Arnold, it would be easier to find where's Waldo! 😁
I agree, Bill.
My ballast is ground up asphalt/stones found along local roads where I live, which I found during long walks. The stones are way too big, but so are the hi-rails of my O Gauge tubular track, so I think it works on my layout.
The ballast on the outside of the rails is affixed with spray glue, but the ballast inside the rails is loose.
Believe it or not, my ballast does help stabilize the track and reduces derailments.
The worst thing about my ballast relates to the topic of this thread. The color and size of the ballast make it very hard to find parts that fall off engines and train cars, but I almost always find them by searching relentlessly and obsessively with the help of a good flashlight. Arnold