Just wondering if using this method on the youtube video will work with Bachmann EZ track? In the demonstration, they are using foam underneath the tracks (sorry, not sure the name of the foam, I am new to the hobby). Starting around the 2:30 mark. Thanks! [video=youtube;pm_ChLgaado]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm_ChLgaado[/video]
Yes! There is actually a layout book out their on using easy track and detailing it. I have seen others do this as well. Youtube also has some people showing it off. Welcome to the hobby!
They really make it look easy. I ballasted a bunch of ez track but used the hobby tack or clear caulk on the angled plastic sides rather than the big heap of ballast used in the video. I noticed they were really liberal with the materials. I think you may want to be careful in putting such tall grass next to the track (between the ties), I could see it get tangled up with the wheels or at the very least disrupt the contacts with the loco wheels.
I haven't watched the video, to be truthful, but I used a fair bit of EZ-Track on my first layout 10 years ago. I did ballast it thinly with local beach sand. If you take your time and groom it well, and also glue it carefully, it will look quite good. My word of advice is that you use the smallest grains you can find, even resorting to N scale ballast if you can get some easily that you like. Much of the HO scale ballast is very coarse, and will possibly cause your flanges to come into contact with it if you mess up in some spots, especially clumping it a bit during the gluing process. This brings up another point; after you glue each four feet or so, run a car with somewhat deep flanges and carefully gauged wheels over that newly ballasted section. You'll want those deep flanges to show you where to improve your grooming, or they'll do the job themselves and let the better cars run quietly.
