Ballasting ply sleepered track

Discuss the prototype and how to model it.
David Thorpe

Re: Ballasting ply sleepered track

Postby David Thorpe » Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:50 pm

My choice of dyes had nothing to do with ambition, but was solely due to the fact that I happened to have them anyway! Like you I wanted (and i think achieved) a faded look, in my case a sort of grey/beigy, that involved a lot of thinner - trouble is that it's now just a bit too faded. I think that the creosote gang may have to be brought into action.

DT

User avatar
Martin Wynne
Posts: 1172
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 4:27 pm

Re: Ballasting ply sleepered track

Postby Martin Wynne » Fri Sep 07, 2018 3:15 pm

petermeyer wrote:I have a stash of Copydex but a number of things put me of using it:
1. The odour
2. Questions on whether it can be and how to dilute it
3. You can't drill into it

Hi Peter,

1. the smell goes away as it dries.

2. it can be diluted with water.

3. drilling the dried latex film is no problem if you spike through the film first, or cut away a small area of film with a craft knife. Or ideally you drill all the holes needed before ballasting and keep them open with cocktail sticks while ballasting. Perfectionists rub the cocktail sticks on a candle to prevent the Copydex sticking to them.

Martin.
40+ years developing Templot. Enjoy using Templot? Join Templot Club. Be a Templot supporter.

FCA
Posts: 91
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:49 pm

Re: Ballasting ply sleepered track

Postby FCA » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:48 pm

Just for variety I stain my ply sleepers with a mixture of diluted Indian ink, mostly black.
I always use light coloured ballast on the basis that it can always be darkened later if required. Rarely required in my opinion.
Whether or not templates are used I invariably paint the track sub-base with light blue acrylic paint
The ballast is laid either with the track (PVA) or by using dilute PVA in a pipette on to chivied ballast.
Always drop the dilute PVA outside the four foot.

Richard

Enigma
Posts: 533
Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2013 2:49 pm

Re: Ballasting ply sleepered track

Postby Enigma » Thu Sep 13, 2018 4:46 pm

I use a selection of marker pens to colour sleepers depending on whether they're supposed to be old and grey (sounds familiar) or relatively new.

BrockleyAndrew
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:18 pm

Re: Ballasting ply sleepered track

Postby BrockleyAndrew » Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:21 pm

Just making yet another test plank. This photo with dry ballast test run. Tried 3 or 4 different sizes/colours and mixes. What I want to achieve is the idea of ballast that's been down for years and dirt/rain has settled finer material as a top layer with ballast emerging through. Found that mixing fine/coarse ballasting pre- sprinkling left uneven distribution; some areas coarse, some fine. Has anyone done coarse ballast and then a sort of sand layer to achieve this effect? Here is sleepers with my current size but not colour favourite:
IMG_20201115_134337.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

BrockleyAndrew
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:18 pm

Re: Ballasting ply sleepered track

Postby BrockleyAndrew » Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:25 pm

Here is mix of finer (N guage light grey mixed in) where the contrast is obviously too great but where it doesn't seem to level out.

mix/fill
IMG_20201115_141220.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.


Return to “Track and Turnouts”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot and 0 guests