Can anyone recommend a location of business that I can purchase G scale sized ballast following the Southern Pacific style of ballast? Brown, black and grey mix?
Thanks,
Ed Rodriguez
I get my ballast from a company in Renton, WA called Manufacturer Minerals. They make a product called “Bridge Topping” and sell it in 50 and 100 pound sacks. Shipping that to CA might be a tad cost prohibited…
That said, I don’t know think you going to an exact mix of colors. Your best bet would be to find a local landscaping supply company and ask if they have 1/4" minus or #4 dust. That’s basically crushed rock that is 1/4" or smaller. From there if you choose, you could sift it into different grades using screens of assorted sizes.
Craig Townsend said:
I get my ballast from a company in Renton, WA called Manufacturer Minerals. They make a product called “Bridge Topping” and sell it in 50 and 100 pound sacks. Shipping that to CA might be a tad cost prohibited…
That said, I don’t know think you going to an exact mix of colors. Your best bet would be to find a local landscaping supply company and ask if they have 1/4" minus or #4 dust. That’s basically crushed rock that is 1/4" or smaller. From there if you choose, you could sift it into different grades using screens of assorted sizes.
That’s some great looking track. Nice touch with new ties dropped along the line 
Thanks Craig, I will look into their products.
Ed
Check any local landscaping supply companies.most will have different size rocks and gravel
Quick Google says Tri Counties landscaping supplies in Royal Oak.
Thanks Pete
Jon Radder said:
Craig Townsend said:
I get my ballast from a company in Renton, WA called Manufacturer Minerals. They make a product called “Bridge Topping” and sell it in 50 and 100 pound sacks. Shipping that to CA might be a tad cost prohibited…
That said, I don’t know think you going to an exact mix of colors. Your best bet would be to find a local landscaping supply company and ask if they have 1/4" minus or #4 dust. That’s basically crushed rock that is 1/4" or smaller. From there if you choose, you could sift it into different grades using screens of assorted sizes.
That’s some great looking track. Nice touch with new ties dropped along the line
Jon,
I wish it looked this good still. I’m finding out unfortunately that my track was laid with too much haste last summer. 1/4"-1/2" gaps have appeared along this section, and the ladder roadbed must have settled some what as it look like a roller coaster. Ive got to rebuild this section this summer.
I had fun making a little photo op with this. A few more MOW models and I might be able to pull off a better scene…
Eddie Rodriguez said:
Thanks Craig, I will look into their products.
Ed
Ed,
I’m sure there’s some industrial use for the product called " bridge topping". I think I recall that it was used to create traction on icy bridges when they have them. Its certainly not sifted for modelers, but there’s a core of us large scalers that buy a bunch each spring…
If you want a sample to see if you can find it locally, let me know and I can mail you a little baggy full.
Great, thanks Craig!
Maybe this is a odd question, but can chicken grit be dyed with a fabric dye. My layout is inside so water won’t be a factor in color fading by getting wet from water. Just a thought.
trainman
Craig - It can’t look as bad as most of mine this year. Zero spring maintenance done. The weeds and ground covers have taken over. If it isn’t crazy hot in late July I might get some time to try and reclaim it.
Eddie,
A couple photos using the same ballast as Craig mentioned. I have at times also mixed in a little #1 cherry stone chicken grit.
.JPG)
That looks great Paul.
Out East, most places sell “Stone Dust” which is used to bed paving stones and the like. I’ts about 1/4" or less down to dust. I buy it by the trailer load (about 1/2 ton) from a local distribution yard. Prior to discovering that I was buying “Step 2” bedding sand from Old Castle at Home Depot. At the time it was a similar product, but then changed to more of a decomposed limestone product (or maybe decomposed granite) which I didn’t like. Last time I filled a trailer, the stone dust was about $40/Ton Vs about $4 for a 40# bag of Step 2!
This is an old photo showing an attempt to color the stone with “rust solution” (steel wool dissolved in white vinegar). I liked the look but it only lasted a month or less…
A much more recent shot of the same curve using the stone dust as ballast…
Where I’m at we have what they call 89 stone kind of a gray/dark color and just the perfect size to use for G scale track. I buy it at a local land scape yard. 1/2 ton $30 Later RJD
Thanks Paul,
I have always admired your layout, Will be posting photos soon.