Help, I am having trouble finding track ballast in the Houston area, 1/4" minus would be my preference. Or possibly chicken grit.
David,
Welcome to LSC!
Don’t tell me you don’t have rock/landscaping/bark places in the Houston area?
We got more of them than McDonald’s up here! Well maybe Walmarts.
Anyway, wander over and get some crushed granite and then build you a strainer out of 1/4 screen.
You can riddle all you want.
Chicken grit is too small.
If you have to, get turkey grit.
jb
I use chicken grit for my O-scale stuff. Its too small for anything that uses Gauge 1 track.
Steve Featherkile said:I use carefully blended Chicken Grit for my IIm line (Scale 1:22.5)
I use chicken grit for my O-scale stuff. Its too small for anything that uses Gauge 1 track.
Well, that certainly says a lot. 
David,
Try a farm supply store that sells wire, fencing and stuff. They usually have poultry grit. No.2 seems the best all around for ballast in largescale. About the smallest that has good retention in the rain. That’s what I use with sometimes a bit of smaller no.3 for dressing.
Steve Featherkile said:
Well, that certainly says a lot.
Doesn’t it? 
(http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/F-PIX/Ballast08.jpg)
Oh…chicken GRIT…not chicken…
oh…nevermind…
hj, what scale is that chicken… um … stuff? 1:20.3, 1:22.5, 1:24, 1:29 or 1:32? Inquiring minds want to know.
You did all that work just for me? I’m sincerely touched.
Best I’ve found so far is someone willing to sell crusher fines by the ton!
John Bouck said:
David, Welcome to LSC! Don't tell me you don't have rock/landscaping/bark places in the Houston area? We got more of them than McDonald's up here! Well maybe Walmarts. Anyway, wander over and get some crushed granite and then build you a strainer out of 1/4 screen. You can riddle all you want. Chicken grit is too small. If you have to, get turkey grit. jb
Dave the crusher fines by the ton will be cheaper than bags of chicken grit by far, atleast here in NY they are
$9 / ton plus delivery, $15 u Pick up.
I used a ton on my railroad. How much are they asking for it, delivered?
I used it for more than ballast, though.
I’m a landscaper, I pick my own up at the quarry for $8. delivery varies with mileage obviously but mostly in the $40 range if under an hour
What volume does a ton of crusher fines have, approximately?
mark Dash.... said:
Dave the crusher fines by the ton will be cheaper than bags of chicken grit by far, atleast here in NY they are $9 / ton plus delivery, $15 u Pick up.
1 yard is about a ton and a half
HJ, that ballast looks terrific! Do you bond it, or is it loose? If loose, how well does it hold up to rain?
Ray,
It needs to be bonded; the experiment was loose and the weather gods sent some real downpours which scattered the stuff too far for my taste. Downpours are not the rule in the Okanagan! Grrrrrrrrrr!
My ballast has every size from 3/8 inch to dust. It is able to withstand all of the gully-whompers so far. I use a fine misting spray from the garden hose to set the rock after it has been laid. I use no other bonding agent. If all I had was chicken grit, I would need to use a bonding agent. I use dilute white glue on the chicken grit on my 0-gauge 3-rail layout.