Suggestions on purchasing Ballast....where and what size/type

What we call Alpine Grit sometimes called Horticultural Grit is quite popular over here, I don't know if it has the same name Stateside. It's used in green houses and other place to grow plants that require arid conditions such as alpine plants and cacti, and as a top layer on regular soil to prevent weeds, and generally a base for potted plants that require good drainage. Stones are irregular and jagged in shape and are about 6mm which is too big for true scale ballast but big enough for you to be able to see and pick them out of switches and guide rails etc. Good thing is it is fairly cheap and readily available.
 
Just check it before buying. The last lot I had from the garden centre had more round bits than sharp bits but they still called it grit.
 
I should have asked OP Thomas if he plans to have the track "permanently" fixed as there are other solutions involving mixing stuff with cement. I prefer the "floating ballast" look personally but there is a tendency for the track sleepers to "rise" out of the ballast over time with this approach.. And yes Mike is correct you want to avoid round pebble stuff (we call in "pea gravel") you want square jagged edges so the bits of stone interlock with each other otherwise heavy rain just washes it all away.
 
I really appreciate the excellent advise guys.

First off, the entire layout is raised about 3 feet using block retaining walls, I'll be able to walk around 90% of the circuit for access to the track.

A large part of the track will float on top of cement blocks and ballast....although I plan to fasten down the turnouts at this point.

A fair amount of the circuit will also be raised on trestles and bridges, or supported by rock and wood retaining walls (many cases with cement blocks hidden behind or under them).

And once I get some track down I'll post a fairly comprehensive set of pictures and videos of the project.
 
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railway2.jpg railway.jpg Hi, Go to a landscape supply yard and look at the crushed granite, it comes in many colors and different sizes. You can pick the type that suits what and where you are building. also you can buy in bulk and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the big box store!ballest.jpg
 
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minimans said:
Hi, Go to a landscape supply yard and look at the crushed granite, it comes in many colors and different sizes. You can pick the type that suits what and where you are building. also you can buy in bulk and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the big box store!View attachment 225811
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Great idea as I'm getting ready to order several tons of landscape rocks, so I just need to calculate how much ballast I need.

Best I can figure is about 350-400 feet of track will need ballast in the first phase.

Any ideas on how much ballast that I'll need...spread about the same width as your gray ballast in the picture (assume the same depth)?

Very nice look on your ballast...just what I'm looking for :)
 
I used about about half a Ton on my initial ballast of the railway. I then topped up every year for 12 years!! Use the size "Granite fines" if you want the same look it's quite fine with lots of dust in it. The dust holds all the ballast together with a little cement mixed in. If you search on the forum for Ballast you will find lots of ideas for laying and maintaining the Ballast. My railway is unfortunately no more but there are lots of pictures of it on this forum spanning many many years if you need some idea's?
Oh! and even if you glue it down it WILL disappear after the first heavy rain!!
 
Dave,
Good information and excellent point on keeping the ballast size large enough to avoid issues with the switches.

Mike,
Yup,. I'll have the ballast in hand before I make the purchase.

Korm,
I'm leaning toward function over correct scale size for the ballast....time will tell. My choice for a default scale size on the layout for any scratch builds (structures and rolling stock) will be 1:24 (half inch) as a guideline. Past that I'll just wing it :)
 
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minimans said:
I used about about half a Ton on my initial ballast of the railway. I then topped up every year for 12 years!! Use the size "Granite fines" if you want the same look it's quite fine with lots of dust in it. The dust holds all the ballast together with a little cement mixed in. If you search on the forum for Ballast you will find lots of ideas for laying and maintaining the Ballast. My railway is unfortunately no more but there are lots of pictures of it on this forum spanning many many years if you need some idea's?
Oh! and even if you glue it down it WILL disappear after the first heavy rain!!
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Thanks much for the reply....more great information, and I'll give the thread a read when I get some more time :)
 
Top tip - however much you get, make sure to keep a big stash of ballast spare, to top up as and when it seems to have gone awol - which sometimes seems to happen overnight! Simply top up between the sleepers etc where it is looking too thin and gently tamp, keeping the track level by eye, which is surely your most useful tool of all in this game! I also tend to nudge the shoulders of the ballast into a slightly raised profile, sort of like the real thing over here, but this does need redoing from time to time, maybe twice a year in our lovely wet GB climate. All quite simple even if you have a lot to do.
Happy times ahead for you! Peter
 
widgep said:
Top tip - however much you get, make sure to keep a big stash of ballast spare, to top up as and when it seems to have gone awol - which sometimes seems to happen overnight! Simply top up between the sleepers etc where it is looking too thin and gently tamp, keeping the track level by eye, which is surely your most useful tool of all in this game! I also tend to nudge the shoulders of the ballast into a slightly raised profile, sort of like the real thing over here, but this does need redoing from time to time, maybe twice a year in our lovely wet GB climate. All quite simple even if you have a lot to do.
Happy times ahead for you! Peter
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Thanks much Peter....sage advise to be sure and I appreciate your help.
 
to use filtersand, i make a "channel" for the track (indoors from styropor, on my former garden rr with concrete)
that keeps the track aligned and the sand where i want it.

the sand is mixed with black toner (powder) for concrete.

steigung22.JPG
 
Do they have rice stone? 1/8 crushed granite ..stone dust works , but splashes up when rained upon
 
Thomas Lambo said:
Great idea as I'm getting ready to order several tons of landscape rocks, so I just need to calculate how much ballast I need.

Best I can figure is about 350-400 feet of track will need ballast in the first phase.

Any ideas on how much ballast that I'll need...spread about the same width as your gray ballast in the picture (assume the same depth)?

Very nice look on your ballast...just what I'm looking for :)
Click to expand...
Not going at it a small way then? ;)How big will it be any track plans yet?
 
Paul M said:
Not going at it a small way then? ;)How big will it be any track plans yet?
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Hi Paul,

This is something I've been planning for 30 years...been visiting the Pomona Fair grounds Garden Railroad every year as long as I can remember (my inspiration). I had an indoor HO layout for many years, so I'm no stranger to model trains. And puttering in the garden is something my wife and I dearly love to do.

The area is about 85 feet long/across our back yard. It ranges in width/depth from 35 feet on each end of the yard to about 8 feet down the middle section.

I have a good preliminary track plan, and I'll finalize the exact route once I place/identify all the natural elements on the layout (boulders, rocks, canyons, trees, water features, etc - which is underway now).

I think of this project as a major landscaping project that happens to have a Railroad running through it.

Once I finish the first track loop (early next year) I'll start a thread discussing the various stages of construction....along with a short video.
 
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