What's your favorite kind of ballast ?

[Oldman]

I use Jarvis or Gauge master stuff as that is what my local shops sell.
However the best I think.is ballast laid expertly by someone else. I hate the job.

[M0NTIGNAC]

  All your answers are very helpful.

[Steve Brassett]

Like my women - loose

A daytime TV fan, eh?

[steve836]

I favour Gaugemaster  ready ballasted foam underlay, saves a whole load of grief!

[Ben A]

Hi there,

I rather like Green Scene GS408 (light grey) which I believe is made from ground peach stones.  It doesn't fade, and has a good variety of colours within the overall "pale grey" theme...

cheers

Ben A.

[JRS747]

Anyone tried Dapol ballast? I've just ordered a tub from Hattons. This will be my first attempt at ballasting track.

John

[Bealman]

You got yourself a fine brush, a ballast spreader, a fine dropper and a heap of patience, John?

Welcome to ballasting!   

[Sprintex]

You got yourself a fine brush, a ballast spreader, a fine dropper and a heap of patience, John?

Deleted the unnecessary item - if you were born with fingers you have plenty of ballast-spreaders


Paul

[NeMo]

Anyone tried Dapol ballast? I've just ordered a tub from Hattons. This will be my first attempt at ballasting track.

Not used this but looks very similar to the mixes used by people to expand the ballasting around Unitrack. Should be fine for modern railways, but a bit pale for a 1930s branch line!

You got yourself a fine brush, a ballast spreader, a fine dropper and a heap of patience, John?

If we're adding tips, here's one of mine: lay down some pound store superglue bottles and UHU (again, from pound stores). Both are really good for gluing down ballast in awkward spots. The superglue is especially nice for repairing spots that didn't stick down first time with the PVA, as well as heaps of ballast, for example around buffers or catch points. The UHU is great because it doesn't spread, so I find it indispensable for gluing around the most delicate parts of points.

Cheers, NeMo

[Bealman]

You got yourself a fine brush, a ballast spreader, a fine dropper and a heap of patience, John?

Deleted the unnecessary item - if you were born with fingers you have plenty of ballast-spreaders


Paul

Not with my shaky fingers, Paul! You should see me put salt and pepper on a boiled egg 

[Sprintex]

You got yourself a fine brush, a ballast spreader, a fine dropper and a heap of patience, John?

Deleted the unnecessary item - if you were born with fingers you have plenty of ballast-spreaders


Paul

Not with my shaky fingers, Paul! You should see me put salt and pepper on a boiled egg 

Or a pickled one


Paul

[Bealman]

 

[Les1952]

THIS kind of ballast.....

Favourite kind?  shouldn't that read "least loathed kind"?

Some will have seen this one in the NGS Journal but I felt it might be appropriate to use it again.  Marley Hill Station on the Tanfield railway- and they were running trains over it.....

Les

[belstone]

THIS kind of ballast.....

Favourite kind?  shouldn't that read "least loathed kind"?

Some will have seen this one in the NGS Journal but I felt it might be appropriate to use it again.  Marley Hill Station on the Tanfield railway- and they were running trains over it.....

Les

Ash ballast, the stuff that has had me pulling my hair out for years.  This is the closest I have got so far - still a bit coarse but I'll live with it for now.

[pctrainman]

Anyone tried Dapol ballast? I've just ordered a tub from Hattons. This will be my first attempt at ballasting track.

John

I've used Dapol ballast extensively on my layout and found  it to be fine but horribly coloured ,I got over this by simply colouring the water /pva mix with artists acrylics until I arrived at the shade of grey I wanted and so killed 2 birds with one stone , I have to say that I have no experience with other brands but apart from it's colour ( a very pale buff ) Dapol ballast is fine by me .