I think real ballast is around 3" I also screen my ballast for both N and Z scales. To me it makes a difference.
I tried the Highball Z Scale ballast and really hate it. The color is way too uniform, like rit dye mixed with fine silica sand, and the texture is too iniform and small too. When the glue dries this stuff was like fine concrete mortar, and not easy to remove by soaking. I don't care for the Woodland Scenics stuff either, because it gets bubbles and floats away too easy, and is shaped like termite droppings, all rounded edged and such. I don't know if Arizona Rock and gravel is still available, but their crushed rock ballast is great! I use their N Scale ballast, which is N Scale, but is close enough that can be convincingly used in Z. It don't float away, and misting with wet water and waiting 10 minutes will allow you to take it up easily if needed. Also there is a company called Smith & Son that makes a real rock ballast that I have not tried yet, but people say it is real good stuff too. The funny thing about ballast is it is subjective, just like DCC systems, where everyone has their favorite, so by all means buy what works and looks best to you, after all, it's a hobby for fun!
Since Frisco (and KCS) had a bad habit of using lead & zinc mineral tailings (a/k/a chat) as ballast on some lines, I want to try & find the finest-possible ballast for my layout. Chat is found in massive piles in the former Tri-State mining area of Oklahoma, Kansas & Missouri, and Frisco used a lot of it (infortunately, so did KCS, and the stuff plus the deferred maintenance and super-large trains nearly destroyed that road, but that's another story................. I've used both Highball and WS ballast with no ill effects on locomotives over the years- long as it's properly applied, "wetted" down & securely glued, you're good to go.
Good thread for me. I found it in a search. I want to use Highball N ballast for an H0 scale layout. Do Highball users have a good report for this? What about the "floating issue stated above? Thanks.
i think obsessing over scale size is ridiculous, I just use what looks right to me. I have some highball ballast N scale, and plan to use it mostly because I think the real rock color is more varied than other brands that aren't real rock.
