Choo Choo Eddie Very interesting video. I have also found a very inexpensive way to ballast my H O scale layout. I take cat litter that is unscented and grind it up very , very fine using a old food grinder I found in a scrap box. It works really nice and has a really realistic color.
Hi Julian, I certainly like the pumice better. Slightly different sizes and more sharp at the edges. Whereas looking at the sleepers, I think your brush wasn't as dry as it should have been. Real big advantage of pumice is also the different kind of materials you actually get as you mentioned in the first video, although sieving adds to workload. Keep it up.
Well hey, wait a minute, why compare weathered track? You’re basically weathering the ballast too and taking away much the the detail by just making it all the same color. That said, it doesn’t look bad either way. I think the variation points are somewhat nullified due to the weathering AFTER ballasting though.
what I do is I go to our local dollar store buy white sand and then I color it using water down paint till I like the shade I'm looking to use and I figure I pay maybe $2.50 here in the States for my self made ballast.
Good information, nice comparison. I'm looking for something similar in the US. Why do you refer to weight in KG, is that the norm in NZ? Here we refer to Kilograms or Kilos.
A valuable and worthy comparison, thank you. At approx 10 to 1 cost difference its a real head turner on price alone, bottled ballast is getting extremely expensive these days and funnily enough I see folk mixing two sizes to get the "right effect" which exacerbates costs. Pumice will be my first consideration when I get around to doing mine, yours looked really good and more natural re. variety of sizes in the mix!!! Colour is easy to tweak, as necessary with a dash of cheap acrylic paint. Stephen
Hi Stephen, thanks for your feedback, always greatly received. The only issue with the pumice option is availability. From other comments, it appears quite difficult to source in certain countries.
Hi Julian. New to your channel (just subscribed). Pumice is a very interesting idea. I like the fact that the pumice isn't too uniform in either size or colour. I haven't looked into the cost of the grass matting, but I just wondered (at least for your 'test' track) whether it would have been easier to have laid the matting before the track and subsequent ballasting.
Hi Paul and welcome to the Station Road channel. I totally agree the grass down before the ballast would be easier, but when I did the ballast video I hadn't even thought about the grass/scenic video, so hence the other way around. I guess it demonstrates the order of processes can work either way though.
NICELY DONE Nicely done Julian...... The concept of differing colours of ballast is proto-typical of actual railway practice the world over, since at any one time a section of track can have been re-laid. So in this sens your test piece works fine. In truth, newly laid ballast does pretty much weather in a very short time anyway....... It's just that it catches our eye when it is newly laid..... James Hennighan Yorkshire, England
Great Video! The time I am going to ballast my tracks is far away now but it is very interesting getting always new ideas and new technics in building and decorating. Have to look if there is an equivalent product here in Germany. Greetings Bernd
Great mini-series and comparison of pumice to WS ballast. I do prefer the irregular shape of the pumice as compared to the uniform shape of the WS ballast. Definitely going to test this out! Thanks for sharing, looking forward to catching up on your other videos!
This was a very interesting comparison between the products. I find the Pummice better looking, because it varries a bit in coullor. I will try to find a similar product here in Denmark. Thanks for showing. Steen.
Personally I think the pumice is the best, cost wise sandpit sand at$35 for 1yard which is about 3cubic metre is really hard to beat, paint is only cheap undercoat, one will never ever use that much sand, so the children always have a sandpit, thanks great video
The pumice looks great. I have heard that Woodlands is crushed walnut shells, can't conform it but as it acts light when wet it just might be. Thanks for sharing the pumice idea....Jack
Thanks Jack, somebody else had mentioned crushed walnut shells for Woodland Scenics ballast buff. I suspect it is because the ballast is very light and if you don't spray the ballast first from a distance with water to soak it, the glue solution tends to wash it away from the sleepers quite easily.
Very interesting video. I prefere pumice just looks nice, I did notice that woodland scenics required more work to get the effect needed where pumice just settle better. Thanks for that
Choo Choo Eddie
Very interesting video. I have also found a very inexpensive way to ballast my H O scale layout. I take cat litter that is unscented and grind it up very , very fine using a old food grinder I found in a scrap box. It works really nice and has a really realistic color.
Hi Julian,
I certainly like the pumice better. Slightly different sizes and more sharp at the edges. Whereas looking at the sleepers, I think your brush wasn't as dry as it should have been.
Real big advantage of pumice is also the different kind of materials you actually get as you mentioned in the first video, although sieving adds to workload.
Keep it up.
Thanks for your comment. I will admit I rushed the weathering aspect, but it was just to show the general idea.
The pumice looks great. When I get to that stage Pumice is the route I will follow. Thanks for sharing.
Well hey, wait a minute, why compare weathered track? You’re basically weathering the ballast too and taking away much the the detail by just making it all the same color.
That said, it doesn’t look bad either way. I think the variation points are somewhat nullified due to the weathering AFTER ballasting though.
what I do is I go to our local dollar store buy white sand and then I color it using water down paint till I like the shade I'm looking to use and I figure I pay maybe $2.50 here in the States for my self made ballast.
Good information, nice comparison. I'm looking for something similar in the US. Why do you refer to weight in KG, is that the norm in NZ? Here we refer to Kilograms or Kilos.
Hi
Both look good but pumice wins it for me, it just has a little bit more of a natural look it. Many thanks for the tip
Ive just bought some from Bunnings today. Will give it a go. From Chch
When I get to ballasting my track will look at the Pummice.
Cheers
Andrew
Tenby Wales🏴
how do u weather your track
Apologies for the late reply. I simply use a dry-brush technique with some acrylic paint.
A valuable and worthy comparison, thank you. At approx 10 to 1 cost difference its a real head turner on price alone, bottled ballast is getting extremely expensive these days and funnily enough I see folk mixing two sizes to get the "right effect" which exacerbates costs. Pumice will be my first consideration when I get around to doing mine, yours looked really good and more natural re. variety of sizes in the mix!!! Colour is easy to tweak, as necessary with a dash of cheap acrylic paint. Stephen
Hi Stephen, thanks for your feedback, always greatly received. The only issue with the pumice option is availability. From other comments, it appears quite difficult to source in certain countries.
Hi Julian. New to your channel (just subscribed). Pumice is a very interesting idea. I like the fact that the pumice isn't too uniform in either size or colour. I haven't looked into the cost of the grass matting, but I just wondered (at least for your 'test' track) whether it would have been easier to have laid the matting before the track and subsequent ballasting.
Hi Paul and welcome to the Station Road channel. I totally agree the grass down before the ballast would be easier, but when I did the ballast video I hadn't even thought about the grass/scenic video, so hence the other way around. I guess it demonstrates the order of processes can work either way though.
In texture and colour the pumice beats the plain woodland scenic ballast
NICELY DONE
Nicely done Julian......
The concept of differing colours of ballast is proto-typical of actual railway practice the world over, since at any one time a section of track can have been re-laid. So in this sens your test piece works fine.
In truth, newly laid ballast does pretty much weather in a very short time anyway.......
It's just that it catches our eye when it is newly laid.....
James Hennighan
Yorkshire, England
Great Video!
The time I am going to ballast my tracks is far away now but it is very interesting getting always new ideas and new technics in building and decorating. Have to look if there is an equivalent product here in Germany.
Greetings
Bernd
Great mini-series and comparison of pumice to WS ballast. I do prefer the irregular shape of the pumice as compared to the uniform shape of the WS ballast. Definitely going to test this out! Thanks for sharing, looking forward to catching up on your other videos!
I think that the pumice looks great 👍🏻 I’m going to try to find some here in Oklahoma USA where I live. Thank you for letting me know about it
Perhaps a price comparison per volume might be somewhat more accurate? And possibly even more favourable for the pumice 😊👍
Great idea💡, thanks for sharing this. Will be great for my yard an engine yard
Defiantly shall use pumice. Great video. From an ex pat living in Norway.
This was a very interesting comparison between the products. I find the Pummice better looking, because it varries a bit in coullor. I will try to find a similar product here in Denmark. Thanks for showing. Steen.
Personally I think the pumice is the best, cost wise sandpit sand at$35 for 1yard which is about 3cubic metre is really hard to beat, paint is only cheap undercoat, one will never ever use that much sand, so the children always have a sandpit, thanks great video
What is the width or thickness of ho scale rail head?
I mostly use Code 100 Peco track and the railhead width is 1mm. I'm guessing different code tracks might have different railhead widths.
Great tip pumice looks best , like the Bubbles DMU we had one not that long ago as route learner at Immingham TMD in the uk
The pumice looks great. I have heard that Woodlands is crushed walnut shells, can't conform it but as it acts light when wet it just might be. Thanks for sharing the pumice idea....Jack
Thanks Jack, somebody else had mentioned crushed walnut shells for Woodland Scenics ballast buff. I suspect it is because the ballast is very light and if you don't spray the ballast first from a distance with water to soak it, the glue solution tends to wash it away from the sleepers quite easily.
I will be using the pumice as well. It looks more realistic, and after all it's all about the detailing
Very interesting video. I prefere pumice just looks nice, I did notice that woodland scenics required more work to get the effect needed where pumice just settle better. Thanks for that
Thank you for your feedback John. I'm in total agreement, the pumice did work better, the only problem is its limited availability around the world.
pumice looks better more natural
Agree 100%
The pumis looks better on your plinth
Hi mate another great video mate clive
Bloody awesome
Good video. Thank you
Great video
Good info!