when ballasting track how much do you need to buy i have about 16ft on my plank, still have another option in my head but if i ballast the normal way how much will i need regards Spinebender
Maybe a picture or two of the layout plan might help. You say 16 ft but how many lines and what width etc. A few photos may make it easier to give an approximate idea. Welcome aboard.
Hi spinebender, it is difficult to say with any accuracy as I imagine most people have their own thoughts on this. I tend to look at what amount is in the bag or container and try and imagine how far it will go. Thing is, it tends to go further than I imagined. It is quite heavy, if you use the real granite ballast, so I personally go for 1kg for my plank builds, but there is usually plenty left. There is no simple answer, a lot depends on how much track you need to ballast, for mainlines, normal granite ballast, for sidings/goods yards etc, ash ballast would more likely be used. Then there is the old chestnut on what size to use. Most ballast is sold as suitable for, for example, 00 gauge or N gauge. I model O scale but I use 00 scale ballast, I think it looks nearer to O to me. If you could post up a track plan, and the scale you will no doubt get more accurate advice. Hope this helps. Cheer's, Pete.
It could be worked out to a degree by measuring per 300mm of track by the width of the tracked by the depth of a sleeper. Then count the number of sleepers in a 300mm length and deduct out the volume . It would be very approximate but it would give an idea.. I'm assuming that the ballast would only be laid sleeper high and have not knocked anything off for the haunches along the track edges. It could be worked out in square mm's say for example 100 mm2 per 300mm length. Then you take a shaker tub containing 500mm2 divide by 100mm and hey Presto ........ your 500mm tub does 1500mm length of track. Rough as a ragmans trumpet but if you want a rough idea ...... as good as any. Cheers Toto PS ...... I hope I got the maths correct .......im a QS
On a slightly different but connected note If you use granite ballast, and PVA glue, then the ballast will turn a greenish colour. The Woodland scenic range however doesn't change colour when stuck down with PVA. Another alternative is White silica sand (used for fish tank filters), put a little acrylic paint in the pva/water mix to give a bit of colour to the white ballast. This was done over 25 years ago - and gives a very fine ballast effect A quick search on Ebay gave the following 1kg approx £6 inc p&p - probably enough for a small plank 1 kg bag silica sand A 20Kg bag could be had for £26 inc p&p Paul
I have been using granite ballast for quite a few years now and never encountered the problem Paul has faced with ballast turning green. Must be something in that UK granite... The ballast available in Oz, is actually fine chippings of real ballast ! One thing to remember when ballasting is the size of the ballast. Most ballast that is marketed as HO/OO ballast tends to be a little oversize, so a preference is tio use N gauge ballast. Yes, it is finer and possibly won't go as far as HO/OO ballast, but the final outcome is so much more rewarding. As for spreadability (yes that is a word !), I would recommend purchasing or pinching a small portion of ballast from a friend and spread it across some old track to gauge how far it goes. A good tablespoons worth, say 10 - 15 grams should give a good indication on the spread. Then just measure your track up (lineal feet or metres) and work out some maths to determine the packet or jar size required. Just remember that having more is better than not having enough ! Cheers, Gary.
