock rails. Also, I kept the ballast at or below tie level as you do not want any that could get caught between the movable rail and tie. That is a PITA.
Do note that I started with your standard turnout and found they are a pain no matter what way you go. After much ho/humming I started laying my own which made it easier to ballast most places before rail; I would leave spots open for ties that had rail soldered. Then I would go back and [ lightly | gently ] ballast those spots watching the glue as above for the moveable rail. Note that I did not ballast ALL of the track, just the TO's as they seemed to be pretty 'cast-in-stone' for the location.
Later
Paul: My last layout had ballasted TO's. Found that you do not want any glue/whatever on the rail sides where they meet the stock rails. Also, I kept the ballast at or below tie level as you do not want any that could get caught between the movable rail and tie. That is a PITA.
Do note that I started with your standard turnout and found they are a pain no matter what way you go. After much ho/humming I started laying my own which made it easier to ballast most places before rail; I would leave spots open for ties that had rail soldered. Then I would go back and [ lightly | gently ] ballast those spots watching the glue as above for the moveable rail. Note that I did not ballast ALL of the track, just the TO's as they seemed to be pretty 'cast-in-stone' for the location.
Later
Thanks. I'm still a little intimidated but I want to try one. I think I have 28 turnouts so it could be a while
I think I should start with one which has a PL-10 attached. A little less ballast in the points there because the foam was cut out below the turnout for the switch machine. If that works ok I'll go for a whole one
I don't ballast the ties with the throw bar between them. I also on the adjacent ties, I put down a layer of straight Elmer's glue then ballast over it. This builds a "wall" to stop diluted glue from seeping in there. I keep everything clear of the throw bar.
Proudly modeling the CM, MT & SL in HO Scale
I don't ballast the ties with the throw bar between them. I also on the adjacent ties, I put down a layer of straight Elmer's glue then ballast over it. This builds a "wall" to stop diluted glue from seeping in there. I keep everything clear of the throw bar.
I do it exactly the same way. I also spread the glue with the end of a toothpick for some of the more sensitive/delicate areas. Once it's dry, I brush the excess off for re-use and go over the area with a shop vac.
. I think I have 28 turnouts so it could be a while
Just go slow, I have no doubt you will get it by the 27th turnout.
Then you can give me pointers for when I do mine!
Just go slow, I have no doubt you will get it by the 27th turnout.
Then you can give me pointers for when I do mine!
Maybe. We'll have to see if I live long enough to get to number 27
A little bit at of rock a time and minimal glue with an eye dropper, no rush.
What I’ve done on some turnouts is tape the bottom of the ties just where the throw bars are with duct tape (the metal type not the fabric stuff) then turn it over and press the ballast in to it.
Pressing the switch onto a thin layer of silicone and pressing ballast into it works as well.
Try on an old piece first to see if it works for you.
I’ve spent time shovelling rock out of the real thing and can tell you there shouldn’t be much there anyway. LOL
As has been said, do it carefully and thoughtfully. There are two places where you don't want ballast...or else! Inside, and under the points and throwbar assembly (which is correctly called a switch, per rail engineering practices), and inside the frog rails and guards. Everywhere else is okay, provided you groom it well and keep it low so that coupler trip pins don't snag on glued bits and dislodge the rolling stock from the gauge....AKA a derailment.
I spread and groom the ballast with a large, camel-hair, artist's paintbrush. then, I take a toothpick or needle file and run it several times back and forth between the rails in the flange paths everywhere, but especially around the frog and in the last 5cm before the points tips and throwbar.
My practice is to lay the turnout, prove it with cars and locomotives in both directions for a day or two, then I cover the throwbar and the guard ties beside it with masking tape. You MUST keep grains of ballast out from there. A good ideas is to carefully glue a thin piece of plastic tight to the bottom of those guard ties (AKA headblocks) so that they act as a seal for the nether side of the throwbar to keep grains of ballast from getting under there and causing a bind.
Thanks for all the tips so far, folks! I have so many other things to do but I may give one a shot this weekend
I've ballasted a bunch of N-scale turnouts over the years and have had very few problems. Like everyone else says, keep the ballast at or lower than the tie tops. Keep it out of the tie bar space, and from between the point rails and the stock rails. I don't bother taping anything off, I just spread the ballast a little thinner than I do on regular track. Using Woodlands Scenics ballast, I mist it good with water mixed with some drops of liquid dish washing soap (A.K.A. "wet water"). Then apply ballast glue made of 50% Elmer's Glue-All and 50% wet water. When doing turnouts, you just have to work a little slower and more carefully than you would when ballasting plain track. Not a big deal, really. I usually ballast several turnouts at a time during ballasting sessions.
I prefer using Elmer's Glue All for ballast glue, as it is water-soluble even after it's dry. If you accidentally bind up a turnout by using a little too much ballast glue, it's not the end of the world. You can come back in, wet it down, and soften the glue up. Get the points working again, then using a pipette or similar, squirt with some more water to clean the excess glue out of wherever it's offending. Don't ask me how I know.
I'm soon to be ballasting for the first time but I was thinking of using finer grade ballast for the sensitive areas around the turnouts as it tends to level better which is less likely to get in the way of moving points.
The finer stuff might also more easily migrate, over time, into the gaps where you DON'T want it....such as between the headblocks and the throwbar. Just sayin'... If you are careful to glue it all tightly, so it's a monolithic chunk of glued grains, that would be okay, but if any of the topmost grains lose their adhesion over time (fingers touching, wheel flanges dislodging it during derailments that sometimes happen near or at the points rails),you'll get sticky or very stiff throwbar action.
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