Seaboard Central - Ballasting Track for Realistic Results

[@donharsh1503]

Sir that's awesome and watching enjoying too AWESOME VIDEO and the layout awesome 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😃😎♥️

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Don!

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. Nice.👍

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertlewis7237]

THANK YOU GREAT SUPER DETAIL VIDEO

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks for watching Robert!

[@markrickard4795]

Great video thanks

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks for watching!

[@kinnywolf2862]

Great video

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Kinny!

[@williamdavid9333]

Great looking video about ballasting tracks

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks William!

[@davestrains6816]

Great tutorial. Nice tips. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Dave!

[@zachwisler9976]

Your layout is superb

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it!

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Great job. I like using the sanding block to remove the extra ballast.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Robert!

[@ariesarethebest271]

Excellent work as always.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@georgiasunbelt]

Nice Ballast tutorial...agree, pipette or large dropper is best way to go applying scenic cement

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Be sure to tune in next week. Going to add some details to make it look like a real rail yard.

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Looks great !!!! Nice work.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Paul!

[@ThomasKlimoski]

Great video on your ballasting techniques.-Tom

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Tom!

[@jimnicholas7666]

Track looks amazing! Like looking down from above on Google Earth.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Jim!

[@pacset2]

nice work Tim, Looking awesome

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@kraigsickels3918]

As always Tim …. Excellent work and tips !!!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@DGModelworks]

Great tips and demonstration Tim! Also thanks for sharing your secret blend :)

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Deryk! I think ARM sells a Pennsylvania blend too. You could substitute it for the NS/CSX bright gray blend that I use to come up with something that would probably look close to your area that you model.

[@DGModelworks]

@@SeaboardCentral I actually have 20 bags of ARM NS Bright Grey HO ballast. I of course haven't done anything with it yet. I was definitely planning on mixing other types with it like you did.

[@ironmule]

I used think your ballast looked really exceptional for coming straight out of the package. Now I see it was one heck of a recipe and why it looks so real. Lol

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! It’s my own concoction that is supposed to represent the look of the southeast US. It’s not perfect but it is close enough for my liking.

[@calvincurtiss2490]

Nice work as usual. I use the same technique, so we're in the same camp there. I live in an apartment and have a dog and a cat so I won't be using kerosene for cleaning though...... nothing personal my Man kiwibjg.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Calvin!

[@houseofrandomness]

Quick and easy work. Ballasting has always been my zen time. 🤣 Arm makes some great looking stuff.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yes, they have some great materials.

[@kiwibjg]

Nice work Tim. I am with you regarding using a pipette for the scenic cement. I have tied numerous times with a whole bunch of different spray heads for and always ended up grumpy when they clog or put large blobs of cement on the scenery material. I don't mind taking longer with the pipette and I think it does a better job and stops scenic cement going over everything in "spray" range! By the way. I followed the article in Model Railroad Hobbyist and have used kerosene for track cleaning with excellent results. The electrical micro-arcing does not occur and the track stays cleaner making everything run better. The smell lasts about a day but you end up not having to clean the track as much. Cheers Brendon

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Brendon!

[@205004gs]

Excellent tutorial Tim and your results are picture perfect indeed. Looking forward to the details next week!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Gene!

[@Benton-SouthernRR]

Great video! Ballasting has always been something that seems to torment me. I like your technique, and I love that you mix the colors, it really does make a difference. I've used the Woodland Scenic ballast (and dislike it due to floating like you mentioned), and I have used single colors of ARM ballast. Now that I am getting ready to restart scenery, I definitely be using your techniques and mixing the colors. Thanks again sir! Also - congrats on the HomeShops cars! I just ordered 3 Seaboard Central cars!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I really appreciate it. Glad I can help and it will be great to see the SC on other railroads. I’ll be doing a story about those cars soon to help with operations for people like yourself that has purchased them. Stay tuned! Tim

[@Benton-SouthernRR]

@@SeaboardCentral Looking forward to that! I like the idea of being able to route the cars from an industry on your layout to one on mine on a the waybills and have it be correct. Cheers sir!

[@JamesPecora]

Will you have a vidio on how you paint on the ballast?

[@SeaboardCentral]

I already did a video on it back in August 2022. You can check it out. I show how I create the effect on it.

[@randysrockandrollrailroad8207]

👍 😊

[@SeaboardCentral]

😁

[@thecnwmondovilinepaulscota7304]

That looks really nice, Tim. ARM makes nice products. I used their pink lady CNW ballast in the past, but discovered that wasn't used until after my era, and not on the branch line I'm modeling, so I used sifted local dirt mixed with Woodland Scenics cinders, but the process is much the same as what you showed. Thanks! - Paul

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Paul! Yes, railroads tend to get ballast from quarries they have contracts with. I’m not sure where the CNW sourced theirs but I would imagine that it was from only two or three on the system. Probably the pink rock originated at one particular location.

[@thecnwmondovilinepaulscota7304]

@@SeaboardCentral yeah, the pink lady came from the quarry at Rock Springs in Wisconsin.

[@KirdaAlifa]

What is your curve radius shown in the intro video and what is the minimum radius on your layout?

[@SeaboardCentral]

30” minimum on the mainline and 24” minimum in industries and yard.

[@JG-wr1sl]

How long did it take you to perfect your blends?

[@SeaboardCentral]

It’s been years in the making. I see the prototype five days a week and I knew I needed to come up with something more realistic than just going with one blend. Tim

[@ironmule]

I don't doubt that. Played around with mixtures for a long time myself. I use scenic express for the color is adds but I use #40. I sift mine though so I guess similar results. Way too much powder in it. I used to sift AR&M HO ballast but really messes up the color. Adding the same color of theirs in N scale with HO really makes a big difference in texture and color.

[@jdboyd1861]

I'd be interested in how you handle this process on your switches. I'm sure it takes some extra care to keep from messing up the switch.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Yes, you have to be very careful around the switches. I’ve ended up many times having to free one up after the glue had found it’s way into the points.

[@IMRROcom]

KAIBAB, Not even close... I'm betting you are not from around these parts. Most people from AZ say it as Ki bab. "a" is ignored or as in Keye bab or Ki (like hi) bab (like grab).

[@SeaboardCentral]

🤣🤣 I knew it! You got that right. I’m no where near AZ but I have visited CO and NM. That’s good info though.