Ballasting on the Stoddard Hill Farm Railway

Today, we're ballasting the SHFR mainline extension.
Help us make more videos and build new projects by becoming a patron on Patreon! / millbrookrailroad
Check out our online store at www.millbrookrailroad.com

[@jason0870]

That home railroad is one of the coolest things I've seen guys, just pure awesomeness

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Thanks!

[@oriolesfan7807]

Years back, a coworker and his train friends built a miniature railroad in a local park. That was a fun event for the community.

[@georgecarter838]

A good watch of a lovely little railway. Those two hoppers remind me of the ones on the East Broad Top Railroad. Thanks for sharing.

[@alexmodern6667]

Nice work....I really enjoyed the virtual tour nride.

[@FoxIslandRailroadCo]

Great video!! Looks like a beautiful railroad.

[@arnenelson4495]

Great video, thanks! My dad built a 7 1/2" gauge train on our 1 acre in the 80's, it was great fun.

[@xpitifulnickelx9359]

It's nice to see the attention to detail like the little poling sockets. On the loco.

[@cannon440]

Your ballast drop reminded me of working on the NYCYA in training. We were too green to be trusted with the ballast drop. So an experienced gang were brought in to do the drop. At that time 1974 the hoppers were MANUAL. The notched tie was in place, the man under the hopper door ready, holding the pry stick. Well he missed and the hopper door swung wide open & the experienced gang spent the whole day shoveling. No one was injured, only their pride was severely hurt. Now hoppers are pneumatic & that can't happen.

[@brockjames8920]

I'd love to find some land and do this. Have fun guys

[@LTBROYT6A]

Awesome Little Railroad !!!

[@alconk7129]

Beautiful area!

[@dand5331]

That was amazing...

[@treystewart544]

This mini railroad is so awesome

[@MrBillCNW]

That was fun to watch

[@generalelectricmotor9084]

Nice of you to help out an other railroad

[@superbulldog81]

A true labor of love!

[@patturner5015]

Nice work Bill. Love the Ballast car and the engine. I have a caboose that is just like yours.

[@badgimp4577]

Nice line!

[@titaniumman1493]

The only difference between men and boys is the size of their toys. Great video. Keep up the good work.

[@melvin0833]

This is so freakin cool!!!

[@edlrailfanproductions3984]

The hopper car kick at 14:36 was the icing on the cake for me! Good stuff!!!😊

[@davidhuey3201]

At least the small hopper was easier/faster to unload ...even with its challenges ...than by shovel as demonstrated by the partial missed load. (and, ...when all else fails, rely on brute strength! -hehe) As stated, the one he designed & built, definitely works better for this setup. Enjoyed the workout gentlemen!

[@peterdennis2635]

WOW that looked so realistic.

[@JohnDoe-gq8tt]

THANK YOU LOOKS LIKE FUN

[@SuperIanjohnson]

Great video, guys. I am truly envious. BTW You have a new subscriber in England !

[@michaelmclaughlin8474]

Wish I had the property to put one of these and would love riding around on this thing all day…!!!

[@jdavis460]

Hey chaps plan B. Looking at the film again looks like both hoppers are open why not try with just one open? And or blocking part of the open hopper may have a bit more control of the spread. May take a couple of runs to dump enough though. Or maybe small V shaped ploughs in front of the bogie wheels close to rail head though you would need them in front of all axles so maybe not such a good idea. Though maybe join the tops of one side the V with a piece steel on the inside of the wagon you might protect all wheels in both directions. I’m full of ideas this morning but then I don’t have to do the work. 😁 Sorry for the ramble but interesting project will follow your site as it progresses. All the best to you.

[@geoffreyhampson3993]

I agree, The amount of ballast being dumped seems to be an issue. Multiple passes rather than at one go.

[@handwerkideen4228]

Great work 👏🏼🤩👍🏼👌👌

[@jimDseries]

Beautiful Railroad Bill. A tunnel along the way would be nice ! Jim Australia.

[@woedisyarief]

Wow nice video trains brother 👍

[@themightyquinnm190]

Reminds me of a place I used to know many years ago Dobwalls railway

[@Thymeovermars]

Just like being kids again, so cool love the vid. Thx

[@larrynorman1919]

Looks like a fun toy to ride and play with ;-)

[@MillBrookRailroad]

It is fun, but you do have to be careful with it. Those small cars hold more than a half ton of ballast each. The big ballast hopper holds over 2,000 lbs and the only brakes on the whole train are on the engine.

[@robertlafnear4865]

We have a Fantastic Railway here in Oregon, "Train Mountain" ... kinda like this but much , much, much bigger... and it is so much fun to visit on weekends..... but to have one of your own........... Hmmmmm.........too much fun ! and REALLY COOL.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I'm familiar with Train Mountain. Some day I'll visit.

[@robertlafnear4865]

It will be time well spent and Lots-O-Fun during a big train meet,... check out the web site .

[@barrettoliver2009]

That is so so damn awesome

[@lanceboyett9034]

Very nice. Thank you for the entertainment. Can't wait to see another one.

[@Paul_MuadDib]

You live your dream. Greetings from Germany.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

German Feldbahnen have definitely had an influence here. Thanks for watching.

[@obmitno6745]

I was yelling at my phone watching you use the shovel! The railroad is awesome. I wish I had the property for 1 and the money

[@MillBrookRailroad]

There are tracks around the country, both public and private, that could use volunteers.

[@TOPTrainsUSA]

How cool you live! 👍

[@larrylawson5172]

You two make an interesting representation of a pair of Hulcher side booms

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Nah! RJ Corman.

[@larrylawson5172]

@@MillBrookRailroad marvelous! LOL big time!

[@pooleandrew]

'you haven't rolled it over yet.' famous last words...

[@MillBrookRailroad]

In joke. It was a reference two of my past derailments.

[@plymouth-hl20ton37]

I like the Mann's Creek Railroad inspired Hopper car I May consider building two of those for dirt service

[@anilsamaroo2038]

I love ballast I also collect ballast

[@jordandobson7676]

The best bottom dump car I have operated is the tried and true Cannonball model. It's plow is simply a built up "L" that swings off the carbody. Two pockets can be opened independently and there is a deflector plate to move the rock more to the shoulders. I haven't gotten the deflector plate to do much more than get in the way with my 5/8" minus ballast but it does show promise. In practice it is pretty good at evenly distributing rock to rail height over about a 14" width. I tamp and level through the rock and occasionally need a second run if the sub roadbed wasn't very good. Better results than bucket and shovel and way more fun.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I had a homemade ballast car with a sliding gate and chutes. I had it set up so I could ballast without anyone helping. Sadly, that car was all wood, except for the chutes, gate and floor and the wooden pieces rotted to death. I still have the tin but the trucks are now under the snow plow.

[@judahcreighton1544]

this is awesome

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Thanks! It's always fun to get to work on the SHFR.

[@geoffreyhampson3993]

A work in progress. Always good to see how people develop solutions. The big hopper does give a good shoulder. How about a hopper that dumps lengthwise between the rails, or limits the width of the falling ballast to less than track gauge.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

That's something I'll have to design special. I haven't had a lot of success with hoppers that drop stone between the rails but I haven't done a lot of experimenting with it, either.

[@inactive67]

I would think maybe a v shaped trowel with a rail scraper.

[@carlbaskin270]

Having worked on (3) such railroads, think you were on the right track (no pun intended) with your side dump hopper car. Dumping ballast between the rails creates all kinds of excess work and effort. Put the ballast where it's needed...at the end of the ties. Level and line the track and then fill in the center for looks. Don't worry about building ANOTHER hopper car to ballast between the rails. You'll be wasting your time.

[@imwithstoopid4443]

Perhaps a smaller screed (More to the scale of the train/tracks. Just a thought!

[@jeffreyplum5259]

I heard the transcontinental railroad was the first time industrial testing was done on a large scale. They tested shovels for efficiency with various materials. Those many types shovel you see may have come from the first Transcontinental " Big Dig"! I was raised near Boston. I am from West Virginia coal mining stock . And my mother was from farms in Maine. One might say shoveling is in my blood. It comes in handy every damn winter, I shovel less neighborhood sidewalk these days. God bless you all.

[@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel]

I lived in Malden and Acton while working in N Quincy when a lot of the surface work was being done (1994-2000) then moved west of Worcester, I had enough of Boston driving LOL

[@jeffreyplum5259]

@@MikeT-TheRetiredColonel First Many thanks for your service. I never learned to drive. I also wear hunter orange often.

[@neilhayward6150]

I love trains when I was 8

[@WafiyNF24alt]

I like this home railroad train

[@billmorris2613]

Good morning from SE Louisiana 14 Aug 21.

[@glennfoster2423]

Just like dumping ballasr on the 1:1 scale. The empty weight is enough to slide a "new" tie full of creosote without having the hopper truck derail. However, too much ballast ahead of the tie (due to over-eager unloading or a slowing of the train) when the dump door(s) can't be closed (which is never during manual opening and closing hopper doors), and ballast will flow over the top of the tie, pile up over the rail, and the 7-letter word "ballast" will raise the wheel tread above the rail, the pile of ballast between the rails will press against the back of the wheel just enough to force the flange toward the outside of the rail, and --VIOLA!--the truck derails ever so inexorably in front of you very eyes--long before you can stop the irreversible action or shout some 4-letter epithet. And it won't help to turn the hopper upside down either. I admit though, that was brilliant.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I get your point. Unfortunately, it is impossible to control the flow from those cars. The gates are either open or closed. Something I mentioned to the owner of the railway. He's still in denial at the moment, but I'm certain he'll come around eventually. My own ballast hopper was much more easily controlled before the body rotted.

[@jebstewart666]

glenn, you made me laugh! and remember. when i was 21 (62 now) i was working on a rail gang for the northwestern railway. we were on a double main at the commuter station in elgin, il. we were replacing one main with all new everything. the brakeman in charge didn't want to wait for the machine that would spread the ballast proper, so he had us chain an old rail tie to the ballast car so as to drag the ballast flat...some of us suggested we should wait....he wouldn't hear of it as it was nearing the end of the day...and soon commuter rush hour.... well, the pour began, and the ballast immediately got ahead of the dragging rail tie, we scrambled with shovels to pull it aside and then one ballast about the size of a fist got under the wheel, we dropped shovels and ran as the whole hopper lifted and fell off the track.... almost like in this video, but as you said, at 1:1 scale.....ha! nobody picking it up....hours to wait for the crane, great overtime and a chuckle when the big white hats showed up and started chewing the brakemans' buttocks as commuters by the droves were scrambling to get around the mess..... these guys on the vid made it look so easy...!!!!

[@X-RAY2350]

It’s cool!

[@johnnycee5179]

All for the love of trains, excellent.

[@lukestrawwalker]

Looks like yall need to build a tipple... four legs and a couple sheets of plywood, maybe a loading chute to fill the cars... top wide enough for the loader bucket without the board, and bottom narrow enough to dump into the ballast car. Plus it'd make good trackside decoration LOL:) OL J R :)

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Yes. This was discussed off camera.

[@TheTSvetina]

I see this the first time. TOP

[@southernwulf3335]

Not gonna lie that little box cab is powerful

[@lornperkins4270]

. Like that cab..it looks just like a railroad crane...and thoes adorable windows that open really sealed it...little exaust stack too.

[@SaltyNationalist]

I'll bet Hobo Shoestring would enjoy this..🤣 Maybe even stop n tag your hopper too.. Lol..

[@lornperkins4270]

Yea he would..I love shoestring

[@lornperkins4270]

And don't forget jawtooth he would definitely scream out LIVE ACTION..start the video son😊

[@SaltyNationalist]

@@lornperkins4270 But wait, there's more.. 🤣😂🤣😂

[@lornperkins4270]

@@SaltyNationalist yaaaay. ...there always is

[@ChakatNightspark]

If there is room for it. Perhaps switching out the sprockets for bit larger ones to prevent the skipping.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

There is an adjustable sprocket in there. It wasn't adjusted properly.

[@PizzaRollz1]

For scale sake, I wonder why you don't use a smaller size gravel, may also work better with the hopper cars?

[@rogerhornby1149]

At 2:10, I was thinking this would be a smoother operation on a 15" gauge railroad, then at 8:20 I thought, "nope."

[@nicholasdiehl7368]

This is my dream and I will do this one day

[@williamhesprich4476]

I see a need to design a system that ill control how fast the ballast drops out of the gate. Maybe a ratchet system, or maybe presorted ballast that has been run through a set of screens. Depends on how often they run and drop ballast. Is all that work designing and building all that worth it is another question.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I've solved the ballast dropping issues on my railroad. I built a hopper with a gate that allows me to control the flow rate and added chutes that allow me to control where the ballast drops. Unfortunately, the body was plywood and spent a winter in a snow bank, which caused it to start to delaminate. It didn't last many years after that. I still have the steel parts, so I'll rebuild it at some point.

[@wilmeaux12]

There must be more to the ballasting story than shone as most of your track is so smooth, even the curves.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

First, you need a good, level roadbed with ditches. Then you need at least two inches of ballast under the track, pack that down, lay the track, level the track, add more ballast, tamp, regulate and move on to the next section.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

There is more to the story. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKmkY5Z8jd2nos0

[@jollygoodbeard13]

I wonder they have trains at this scale do they have them a bit bigger somewhere in between this and the big ones…this is still super cool

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Larger than this and you get into theme park railroads, mining railroads and industrial transport systems.

[@psemraujr]

Very Nice! Do you have plans for the Box Cab/Locomotive?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

That's the primary power for the Stoddard Hill Farm Railway

[@jsmith198095]

This would be awesome to have on my property then I really wouldn’t have to get out and actually see people

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Socializing is half the fun for me.

[@robinpearson4583]

Perhaps building a separate detachable hopper would save all that shovelling...

[@wellingtonnorthjunction3911]

I would kill to get a model railway like that in my garden

[@MillBrookRailroad]

All you need to start is a pick, a shovel and a garden rake.

[@martyparsons8395]

Holy smokes... had to adjust the gamma for the glare off those legs!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

They're neon.

[@bjmorley]

The old ballasters would work fine if you had a kind of plough behind it, putting a piece of wood under it just pushed the bogies up.

[@bjmorley]

Also, slightly smaller chutes would control the flow.

[@dunebuggy1286]

Pretty cool. Where do you find a railroad and all the amenities?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

There's a directory of live steam tracks at discoverlivesteam.com.

[@gunrunner7224]

Watching the hopper dump issue I was just thinking don't they do a sideways dump with the bottom hatches? A ridge down the midle to funnel the gravel into the chutes and instead of going straight down into the middle of the rails rotate the chutes 90* and extend the bottom to clear the track and just have them held shut with a lawnmower hitch *I dont remember the things technical name* for ease of use and minimize the amount of effort it takes to put the ballast down. I get ideas & thoughts like that watching videos like these. Nice vid and nice track.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

You pretty much described the large side dump hopper with amazing detail.

[@gunrunner7224]

@@MillBrookRailroad wait really?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@gunrunner7224 the car that's loaded at 2:03 has a ridge going down the middle and dumps off to the sides. All it's missing is a rotating chute, but those tend to be problematic. The ballast car we had on the MLBK was a bit different from this. It dumped down the middle but had moveable chuts that would dump ballast off to the sides and you could lift the chutes on either side so it would block ballast from dropping on the side you didn't want it. It also had a gate that could open and close as much or as little as you wanted so you could control the flow of ballast. It made ballasting a one person job. I worked that car so hard it fell apart. I'll have to build a new one.

[@josephcox4319]

That's pretty cool but just a question, in the world of servo's and radio control, how come you don't just install actuator rods and servo's to operate the clam doors and save your backs? Put a detachable slight V bottom plow on the hopper this way you can dump on the run, bolt a piece of thick rubber at the edge of the plow to have flexibility but also the ability to do a nice even spread.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Actuator rods and servos sure world be nice but there's no budget for it.

[@tarabottogino]

Very nice guys. But, no air brakes???

[@MillBrookRailroad]

No brakes at all on the cars. Only the independent brake on the loco.

[@stevenphare5455]

Are you going to build yourselves a ballast regulator? That would be so cool!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

You can't just buy one for this size railroad. You have to build it. We have a simple homemade ballast regulator at the Mill Brook Railroad, but not at the Stoddard Hill Farm Railway yet.

[@dimariosylvain]

Superbe !!!! 👏🏻👍🏻

[@bradfordthompson8326]

Nice Railway......We made 4 gons with a open ,(With a closeable gate at end) and just Pulled the car down the track as you shevel the gravel ,ballast left a nice roadbed.......(2)We put down a thick plastic mat under the ballast and track to keep weeds,brush from Growing.....was heart broken with my sister husband tore up the Track.to use the right a way as a trial.........I know whole purpose of track .......was ???????.......

[@lornperkins4270]

Bradford...I would have kicked his ass...he was probably just jealous and spiteful and didn't want to see you having fun......what a prick.

[@user-vy6di6hy6y]

seems to me a little redesigning of those hoppers is in order

[@tWIST1up]

I would design a hopper car more along the ,lines of a dump truck that discharges the stone off the back of the car> using a sloped towards the rear floor so as to let gravity do the work. You could install a sluice type tailgate for it so as too control the flow rate :)

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Bill came up with something different. Stay tuned.

[@tWIST1up]

@@MillBrookRailroad sweet :)

[@DAWOL2025-fs1ve]

They should make the hopper cars release the ballast underneath the car

[@marktaylor9975]

That derailment and equipment failures been at a place I worked at. My eyes deceive me? Was a switch thrown with a car on it?

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

_"Sure it's supposed to be done this way?"_ 😊😊😊😊😊

[@juansilveti9336]

saludos esta hermoso el tren

[@blameyourself4489]

Question. From where do you get the rail profiles?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

There are several rail suppliers. You can find some of them at www.discoverlivesteam.com.

[@blameyourself4489]

@@MillBrookRailroad Thank you! Much appreciated.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Are there regulations regarding miniature Rail Roads, such as the types like this or that at Knott's Berry Farm?

[@natehill8069]

Most states have regulations on boilers, so if you have live steam they can be subject to that. If you charge money to ride the train you may become a common carrier. Insurance companies have operational and maintenance requirements if you wish to insure yourself against getting sued for something that happened with/near/while looking at the train. Once you get up to 3' gauge or start crossing jurisdictional boundaries then you trigger attention as well.

[@the_Texas_Bandit]

Just what the world needs, more regulations.

[@thermos750]

Wow! How much money did yo spend so far on this? Amazing project!

[@MillBrookRailroad]

That's a question for Banta Modelworks. The Stoddard Hill Farm Railway is theirs. www.bantamodelworks.com

[@reaglepickle8173]

Fucking awesome!!!!!

[@hoopoo3721]

I really do feel for this poor man, all he ever dose is ballast his rail way.

[@blauer2551]

“Give me another half inch” haha

[@MillBrookRailroad]

Yup. That was a surreal moment for me. Couldn't figure another way of saying it.

[@pamdoreen8588]

You all need to watch user NorthviewRailroader for the correct way to spread ballast he has a spreader that pushes the ballast while making it also level on the line Other then that you have a very nice line and looks fun

[@benjaminsmith4058]

I was seriously hoping a mini tamper was going to come out after.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

I haven't finished building it.

[@minehiroohba8760]

Sounds fun. How do you treat sleepers with preservatives?

[@MillBrookRailroad]

The creosote treated sleepers on the MLBK came from another railroad in Canada. I couldn't pass up thousands of free cross ties. The treated ties I make myself are pressure treated from the lumber yard.

[@minehiroohba8760]

@@MillBrookRailroad There were a lot of white sleepers, so I was worried about antiseptic treatment. I was wondering because creosote is colored. I was convinced that it was pressure treatment. Thank you for the fun video.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@minehiroohba8760 The white ones are painted, recycled lumber.

[@minehiroohba8760]

White paint, understood. It was hard because there were a lot of numbers.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

@@minehiroohba8760 I'm getting things a little confused at the moment, jumping between three different railways. My tie comments apply to my own Mill Brook Railroad, where we make extensive use of relay ties and rail. Whatever it takes to get the railroad running. This video is from the Stoddard Hill Farm Railway. His budget is much larger than my own. His rail depth is 1" while most of mine has 5/8" depth. My ties are whatever I could get for free and his ties are all made from pressure treated lumber. The ties that look white in the video are most likely in sunlight. No antiseptic treatment.

[@meestirbig3083]

Those guys really should seek out some sun on those legs. I mean, really, at times they were blinding. Hah.

[@odongodong9632]

Okey, thats good gaes

[@jasonharper2601]

wondering if you had a heavier hopper car and metal flashing to direct flow and contour the ballast. seems the car is too light and derails easily heavier car may help

[@Jjonathanhart]

That must have been so expensive and taken lots of time setting down all that track. I'm guessing those engines are electric since they don't sound like they're run by gasoline like those at amusement parks.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

The track cost about $10 per foot at the time. It is a one-time expense. It takes about an hour to build and install 10 feet of track. The engines are battery electric. Most of this stuff is homemade. When you compare it to other motor hobbies, it's cheaper than things like classic cars and motorcycles. You can use it year-round, and you don't have to worry about other drivers on the road trying to kill you or wreck what you just spent years building.

[@Jjonathanhart]

Well I must say, having that railroad must cost a lot in liability insurance and made your taxes go up.

[@michaelbujaki2462]

9:40 He even referenced the whiz quiz.

[@MillBrookRailroad]

There's a running joke among my Facebook followers about that.

[@tomki6asp]

Two legged trucks

[@natehill8069]

I used think I wanted a functioning hopper car for ballasting. Not sure anymore.

[@woods840]

That's very close to how the prototype does it...