hey all, im still building my 4x6 layout and i'd like to know your tips on applying ballast, making scenery and more. if you want to send me pics with info just email them to [email]hoscaletrains@groups.msn.com[/EMAIL] thanks alot
Here is a reply that I received on the same question a while back. Hi Raymond, This has worked for me through the years. I use a very fine grade of crushed limestone. After I've made sure that I'm happy with the trackwork and all is running nicely, I paint the track and ties with a Rustoleum camouflage dark brown spray paint. I like to ballast my track before I do the rest of the scenery. I don't suppose that it is critical to do one before the other. I use a spoon for scooping ballast and lay it along the centerline of the track. I then take a fairly small soft paint brush (up to a 1/4 inch wide) and spread the ballast. Some will work to the outsides of the rails. I try and keep the ballast slightly below the tops of the ties, but that's just a personal thing. In real life you see many different amounts of ballast on track. If need be, I add a little extra ballast to the outside area of the track and use the brush to get it in place. The last thing that I do is to take something like a spoon or other slightly heavy metal object and tap it lightly along the railheads. I hold it like a drumstick and continually tap the loose end up and down the rail. This will help settle the ballast and help remove any that is sitting on the ties. I like to use Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol (the lower 70% percent is good) to pre-wet the ballast so the glue will immediately soak in and not bubble up on top of the ballast. I place it in a spray bottle that will spray a mist. I then soak a few feet of ballast fairly well with it. Next I use a mixture of Elmers white glue and water, 4 parts water to one part glue and a drop of liquid detergent (for super wetting) in an applicator bottle. If you can find a squeeze bottle with a twist open/close top, that works well. I use an Elmer's white glue bottle that has been emptied. Mustard squeeze bottle is another one that should work. I place the mix of water/glue/detergent in the bottle and shake it well. You will have some bubbling from the detergent but that will go away if you let it sit for a short time. You can also open the twist top and squeeze some of the bubbles out and then close it. Now you are ready to apply the glue to the track. Turn the bottle upside down over the track and slowly open the twist top till you can squeeze the bottle and control the drops of glue coming out. Just start soaking (and I mean soaking) the ballast and track with the glue. With the prewetting alcohol and the drop of detergent added, the glue will soak right into the ballast. If it bubbles up on top of the ballast and doesn't soak in, then give the area another quick shot of alcohol. This isn't necessarily going to look pretty, but leave it several hours to setup and dry. You'll be surprised how good it looks once it is dry. I like to use white glue since it is water soluable and if at a later date I decide that I want to make changes to the track, it is easy to soak the ballast with water and remove it and the track with minimal damage. Try a test length of track and see how you like it. Let me know how it works out and please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions. Hope this helps!
