Completing the First Track...Ballast Done...Ep 6

[@pchts1]

My thoughts on the use of Ballast, and I I don’t do this when I had room to mess with trains, I was busy doing else other things now that I have time to mess with trains, I don’t have any place to do it, but this would be one of the last things that I did I think would be to worry about the ballast. If you’re going to add more track to the layout like switches, and or crosses or anything like that, you may wanna not do this, you may not want to come add your ballast glue Until after you get everything the way you want it and then tack it all down with your ballast and glue and trees and shrubbery and roads and crossings for your roads and stuff like that just a thought

[@Kens265]

Probably a good point. Thanks

[@johnmccormick7950]

I’m by no means patient either when it came time to do the ballast on my tracks!😂😂I did use Woodland Scenics ballast and Scenic Cement to tack it down. I just prefer their products when it comes to scenery. I covered the rails with thin pieces of painters tape, brushed in the ballast then applied the scenic cement. I lightly sanded the rails afterwards. It worked pretty good 👍

[@Kens265]

Sounds like you did a good job

[@johnmccormick7950]

@@Kens265 it’s okay, the whole patience thing lol

[@rdyardie]

The train sounds are sure authentic. I have said that before. You have found a way to apply the ballast. Great work Ken.

[@Kens265]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@StoneKathryn]

I've been watching Mike's videos and boy has he been trying to make a waterfall! That'll be cute to have the doors open on the engine house. Ballast spreader, cool! I like the way that's supported to work. Wow, even help spreading the right amount of glue! Nice, use the pool filter sand. Why not? I hope your test works. I like the faster! How do you glue it down? I like the ballast too! I'm glad you got to use your poll filter sand! Thanks for this video ken! I love the train sounds you play too!

[@Kens265]

Thanks. Mike is pretty creative

[@jankas64]

As ballast i use shifted sand/dirt from my own yard. Cant get cheaper. I siftvit in 3stages so i have 3 different sizes. And im trying to make my own green thing for lawns and so as i have alot sawdust in my shop. I try not to waste things. Great work😊

[@Kens265]

Great point!

[@williamstrausner9063]

To seal the ballast in place 1 prewet ballast with a mixture of several drops of Dawn dishsoap in a 1/2 pt of water dispenced from a small spray bottle 2 dilute 50/50 Dollar Tree white glue and water flooding the ballast. Prewetting is the key for the glue to flow correctly and smoothly. Be sure to clean the rails with a Scotch brite Red pad after the glue is dry to remove residue from glue and dish soap. Also you have a dip in the rail over the tunnel that cause the locomotive to loose momentum.

[@Kens265]

Thanks I actually just fixed the dip

[@alweinhofer5453]

Take a piece of flexible plastic (styrene) and run it inside the rails to clean off ballast before gluing.

[@Kens265]

Oh. Thanks

[@philtucker1224]

Ken I used to use my wife’s hair spray to stabilise light fine grade ballast. (I also found that mica based loft cavity granular insulation worked well and looked good too!

[@Kens265]

Oh I remember that stuff

[@lmars5933]

This is comment is for the last 2 videos also ,i have been overwhelmed lol .videos are fantastic my friend. 🐊🌴😎

[@Kens265]

Thanks. Hope you get time to stop and smell the roses!

[@lmars5933]

😂🐊🌴😎

[@richardroyles1423]

Sweet. God bless.

[@Kens265]

Thanks. You too

[@jamesrobison9246]

put a pusher on the back to give it a boost as it goes up the ramp i really enjoyed watching , looking forward too the next run BAYTOWN, TEXAS

[@Kens265]

Cool. Thanks

[@TheRoyce55]

You need to shop at woodland scenics, they will have everything you need for ballast. Course ballast is the way to go.

[@Kens265]

Nice thanks

[@philtucker1224]

Ken if you don’t want the ballast so deep in the middle, just get a one inch chisel and run it over the central ballast. That will take most of it away but leave enough to see the rail sleepers.

[@Kens265]

Thanks

[@tommmarree3689]

for the ballast in between the rails, just take a piece of tape, and cover half the opening, that way you only spread half the sand in the middle, and you keep the same amount of ballast outside the rails. This method will extend how far the ballast will cover.....I did something similar and it worked for me....

[@Kens265]

Good tip thanks

[@richair1527]

Ken, if you have a kitchen flour sifter or a regular basket sifter you could filter the larger grains of sand out of your pool sand if it become's an issue.

[@Kens265]

Nice thanks

[@Dipstick252]

Just a thought. Could you run the pool sand through a blender or food processor? You should be able to pick one up pretty cheap at a yard sale, swap meet,....

[@Kens265]

That’s a good thought thanks

[@bobainsworth5057]

Woodland scenics is good ballast and you get more. There are companies that sell actual stone ballast. If you use the pool sand it can't be used. It will have clorine in it which will attack the rails.

[@Kens265]

Oh. Thanks

[@kennethsears5041]

That look good

[@Kens265]

Thanks I appreciate it

[@michaelrichter1465]

Using a tool harder than the surface (hardened file with sharp edges) against your track might put dents every time you hit it. Maybe use a hardwood stick like oak or maple so you can have a less destructive method of settling the ballast material in the tracks. I guess you'll find out if the file dents the rails. Kinda like reading the directions after you start using a new tool lol. Well......good luck with all that!

[@Kens265]

Hahahaha thanks for the input

[@philtucker1224]

@@michaelrichter1465 yes that’s a good point Mike.

[@philtucker1224]

Only use the ballast spreader after you have fixed the final track positions and ran a bead of wood adhesive along both sides along the track. This will hold the ballast down.

[@Kens265]

Thanks

[@barriesmith3489]

Great fun today and susses

[@Kens265]

For sure. Thanks

[@philtucker1224]

You call them ties, ( We call them sleepers in the U.K.)

[@Kens265]

Yes I’ve heard that term before

[@pchts1]

My thoughts on the pool sand situation if you could get a coffee grinder one of those portable ones that you battery powered and put your sand in there and run it maybe it will get it as fine as the other ballast material just a thought

[@Kens265]

Oh. Thanks

[@brucegibbs2118]

Nice miss your little helper 😊

[@Kens265]

She would eat the trains if I let her

[@transgendertina293]

oh my wow ken this amazing to watch

[@alfgeorge5003]

Ken, I seen a video reasonally where they used chinchiller sand for the balasting of tracks & seemed to work well as well it was alot cheaper than traditional balast as it comes I think 10 kilo bags, just a thought as haven't used any balast as yet myself.

[@Kens265]

Thanks. I appreciate it

[@wingman8447]

Very cool!

[@Kens265]

Thanks

[@randallfawc7501]

Didn;t see the brand of ballast you had, but, Walthers has lots of options for all kinds of track accessories that might interest you.

[@Kens265]

I think it was Woodland scenic

[@randallfawc7501]

thats the stuff!

[@Allnightexplor]

I wouldn't run trains on unglued ballast. I would like to see the contrast once laid down of the pool sand and commercial ballast. I would also have liked to see less application and see the full project of treating with alcohol and gluing in one video.

[@Kens265]

Thanks

[@randallfelber6795]

Dry your sand on a cookie sheet in the oven at a low temp. Seal the ballast with an eye dropper and diluted white Elmers or matt medium, it won't get grit in your mechanism.....

[@Kens265]

Thanks

[@garyoverton6222]

Buy ballast in bigger containers. Cheaper that way.

[@Kens265]

True

[@patricksparks6631]

Ken, if you use cork road bed under the track, makes trains nice and quiet, do that before you glue the ballast. Also, your grades are a bit aggressive, rule of thumb with model trains is 2%, no more than 2.5- 3% ... just friendly advice. Enjoy.

[@Kens265]

Thanks you’re right

[@Huhsaywhat1964]

Are you going to have a rail yard Ken?

[@Kens265]

I sure am. I just started working on it

[@Huhsaywhat1964]

Awesome!

[@garyfox8170]

Did you just do one power connection or did you run buss wires and many connections?

[@Kens265]

Just one so far

[@philtucker1224]

I wouldn’t ever used unfixed ballast as it means you won’t be able to clean and vacuum the dusty track if you haven’t used it for a while..

[@Kens265]

Hopefully I’ll glue it soon

[@philtucker1224]

Sawdust then hairspray to fix is a cheap alternative, you can paint it grey when it’s dry. Sand will kill your electric motors real quick! No no no!

[@Kens265]

Yikes

[@philtucker1224]

Some of your wagons are maybe too light and will bounce off the track if they are running over grit.

[@Kens265]

All the rolling stock has been weighted. Hopefully that will help

[@philtucker1224]

A lot of MREs store their layouts vertically when not using them so all the landscaping needs to be fixed. (Loose ballast is not practical and will get into the loco motors very quickly..)

[@Kens265]

Interesting. Maybe a pull back curtain

[@rupe53]

Still feeling that ballast is the wrong color. Perhaps stone dust can be used but you'd have to hunt around for the very fine product. At least it's not corrosive or caustic like other materials and it's very cheep! (few bucks per 5 gallon pail) Oh, it also doesn't absorb moisture.

[@Kens265]

Nice thanks

[@philtucker1224]

You could try fixing it all down with clear varnish and when dry use a two inch chisel to scrape clean the top of the rails (so they can conduct electricity again).

[@Kens265]

Good idea

[@williamstrausner9063]

Very poor idea. Scrapping the rail head is a NO NO as it scratches the rail causing arcing from rail to wheel producing dirty rails and wheels. Result poor conduction of electricity from rail to the wheels then to the locomotive motor.

[@philtucker1224]

@ what’s your solution Bill?

[@richardtovar127]

You need to glue down the ballast before you run the train.

[@Kens265]

Thanks

[@Mad-Duk_Machine_Werkes]

Youre gunna need a proper HOBBY razor saw to part those doors, because any other saw blade will eat too wide of a kerf - the hobby razor saws are as thin as a double edged razor blade, only they have teeth - get one from a Shop or website for Plastic model building, not necessarily a Train website -

[@Kens265]

Wow, I wish I had one last week

[@Mad-Duk_Machine_Werkes]

@@Kens265 typically, if a Model builder wants to open up a panel on a airplane wing to show interior detail they cut it with a Micro-razor saw like I'm talking about, you'll find them if you search, a LOT of companies make them

[@alweinhofer5453]

Dont Noch it until you've tried it !

[@Kens265]

Haha thanks

[@richardroyles1423]

How about aquarium sand.

[@Kens265]

Oh. I don’t know

[@PeckhamHall]

I bet you could use salt or sugar if you had nothing else and mixed some drops of paint in with the glue, I haven't seen or tried it but I bet it would look o.k as long as you wasn't to generous with the glue water mix. I have seen used coffee granules used here in England. You could do some sand dunes in the centre as well, just an idea.

[@Kens265]

Thanks I like the coffee grinds idea

[@PeckhamHall]

@Kens265 Yeah grinds, an old good British modeller from going back 50 years swar by it more for the station area I think from all the manual oiling from the steam era that dripped down over the years.

[@josefreck1103]

👋👏🏻👍🏻😊🤗

[@rupe53]

You have the right idea, but salt will draw moisture and corrode the track. Sugar will draw less moisture but bugs will be a problem, and might even attract mice.

[@PeckhamHall]

@rupe53 I suppose anything is possible, you would have to solder your wires and not rely on fishplates for power I guess.

[@transgendertina293]

is kaya ok as i did see her in the video

[@sandygrant9220]

Yes she's fine

[@elleryparsons2433]

I See You Tore down The Multy Track Layout.

[@Kens265]

Yes, I couldn’t figure out what direction to go

[@elleryparsons2433]

Now That You Ballasted The Track you Should Have Left an Opening For a Switch or 2.

[@mcclure440]

Looks like the track transition over that first tunnel is still not smooth. The high spot is where the engines hang if I am seeing it right....anyways keep up the good work. You now have video content for years to come!

[@Kens265]

I think you’re right about the transition. Thanks

[@scottsteward398]

I would look into a track radius tool, you have a pretty good s- curve coming into the station, and the transition/dips on the grades are going to cause issues. Of course glue down the ballast, which I think you plan to do as you showed a tool for that. It will take some time brushing with a fine paint brush, then saturate with alcohol before glueing. I’ve never used sand, but between a home store or craft store there a plenty of products which could work and have the coarseness.

[@elleryparsons2433]

I Don’t Believe In Ballasting my Layout Looks Good The Way it Is.

[@Kens265]

Wow, I actually like your idea

[@amyreynolds3619]

No layout is even finished

[@Kens265]

Amen! You got that right.

[@kennethsears5041]

I can't here you

[@Kens265]

Sorry