[G-Scale] Ballast Suggestions

[ROBERT B VORBROKER]

I want to ballast my Garden RR (G Scale) and would like suggestions
for what to use. Looked at crushed limestone but too many larger rocks
in the mix...

Rob Vorbroker
Mason OH

[Dan Mitzel]

Rob,

Go to your local feed store/farm supply and ask for _turkey
grit._ It's crushed granite at just the right size for a garden
railroad. It costs more than buying crusher fines by weight at a
gravel pit but it's easier to find. Something like five bucks
for fifty pounds. Worked for me even after the severe t-storms
we had this week - several inches of rain and the track didn't
even move.

Dan Mitzel
Oxford, Mich.

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[Sunnyfield]

Chicken and Turkey grit vary from area to area in the country! While one area
might use granite, here in the northeast coastal states, oyster and shellfish
sheels are used and DON'T represent ballast in a good way. Everyone in the
country has access to what most feel is the BEST garden railroad ballast (good
for HO to live steam, including "G"). Any large gravel supply place should have
something called "crusher fines". This is a mixture of very slmall (gravel with
LOTS of rock dust mixed in. My local supplier has 2 colors available (a light
gray and an almost black). The great thing about this stuff is that when it
gets wet, the fine dust "cements the rest of the gravel and track in place.
However, unlike cement, if you should want to relocate track it can easilt be
lifted from the ballast and relocated without a lot of hassle.

[Ian G. Mathers]

Hello Robert;

In the course of manufacturing materials for the smaller scales, I end up
with considerable quantities of crushed stone 1/8" to 1/4" (sieves 4/8) in
various colours which simply pass through the crusher upon reaching 1/4"
minus. I believe that this range of sizes would be appropriate for G scale
ballast. See the scales table at -
http://www.ballast-train/forms/scales-imperial.html

These materials are all washed, cleaned, dried and twice sieved. Each type
of crushed stone presented on my web site are available in sizes up to
3/8".
http://www.ballast-train.com/products/crushed/crushed.html

If you or any of the G-scale modelers in RMR would be interested in any of
these materials I sell them in bulk, 50 lb for $35.00 US ($50.00 Cdn) plus
shipping. I will check on the cost of shipping if anyone is interested.
The first 1000 miles from here costs about 10 cents per pound plus a fuel
surcharge and I can quote rates on Monday to any destination in North
America.

Ian G. Mathers
Great Northern Sand & Gravel Company
http://www.ballast-train.com
washed and sieved granular materials for model builders.

[kl...@hotmail.com]

go to your local quarry and ask for "fines" or "dust" , some quarrys
call it one and some call it the other. It is just what you want. It
will hold the track very well after it has set a few days. Chicken
qrit does not hold the track like stone "dust" does. It has a very
close to scale look also.

[TOM]

"Ian G. Mathers" wrote:
>
> Hello Robert;
>
> In the course of manufacturing materials for the smaller scales, I end up
> with considerable quantities of crushed stone 1/8" to 1/4" (sieves 4/8) in
> various colours which simply pass through the crusher upon reaching 1/4"
> minus. I believe that this range of sizes would be appropriate for G scale
> ballast. See the scales table at -
> http://www.ballast-train/forms/scales-imperial.html
>
> These materials are all washed, cleaned, dried and twice sieved. Each type
> of crushed stone presented on my web site are available in sizes up to
> 3/8".
> http://www.ballast-train.com/products/crushed/crushed.html
>
> If you or any of the G-scale modelers in RMR would be interested in any of
> these materials I sell them in bulk, 50 lb for $35.00 US ($50.00 Cdn) plus
> shipping. I will check on the cost of shipping if anyone is interested.
> The first 1000 miles from here costs about 10 cents per pound plus a fuel
> surcharge and I can quote rates on Monday to any destination in North
> America.
>
> Ian G. Mathers
> Great Northern Sand & Gravel Company
> http://www.ballast-train.com
> washed and sieved granular materials for model builders.

This works better:

http://www.ballast-train.com/forms/scales-imperial.html

<><><> TOM <><><>
Proud Member Of The Haggis

[Ian G. Mathers]

TOM wrote:

> This works better:
>
> http://www.ballast-train.com/forms/scales-imperial.html
>
> <><><> TOM <><><>
> Proud Member Of The Haggis

Thanks very much Tom. Sometimes I miss things like that - 'specially late at
night.

[Paul Bertram]

Being up in farm country, I went to the local feed mill and got #4 Turkey
grit.
It is also called Cherry Stone. This is more of a pink/burgundy color with

a mix of gray in it also.

Paul Bertram
Chippewa Falls, WI

[ROBERT B VORBROKER]

Thanks for the input. Here in Cincinnati we mount the track on 2x6 pressure
treated
lumber, cup-side down to create a natural crown. I guess I'm looking more
for the Turkey
Grit rather than the crushed limestone. Just looking for a good top
dressing and something
that can be used to pave a road into town, that sort of thing.

Thanks again for the info. My layout is about 330' so far - and will stay
that way for a while
as I have ALOT of trestles to build, bridges to build, buildings to build,
landscaping to do, etc.
It's a never ending project right...

If you come to Cincinnati for the Garden RR Convention in 2002 come and see
our layout - we
will be on the tour...

Rob Vorbroker
Mason, OH
LGBer0672 <lgbe...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000514214634...@ng-ct1.aol.com...
> Robert,
>
> I use 3/8" limestone chip which is availble from a local garden center.
> This works very well for me as the rough stone edges kind of lock
together.
> 3/8" seem to be the perfect size. If 3/8" is hard to find, 1/4" will work
just
> fine. I dig a trench about 4" to 5" deep where I want to run track, and
fill
> it with the stone. I lay the track on top, and ballast the track as
needed.
> You want to make sure you track has good drainage. I do use "Turkey Grit"
from
> the local feed store. This is basicly crushed granite. Works pretty good
for
> the top ballast or doing touch-ups. This is more expensive than the
limestone.
> I buy the turkey grit in 80# bags for about $4.00 . The 3/8" limstone I
can
> buy 1000# for about $12.00 if I pick it up myself. I have used approx. 3
1/2
> tons of ballast & fill stone on my layout so far. I have approx. 400ft. of
> track so far. If your interested, I have a WEB site of my "G" scale
layout.
> Http://www.hometown.aol.com/lgber0672/LGB.html
>
> Good Luck --- Bill