Ballast Test - Would like your opinion.

Art and guys,

any suggestion on type or size of strainer you use.

all information and suggestions appreciated, thank you.

tom

I use an old colander. 

ezmike posted:

I think it looks just fine.

By the way, every time someone mentions roofing granules I check their availability online. Neither Home Depot or Lowe's have them available in-store or for delivery and the one seller that I looked at a 60 lbs. bag is $38 and change plus $58 and change for shipping.

Geez!

Mike

Mike,

i use roofing granuels, and had to go to a roofing supply company.  There are 2 or 3 companies I have gotten them from in Cincinnati.  Neither Home Depot or Lowe’s here carry it.  Buying online you get killed on freight.

From an Old Thread

For the last 30 years, the Chicago & North Western used the Pink Lady rock system wide, supplementing it occasionally with some other sources. I've seen spot ballasting done on industrial track with a grayish/white rock, but even secondary lines used Pink Lady. The line through Rock Springs was the original Twin Cities main, and stayed open west of Reedsburg through 1987 to finish out the ballast season (mainline through service was discontinued in the early 80s). Afterward, C&NW entered a swap agreement with BN to supply some of the lines in Minnesota with ballast. BN delivered ballast from its sources to C&NW up north, while C&NW would load BN trains with Pink Lady ballast to hand over in Chicago. 

A lot of my railroad is Chicago&Northwestern so I'm using a pinkish color ballast.

I sweep my stuff up from the street.  I have two different size strainers I purchased from the dollar store.  I get these three sizes of stone.  I use the middle for track ballast.

Have Fun!  Ron

Great information here.....thanks to everyone!

Peter

Ron045 posted:

I sweep my stuff up from the street.  I have two different size strainers I purchased from the dollar store.  I get these three sizes of stone.  I use the middle for track ballast.

Have Fun!  Ron

 

 

Ron, thanks for the tip on the strainers.  I also find that your pictures are very enlightening to me.  Helps judge what size the granules should be.  It also highlights the comments about the ballast not having rounded edges.  Now it's a matter of deciding between all these ideas what is most important to us?  What can we live with and what can't we?

Great input, thanks everyone.

Art

I think I still like the Traction Sand for my Milwaukee Road branchline, but I may go a different direction for my BNSF and UP mainlines.  I really like my Brennan's Better Ballast and my Scenic Express ballast for that.  As soon as we get plowed out (10" of snow this morning plus 2 to 4" more forecast), I am going to the Dollar Store to look at strainers.  Then I have spotted a large pile of crushed stone ballast nearby from BNSF's track work last summer.  It will be a while before I can see it again because of the snow, but if I strained that it couldn't get much more realistic than that.  Of course I will try to get permission or at least forgiveness.

Art

Chugman posted:

Ron045 posted:

I sweep my stuff up from the street.  I have two different size strainers I purchased from the dollar store.  I get these three sizes of stone.  I use the middle for track ballast.

Have Fun!  Ron

 

 

 

Ron, thanks for the tip on the strainers.  I also find that your pictures are very enlightening to me.  Helps judge what size the granules should be.  It also highlights the comments about the ballast not having rounded edges.  Now it's a matter of deciding between all these ideas what is most important to us?  What can we live with and what can't we?

Great input, thanks everyone.

Art

Not only an informative post by Ron, some stylish foot ware as well Art!

Just for fun, I was looking through some sizing specifications for crushed rock ballast, from my mining days. Here are a few typical sizes of ballast produced by various crushing companies. The size fits into a very tight size range as you can see.

Maximum size  x  Minimum size

          2 1/2"      x         3/4"

          2"             x        1/2"   

          1 3/4"      x         1/2"          

           1 1/2"     x         3/4"

Of course, the best ballast for your model railroad is always what looks best to YOU!

Jeff