Subject:
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Re: SCLTC FRRD 2005 Photos - ballast
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains.org.scltc
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Date:
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Wed, 11 May 2005 19:03:51 GMT
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Viewed:
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3996 times
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In lugnet.trains.org.scltc, Ted Michon wrote:
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In lugnet.trains.org.scltc, Jason Spears wrote:
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Interesting. How much rework would you have to do, with the switches and
curves? MichLTC is looking at ballasting right now and it seems like a LOT
of permeatations would have to be prepared. Or rework before an event.
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The jury is out, of course, since this is the first time we have done
ballasting. My feeling is that we will be able to reuse quite a bit even with
big changes. The primary reason we used ballast this time is because we
wanted a big meandering layout so we could enjoy running the trains with our
first DCC setup. Getting the big layout meant putting down a lot of track. We
think plain track on baseplates doesn’t look very good - or at least it looks
just out of the box with no imagination. Adding all that ballast, however,
changed everything.
Two things not shown in the ballast photos:
- We put 2 x 8 (new) light gray plates under the tracks between the ties (there’s nothing under the ties). These plates support the track and hide the green baseplate.
- We used a ton of 1 x 1 light grey tiles under the curves and switches. Why 1 x 1’s? PAB at LLCA had a lot of them.
One issue with ballast is that it’s easy to remove the track, but not so easy
to put it back down. If the baseplate is off the table, it’s pretty easy
because one can flex the baseplate. If the baseplate is on the table, it’s
easier to remove the plates that get in the way than to fuss and fidget until
the track fits back in place.
-Ted
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I’ve been using the bags of grey and dark grey plates, where one bag does either
one straight plus one curve or one switch. This one is plain grey:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1150115
This one is an experiment in adding tan 1x1s to change the colour of the track
bed, having seen more tan on a real track bed in a magazine (Tim’s photo). Look
particularly by the bogie of the Class 66 (red+yellow engine):
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1206253
I will be using a range of overall shades, from plain grey, adding various
amounts of dark grey and tan, to dark grey with black between the tracks where
trains have to stand (and oil accumulates). I too am using lots of mosaics for
the intermediate shades. The 2x2 and 2x4 plates in the plates packs are enough
to do plain grey. The only shortage from the packs is enough 1x2s to go between
each sleeper on the outside edges.
Our small (8’x6’) layout, which is still laid on boards rather than built in
scenic modules, was much improved by the addition of ballast. This shows how it
fits with green painted boards:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1149838
BTW I’ve used a permanent track bed scheme on the curves, so that I don’t have
to re-lay any ballast. The track is divided up into sections of 2-3 pieces.
Within each section I’ve used some of the plates from the packs to join the
baseplates under each track piece together, adding strength to each section.
That way the track stays in its designed sections and withstands the handling of
set-up, take-down and transport. For example, I might use four 1x8s by the side
of the track for a straight on its own, but use 2 1x8s and 2 1x10s in order to
overlap onto the plates attached to the adjacent curve.
Mark
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: SCLTC FRRD 2005 Photos
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| (...) The jury is out, of course, since this is the first time we have done ballasting. My feeling is that we will be able to reuse quite a bit even with big changes. The primary reason we used ballast this time is because we wanted a big meandering (...) (20 years ago, 11-May-05, to lugnet.trains.org.scltc, FTX)
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