Ballast

[Newportnobby]

This method has only been used on plain track, not points/crossings!

So whats the advice for points and crossing then captain???

I can only advise what I intend to do when I have fitted the Seep point motors, Bob.
Loose ballast carefully between the sleepers no higher than the tops of the sleepers.
Use the same mix of glue/water but applied with a pipette or hypodeemic nerdle.
Ensure no ballast gets between the switch and stock rails.
Ensure all tiebars move freely.
Mask off switch/stock rails before application of the paint, or maybe even hand paint.

I'm happy to be told if that is not going to work!!

Thanks - I'm sure it will work - cos you've done it before. Just not looking forward to doing it myself

Last time I did it (and the ballasting) was about 25 years ago, Bob
I was much bolder then. Now I'm just much balder. :'(

[norfolkguy83]

Thanks ppl.. Some great suggestions..

[Papyrus]

If you go to the "Tutorials" and then "Search" for Ballast, it will give you dozens of ways to fix ballast to your trackwork.

This is just one of them:-  http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=6558.msg74598#msg74598

There are so many options no one way will be correct but the tutorials will help greatly!

Regards, Peter.

Thanks for the link, Peter. If it hadn't been for that I'd never have seen that video of the mad guitarist!! Improved my state of hilarity no end! 

Chris

[petercharlesfagg]

If you go to the "Tutorials" and then "Search" for Ballast, it will give you dozens of ways to fix ballast to your trackwork.

This is just one of them:-  http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=6558.msg74598#msg74598

There are so many options no one way will be correct but the tutorials will help greatly!

Regards, Peter.

Thanks for the link, Peter. If it hadn't been for that I'd never have seen that video of the mad guitarist!! Improved my state of hilarity no end! 

Chris

Mad guitarist, what mad guitarist?

[Papyrus]

The video in reply 4??

Chris

[Jack]

If it's not too late I would suggest ballast before fitting point motors. It just might save yourself some frustration when you have to remove point motors later to dig out the small piece of ballast that's found its way into the mechanism to stop the motor from throwing the point.

Which ever method of ballasting you choice to use, don't try and adjust errors after you've applied the pva until everything is dry and then go back and correct the errors or fill in the places you've missed. It won't matter if the repair patch is slightly different to the rest, look at the 1:1 scale railway track.

[bluedepot]

i hate ballasting.

I am never happy with it when I do it.  depth, colour, weathering, width, craters, shoulder or lack of etc. etc. I always find some problem!  of course I am looking at it up close for inspection, and no 'normal' person is ever going to view the layout so close up...

avoiding the glue mix from disturbing the ballast is the key trick I think, you don't want it to destroy the shoulder or leave craters in the ballast...  esp. after having painstakingly arranged all the tiny grains of ballast so nicely!

best of luck!


tim

[Newportnobby]

If it's not too late I would suggest ballast before fitting point motors. It just might save yourself some frustration when you have to remove point motors later to dig out the small piece of ballast that's found its way into the mechanism to stop the motor from throwing the point.

A fair point, Jack, and one that I was undecided on. I was working on the hypothesis that the smallish hole/slot for the Seeps could be masked off before ballasting but may now reconsider

[Bealman]

Looking at that guitar thingy makes the arthritis in my fingers ten times worse