An O-scale ballast experiment

[@scottsmith7051]

Always very thorough analysis of what it is that you are doing. It is appreciated.

[@luvindemtrains]

Peter, I use this ballast and you actually applied it to my 2-rail track during your first visit. When you come back you may use it again if I haven't already applied it to some non-ballasted areas.

[@tomlewis6533]

Hi Peter, If you have a feed store nearby, Ask them if they have chicken grit for "bitties". Its real crushed granite. Comes in 5 or 10 pound bags. "Bitties" are baby chicks so the ground stone is smaller than normal chicken grit. Only caution, I run a magnet over when I'm done to make sure there is no ferrous metal that can find its way up to a motor. Save lots of money over commercial O scale ballast.

[@thomasboese3793]

Perhaps the darker ballast just needs a good pre-soaking in water/alcohol and let dry before using. I'd make a second test, no track, just uneven foam, the dirt, grass, and a path of ballast where tracks once ran. Then see how much, if any, leeching occurs.

[@mpeterll]

If the ballast has to be soaked and then dried again prior to use, it's not worth buying.

[@fargusdetailedmodeling]

Peter, the Brennan's dark yard ballast is what we used on the peninsula spur line and also around the sawmill and sidings!

[@cathrynm]

I can tell you're a perfectionist with this.

[@chtyan]

Looks good and very economical. I'm going to get a bag of that starter grit at Southern States . Can't go wrong getting a 50lb bag $12. Thanks for the tip

[@nedmerrill5705]

About ballast color: on the main lines in my neighborhood, the darker color would look more realistic than the lighter color. I'm in the upstate NY area south-east of Albany. The darker ballast also has the advantage of better concealing the middle rail. Thank you for the nice video. The small sample diorama is very nicely done and highlights the characteristics of the materials used, which was your goal. PS: if you smear a bead of 3-and-1 oil on the rail heads before painting the paint just wipes right off.

[@normanrowe2831]

Hi Peter. Interesting. I’ve never seen ballast leech out color like that. Thanks. Oh, nice haircut. See ya next time.

[@robertcooney4139]

Excellent video, Thank you for sharing 😀 Bob Cooney

[@file1man]

Does painting the center rail on my atlas track hurt the contact with and the electric power that my mth premier engines receive. Also, on my 3 loop 20 ft by 18 ft layout, there is maybe $2k to $3k of ogauge atlas track. Atlas track has been impossible to buy in last 3 years. Any tricks when ballasting so that i might reuse some track if I change the future track layout. Im using the same brennans ballast shown in this video and i use your same 1 1 3 mix of alcohol, glue, water. Perhaps a thin piece of cardboard against the side of the ties when im applying the glue mixture, removing that piece almost immediately. I fear track power problems a year out but can get to if ballast covers the atlas clips bringing the track power.

[@tinytowntrainstv]

Excellent as always! A lot of really helpful info packed into 11 minutes. Thanks. T4

[@HHExpress]

I usually mix 2 or 3 colors of balast. And between the rails a bit darker. But it came out nice

[@robgreene1776]

Perhaps a 3rd, 4th of 5th test, blending various ratios of the two different ballasts ?

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

Nice update and loads of info thanks

[@FLRailroaddog]

Nice 👍 thanks for sharing Peter

[@LTBROYT6A]

Peter, was that a piece of foam that you used to remove the paint from the rail heads ? Barry Broyles

[@mpeterll]

yes it was. A block of wood also works but the foam is what I had handy.

[@jstockton303]

Do you think the IPA added to ballast glue cause the bleeding?

[@mpeterll]

No. I always use the same glue formula and this is the first time I have encountered bleeding. It is something to do with how the ballast is colored.

[@beeble2003]

@@mpeterll Right but I think the question is whether the dye in this particular ballast is soluble in IPA but not in water. If that is the case, an alternative wetting agent, such as a touch of detergent, would avoid the leaching.

[@lassunsschaun6859]

The black is labelled "railyard black" therefore includes / does bleed out the dirt around those areas(?/!) - would guess. The light coloured ballast contast to much to itself as being to mixed up from differnet kind of rocks in my eyes. Maybe get a dark diasbase ballast (from one source), for example from koemo, for comparison (with the third rail painted nearly the same colour).

[@trackspike64]

I’ve seen it it’s more like rubber chopped up as from what I have gotten from samples

[@ronaldlatek8103]

Is this a commercially available ballast.

[@lassunsschaun6859]

Just search for the name on the bag that is "Brennan's Model Railroading" to get to their online shop ;)

[@strobelightaudio]

"ballast last" is no longer the case.

[@IMRROcom]

The point that you said you eat that much grapefruit... I do not want those jars that bad :)

[@68Jaguar420G]

While we don't want ballast to be completely monochromatic that light ballast is just too "speckled" for my tastes. I can't say I've ever seen such a distinct colour gradient in prototype ballast particles to the extent of this product which makes it look contrived, perhaps even a bit cartoonish. Excellent ballasting technique mind you Peter, the only issue that concerns me there is using a rattle can inside without any obvious means of ventilation. That is hazardous stuff to be breathing in!

[@wethepeople7961]

Quite the assumption with only a view of the table where the spraying occured. In fact , we didn't see if he was wearing any facial apparatus either. Got that Darren.

[@mpeterll]

I agree about the speckles, but it's what the client chose. If it looks good to him then who am I to argue?