Mike Wyatt posted:My personal opinion- there are two types of "O" hobbyists (regardless of DC/2 rail or AC/3 rail), toy train enthusiasts, and model railroaders. Neither is better than the other- but you appear to be a toy train enthusiast from the amount trackage vs. scenery. So I think ballasting would be a nuisance, and ruin the toy train effect of the layout. I think this, regardless if it had any effect on sound.
I second that - and I'm a dirty old weathered, ballasted, painted rail Hi-Railer.
You seem to have a very nice toy train layout; "true ballasting" would look a bit out of place to me - though some ballast-like roadbed seems compatible.
Maybe you could sell/give your "Ton of Ballast" to a friend or club.
(BTW - how much "Chevy" is in the Commodore? I know that Holden is/was GM Australia - or part of it? - but my familiarity with Holden were primarily the ones disguised as Pontiac GTO's and G8's and the Chevy SS from a few years ago. And the current Camaro, I think (...not sure; I drive a Dodge Challenger R/T, so you see where my head is.))