I went to East Lancashire Railway the other day and it's sparked my interest in building a model railway. In the last few days I have been watching your videos and it's given me the confidence to go ahead with it.
Really like this guy and how he speaks and explains things. After watching this film 100 times I've just finished trying it on my layout following his instructions word by word. I'm praying I've done it right.
Many thanks for this video. Clear, concise and easy to follow. Time taken to get the ballast "just right" prior to wetting and applying the glue mix is time well spent. Thanks for all the videos you have made. There is ALWAYS something to learn from them !
Nice job! Can't thank you enough for your videos. I'm just starting out with this hobby...and I've re-visited your videos many times as I start each step. Clear, practical instructions. Cheers!
Just used your method on my layout and it works perfectly. Found it a lot harder to remove ballast from the sleepers than it looked for you to do it but I'm sure I'll get better at it :) Thanks a lot.
Take a tip from the prototype rail engineers and “tamp” your ballast while its dry. I used one of my wife’s vibrators, a Eroscillator because it vibrated at a high frequency. The vibration settles the ballast into place nice and evenly then you just need to trim up the sides
Anyone thinking of trying what Nik Morris suggest tread carefully. I followed his example to the letter and my ballast shook off the train table :(, I suggest putting it on too a lower setting. Oh another piece of advice, if your layout is in the garden shed at the bottom of the garden watch your neighbour's don't see you bringing your newly acquired track shaker (vibrator), they might think your running a den of iniquity, especially if you have a lot of friends hang out in the shed. I think my reputation is ruined with in my local community, so tread carefully with this new toy. Oh and don't let your wife know your using it in the loco shed, it can lead to all sorts of problem's with your marriage.
@D335Media Unfortunatly I have now ballasted all points on the layout. I use the same method except i cover the moving bit with a piece of tape. Once the ballast is dry i remove the tape and add the ballast to that part and add the glue very carfully using an eye dropper.
@EverardJunction , probably i would say as you stated earlier in one of your posts in that the track i had at the time was probably the steel type hornby did in the late 90's, most of the 1 st and 2nd radius curves i had were of the hornby type which were prone to accumilating this green film on the web of the rails, a great way to apply ballast, but on at least one of the layouts i have built over the last ten years i just left the ballast in the four foot loose and glued the cess or six foot
I modified several of my wagons to spread it over the track, and I only apply glue to the outside of the line, when a train goes over it it gives a nice affect, I re do the track every year
Great vid, thanks. Because I had a fairly large layout to ballast and not the finances to use Wood Scenics I had to look for an alternative. I use beach sand (free). Colours vary depending on which beach I go to here in Western Australia. Using the same tech as in your video and it looks great. Also I buy black sand to make coal loads. Again, thanks.
@gtacrusher123 The method I use is the most used way of ballasting, I have tried the other method you mention and it does work. The problem is its very messy and uses a lot of glue.
Subscribed!!! Have spent the last hour watching your how to videos as I would really love to build a fiddle 5ft by 2ft board. Found all the tutorials immensely useful. :)
HI, do you have a set witdth which you cut your strips of cork? any particular shoulder wide for the ballast? also, do you glue cork to the baseboard or just pin them down with the track?
Hey...when I was younger and had a model railroad like this, I mixed a lot less glue and mixed it in a spray bottle of some sort and just sprayed it...worked quite well! I like this method too though since you don't end up spraying onto the tracks and such :)
@BlueberryJunction Basically I use the same method. However it is important the you cover up the switching part of the point as well as masking the point blades. I used insulating tape to do this. I might do a video about it but i can't promise anything because i've already recieved a number of other request.
Wow, 11 years old but still great. I wish I had watched it before mine, I tried to clean the track after putting PVA down and sadly the track decided to ping up off the cork as I had only stuck that down with PVA :) Live and learn.
@BMR5ify If you use very old hornby track from the 1980s or 1990s then it could rust as it used to be made from steel. These days Hornby, Bachmann and Peco track it nickel silver and doesn't rust. If track does rust when ballasted then simply remove the rust from the running surface with a track rubber or very fine sandpaper. I use Peco streamline code 100 track if you were wondering.
I've always used pva for ballasting, i've not seen ballast done with copydex. As long as it dries clear I guess it would look the same. I have track pins but they are from before the ballast was applied. Once the ballast is dry you don't really need the track pins anymore.
You ever bumped the table or had to lean on it to get way over the other side? The trains also agitate it slightly when they roll past, the glue keeps it all in place and off the conductive parts.
Does the glue discolour the ballast at all? I remember using Peco ballast several years ago and it was a nice light grey but then when I applied the glue and the glue dried it turned dark grey permanently.
i did my very first ballast in N Gauge adopting this easy way.take your time and results show.everybody should watch this video before doing their own messy video's.
The stuff under the track is cork sheet which I use to give the track a raised profile. I have a video called "power and control" which shows you how the layout is wired up. I don't have any videos of progamming locos at the moment.
Hello there, handy video!, question, i have built layouts in the past using this method, however, when the glue dried although i ran a rail rubber on the running surface of the rails , i noticed that the glue got into the fishplates and caused the web of the rails to go a green colour and cause a slight rust, i did use to apply the glue a water sprayer like the one you used with water in it to begin with, but i filled this with a 50/50 mix of pva. water, and washing up liquid, still got rust.
@hihat101 I know the kind of green you’re talking about, it has appeared on my layout in a small number of places where I have soldered wire droppers to the rails. None of the fishplates have gone green though. What kind of track did you use nickel or steel? Nickel is much more resistant to corrosion, steel isn’t and might go very green.
Hi, I am now practising the ballasting on some test pieces of track. I have geoscenics stuff just now, but also have the stuff you have used on order. When I applied the glue the ballast tended to spread out a little at the shoulders. Why do you think this is? Was my glue too watery or too thick? Have you ever encountered this?, and if so could you offer some advice. Cheers. Dave
Hi Dave, this is a common occurrence if you have high shoulders at the edges of your track. I would suggest you apply a bead of neat PVA along each edge of where you want ballast to stop. Then apply the ballast and wet it slightly. Your PVA to water mix needs to be 50% water to glue. Then try to apply more in the centre of the track and let it naturally drain out to the edges. You can always apply more once it's dry if it needs it. Also don't forget the washing up liquid, it helps to avaiod the spreading. Hope that helps
Hi Richard, Yes this is great advice. My first attempts on short length of test tracks turned out well, they took a few days to dry up the cold loft though, so I will probably wait until spring to go for it in a big way. Quite pleased with my initial efforts, got some grey blend woodland scenic stuff today, think I will go with that! Perhaps I will do a video on it some day too lol. Cheers, Dave.
great video as usual. I thought i could get it cheaper than Woodland Scenics at £10. Looked at the internet but postage was high. Then found roofing grit from a roofing supplier, grey and brown mixed, 2 kg, £2
@Hartsock91 Cover the points up when you ballast the main part of the track. Ballast the point on their own using an eye dropper and don't spray the water on them.
In the late 1980s when the layout is set, quite a lot of the railway network was still wooden sleeper. Upgrading to concrete sleepers took place mainly in the 80s and 90s.
I NEED HELP! my layout is dc and one of my loco's, a 2-6-0 steam loco can't go round! and on some sections of the track my better loco (a class 08 0-6-0 diesel) can't travel there, i have checked all the connections and stuff, please help
Hello just another question, how would you ballast points? People are saying it jams when ballast get stuck in between the points and glue makes them stuck.
Hi. Nearing the end of my ballasting..its been a marathon. Did some today and mixed the pva with water and some fairy liquid as normal. Glue went down well and soaked in no problem. However when I returned to check it the sides of the track has a greeny tinge to them, which I had to scrape off with toothpicks. There remains some around the chairs but most of it I got off. What do you think this is? The glue was white, so how could this be the green fairy liquid?! Will the tracks paint ok over this green? Any suggestions? You ever had this? The ballast is fine, the dried glue that oozed out is clear, so this green is a bit of a mystery. It didn't happen when I glued the first section!
Hi Dave The green is common and I have it in places on my layout. It usually appears around areas where soldering has been done. You can paint over it no problem. I've done it many times.
Strange that my green is wider spread than the soldered bits, bowever this may have been the flux leaking along the tracks as I use a liquid flux pen. As long as it paints over, its fine. Thanks for your feedback once again! The ballast/gluing is nearing its final phase...however cutting the ballast around the platforms is a bloody nightmare! ;-0
One question and please answer if I make the glue water and fairy liquid does it give me the actull ballast or just the glue you used to give it a texture
I've ballasted the track and glued it, it's still wet, and the trains just stop where the ballast is layed down. What do I do? Do I need to wait until it's dry?
I wondered if adding a bit of dark acryrllic paint to the "mix" for the bit that goes down the four foot, would take some of the pain out of the weathering. Ready made diesel staining so to speak. Great vids by the way,
i have seen loads of these vids but most of the other vids say that you have to put the balast in the glue and put it on the track but i think that is just messy and you will get sticky but your way looks the best way to use
Hi i dont glue ballast just in case i need to get track up. Also i dont use cork it goes brittle. Dont use roll ballast it goes brittle quickly. interesting about Railmatch spray. I use a small paint brush to move ballast rather than a spoon. enjoyed it.
@EverardJunction yeah luckely enough it was only one strech thank god ! and the glue mixture just rolls off the ballst if it isn't wet so it ends up wasting glue thanks :) regards!
I went to East Lancashire Railway the other day and it's sparked my interest in building a model railway. In the last few days I have been watching your videos and it's given me the confidence to go ahead with it.
Really like this guy and how he speaks and explains things. After watching this film 100 times I've just finished trying it on my layout following his instructions word by word. I'm praying I've done it right.
Many thanks for this video. Clear, concise and easy to follow. Time taken to get the ballast "just right" prior to wetting and applying the glue mix is time well spent. Thanks for all the videos you have made. There is ALWAYS something to learn from them !
Nice job! Can't thank you enough for your videos. I'm just starting out with this hobby...and I've re-visited your videos many times as I start each step. Clear, practical instructions. Cheers!
Great tutorial. The clearest presentation I have seen. Thanks for the tip on the glue too, instead of buying the pre-made expensive stuff.
I watched your video, followed your instructions. Job done, looks great, no problems. Thank you very much. I think the key word is, patience.
Just used your method on my layout and it works perfectly. Found it a lot harder to remove ballast from the sleepers than it looked for you to do it but I'm sure I'll get better at it :) Thanks a lot.
Take a tip from the prototype rail engineers and “tamp” your ballast while its dry. I used one of my wife’s vibrators, a Eroscillator because it vibrated at a high frequency. The vibration settles the ballast into place nice and evenly then you just need to trim up the sides
Nik Morris 😂
Eros Cillator... LOL
I’d hate to see the size of a model rail enthusiasts wife’s vibrator 😅
Anyone thinking of trying what Nik Morris suggest tread carefully. I followed his example to the letter and my ballast shook off the train table :(, I suggest putting it on too a lower setting. Oh another piece of advice, if your layout is in the garden shed at the bottom of the garden watch your neighbour's don't see you bringing your newly acquired track shaker (vibrator), they might think your running a den of iniquity, especially if you have a lot of friends hang out in the shed. I think my reputation is ruined with in my local community, so tread carefully with this new toy.
Oh and don't let your wife know your using it in the loco shed, it can lead to all sorts of problem's with your marriage.
brilliant
This is just the sort of thing I needed to watch. Excellent guide!
@D335Media Unfortunatly I have now ballasted all points on the layout. I use the same method except i cover the moving bit with a piece of tape. Once the ballast is dry i remove the tape and add the ballast to that part and add the glue very carfully using an eye dropper.
@Hartsock91 I would pull the clip out as the water might corrode the metal contacts. The cork is about 50mm wide.
@EverardJunction , probably i would say as you stated earlier in one of your posts in that the track i had at the time was probably the steel type hornby did in the late 90's, most of the 1 st and 2nd radius curves i had were of the hornby type which were prone to accumilating this green film on the web of the rails, a great way to apply ballast, but on at least one of the layouts i have built over the last ten years i just left the ballast in the four foot loose and glued the cess or six foot
I modified several of my wagons to spread it over the track, and I only apply glue to the outside of the line, when a train goes over it it gives a nice affect, I re do the track every year
Brilliant explanation new to train layout so followed your instructions to the word. Worked a treat.
Great vid, thanks. Because I had a fairly large layout to ballast and not the finances to use Wood Scenics I had to look for an alternative. I use beach sand (free). Colours vary depending on which beach I go to here in Western Australia. Using the same tech as in your video and it looks great. Also I buy black sand to make coal loads. Again, thanks.
Hi just to say an excellent idiots guide to ballasting, helped me out doing my layout ballasting which I started today 👍🏻
@jmsschooner I use a normal track rubber to rub off the glue. After the glue is gone i use the CMX track cleaner.
No nonsense tutorial without the usual unless unrelated comments. Good job.
@gtacrusher123 Fairy liquid allows the glue to really soak into the ballast
just starting out with my first model, was worried about ballasting, this video has been very useful, thankyou very much, will be subscribing!
Great explanation. Very clear directions even a beginner like me could follow!
@Tennisman66 For normal track cleaning I use the CMX track cleaner, other track cleaning cars such as the dapol one also work well.
I'm going to use this method on my cased models, for the track bed they sit on. Really useful, thanks.
@gtacrusher123 The method I use is the most used way of ballasting, I have tried the other method you mention and it does work. The problem is its very messy and uses a lot of glue.
Just started modeling. This was a big help. Will be starting the ballasting process soon.
Simple, short and accurate. Very good video for beginers like, thank you very much for it !
Subscribed!!! Have spent the last hour watching your how to videos as I would really love to build a fiddle 5ft by 2ft board. Found all the tutorials immensely useful. :)
@samster412 It can make it abit quieter, but i use it for raising the track bed. It doesn't cost to much, a few pounds per roll i think.
Nice info.The key like you said is making sure the ballast is fully damp before the glue is applied.Thanks.
great video helped me no end with my ballasting. worked a treat and very impressed with result...
HI, do you have a set witdth which you cut your strips of cork? any particular shoulder wide for the ballast? also, do you glue cork to the baseboard or just pin them down with the track?
Hey...when I was younger and had a model railroad like this, I mixed a lot less glue and mixed it in a spray bottle of some sort and just sprayed it...worked quite well! I like this method too though since you don't end up spraying onto the tracks and such :)
@BlueberryJunction Basically I use the same method. However it is important the you cover up the switching part of the point as well as masking the point blades. I used insulating tape to do this. I might do a video about it but i can't promise anything because i've already recieved a number of other request.
Wow, 11 years old but still great. I wish I had watched it before mine, I tried to clean the track after putting PVA down and sadly the track decided to ping up off the cork as I had only stuck that down with PVA :)
Live and learn.
at around 2:15 saw eg's of areas done. there sb some brown to represent mud and dirt plus some green to represent shrubs ,grass and weeds
Exactly what I needed! I have looked at tons of youtube videos but to no avail. Thanks...Oooops...my bad...I mean a big CHEERS from the USA mate!
This is a really great video! I'm not so worried about ballasting for my first time now.
@BMR5ify If you use very old hornby track from the 1980s or 1990s then it could rust as it used to be made from steel. These days Hornby, Bachmann and Peco track it nickel silver and doesn't rust. If track does rust when ballasted then simply remove the rust from the running surface with a track rubber or very fine sandpaper.
I use Peco streamline code 100 track if you were wondering.
Really good clear talking instructions. Cheers! I will try this method with my small oo layout soon 👍
Excellent video. Thank you very much for your imput. It's the best I've see!
Also, due you have to mix with a paint brush or something the water, glue and fairy liquid because I could see the glue mix went all bubbly?
I've always used pva for ballasting, i've not seen ballast done with copydex. As long as it dries clear I guess it would look the same. I have track pins but they are from before the ballast was applied. Once the ballast is dry you don't really need the track pins anymore.
You ever bumped the table or had to lean on it to get way over the other side?
The trains also agitate it slightly when they roll past, the glue keeps it all in place and off the conductive parts.
You video explains clearly and logically the whole process. Thanx!
i use a eye dropper that you get at a supermarket or chemist to drop the glue since you can put little drops on hard areas to do like points.
Does the glue discolour the ballast at all? I remember using Peco ballast several years ago and it was a nice light grey but then when I applied the glue and the glue dried it turned dark grey permanently.
I get the Woodland Scenics stuff. I've used about 5 or 6 large bags/shakers
Another excellent video, I noticed you spray the water to damp down the ballast, have you ever tried spraying the ballast with the adhesive mix ?
i did my very first ballast in N Gauge adopting this easy way.take your time and results show.everybody should watch this video before doing their own messy video's.
The stuff under the track is cork sheet which I use to give the track a raised profile. I have a video called "power and control" which shows you how the layout is wired up. I don't have any videos of progamming locos at the moment.
Hello there, handy video!, question, i have built layouts in the past using this method, however, when the glue dried although i ran a rail rubber on the running surface of the rails , i noticed that the glue got into the fishplates and caused the web of the rails to go a green colour and cause a slight rust, i did use to apply the glue a water sprayer like the one you used with water in it to begin with, but i filled this with a 50/50 mix of pva. water, and washing up liquid, still got rust.
@bloodmarine77 Thanks mate, I hate ballasting. It takes ages to do and ages to dry once you've done it.
after i have but the ballast down then the mixture of water fl and clue can i reuse the track or will it not rip of.
@hihat101 I know the kind of green you’re talking about, it has appeared on my layout in a small number of places where I have soldered wire droppers to the rails. None of the fishplates have gone green though. What kind of track did you use nickel or steel? Nickel is much more resistant to corrosion, steel isn’t and might go very green.
Where do you get large quantities of Ballast??? Or do you bite the bullet and buy the pricy Shaker containers from Woodland Scenics?
@SuperBige62 Once track is ballasted it can be re-used, you do have to be very careful as it is easily damaged when it pulled up.
It can in small areas if you use a cheap glue. I weather the track afterwards anyway so it's not really an issue.
Do you use this method on points? would the glue not stop the point from moving when switched?
I did try this grey blended.It was okey.I recommended instead one part light grey and one part buff.Both of them in medium size from WS.
Hi, I am now practising the ballasting on some test pieces of track. I have geoscenics stuff just now, but also have the stuff you have used on order. When I applied the glue the ballast tended to spread out a little at the shoulders. Why do you think this is? Was my glue too watery or too thick? Have you ever encountered this?, and if so could you offer some advice. Cheers. Dave
Hi Dave, this is a common occurrence if you have high shoulders at the edges of your track.
I would suggest you apply a bead of neat PVA along each edge of where you want ballast to stop. Then apply the ballast and wet it slightly. Your PVA to water mix needs to be 50% water to glue. Then try to apply more in the centre of the track and let it naturally drain out to the edges. You can always apply more once it's dry if it needs it. Also don't forget the washing up liquid, it helps to avaiod the spreading.
Hope that helps
Hi Richard,
Yes this is great advice. My first attempts on short length of test tracks turned out well, they took a few days to dry up the cold loft though, so I will probably wait until spring to go for it in a big way.
Quite pleased with my initial efforts, got some grey blend woodland scenic stuff today, think I will go with that!
Perhaps I will do a video on it some day too lol.
Cheers, Dave.
Thanks, the stuff under the track is cork. It raises the track, makes it look a little more realistic.
great video as usual. I thought i could get it cheaper than Woodland Scenics at £10. Looked at the internet but postage was high. Then found roofing grit from a roofing supplier, grey and brown mixed, 2 kg, £2
I've just finished putting ballast on my layout but now no trains will run on it. How do I fix this?
If using a ballast spreader is it the same scenario
@BMR5ify No you don't need underlay, I use it the raise the track, thats all it's for.
I might try your way of gluing. Ive been trying Woodland scenic's liquid cement and its not doing the job
@Hartsock91 Cover the points up when you ballast the main part of the track. Ballast the point on their own using an eye dropper and don't spray the water on them.
Thanks for the video, I will commence Ballantine tomorrow , 👍👍👍👍🚂.
In the late 1980s when the layout is set, quite a lot of the railway network was still wooden sleeper. Upgrading to concrete sleepers took place mainly in the 80s and 90s.
Great job, thanks. What is washing liquid?
I NEED HELP! my layout is dc and one of my loco's, a 2-6-0 steam loco can't go round! and on some sections of the track my better loco (a class 08 0-6-0 diesel) can't travel there, i have checked all the connections and stuff, please help
hi i'm just curious how to do the ballast if you use foam underlay?
Hello just another question, how would you ballast points? People are saying it jams when ballast get stuck in between the points and glue makes them stuck.
Hi. Nearing the end of my ballasting..its been a marathon. Did some today and mixed the pva with water and some fairy liquid as normal. Glue went down well and soaked in no problem. However when I returned to check it the sides of the track has a greeny tinge to them, which I had to scrape off with toothpicks. There remains some around the chairs but most of it I got off.
What do you think this is? The glue was white, so how could this be the green fairy liquid?!
Will the tracks paint ok over this green?
Any suggestions? You ever had this? The ballast is fine, the dried glue that oozed out is clear, so this green is a bit of a mystery. It didn't happen when I glued the first section!
Hi Dave
The green is common and I have it in places on my layout. It usually appears around areas where soldering has been done. You can paint over it no problem. I've done it many times.
Strange that my green is wider spread than the soldered bits, bowever this may have been the flux leaking along the tracks as I use a liquid flux pen.
As long as it paints over, its fine. Thanks for your feedback once again! The ballast/gluing is nearing its final phase...however cutting the ballast around the platforms is a bloody nightmare!
;-0
I
What are the pros and cons for using cork underlay?
@108chicken I think you might have used a bit too much glue.
l got a train trak on a MDF board can l stick ballast on it and board away at night
@TheTrain700 As long as you are careful when lifting the track it can easily be re-used. I've done it with quite a few pieces of track.
@EastMidlandsSteam Yes use the same method, but make sure that you tape over the point blades so you don't get glue or water on them.
One question and please answer if I make the glue water and fairy liquid does it give me the actull ballast or just the glue you used to give it a texture
I've ballasted the track and glued it, it's still wet, and the trains just stop where the ballast is layed down. What do I do? Do I need to wait until it's dry?
I wondered if adding a bit of dark acryrllic paint to the "mix" for the bit that goes down the four foot, would take some of the pain out of the weathering. Ready made diesel staining so to speak. Great vids by the way,
Really helpful instructional video! Thanks for posting, shall be using this method on my new layout!
I tend to find if you do the scenery first, the excess ballast gets stuck in it and is difficult to remove.
Could you perhaps do one on ballasting over points mate? Great help so far.
I live in the USA, so would "washing up liquid" basically just be dish soap?
i have seen loads of these vids but most of the other vids say that you have to put the balast in the glue and put it on the track but i think that is just messy and you will get sticky but your way looks the best way to use
Did you bang in track pins before ballasting?
The smaller stuff will look different, so you might need to blend the two with some weathering around the track.
would everbuild 502 be OK as a suitable pva
@MrJezza31 Yes, it sort of shot out of the tube! I used it on other things after.
do you cover up the rails whilst doing it?
How thick do u need the cork under the track to be ?
When I do ballasting I don't use washing-up liquid and it seems to work better for me.
What is it in the liquid spray ?? Water and alcool ??
@itgamer100 Thanks, ballasting make a huge difference.
Hi i dont glue ballast just in case i need to get track up. Also i dont use cork it goes brittle. Dont use roll ballast it goes brittle quickly. interesting about Railmatch spray. I use a small paint brush to move ballast rather than a spoon. enjoyed it.
@EverardJunction yeah luckely enough it was only one strech thank god !
and the glue mixture just rolls off the ballst if it isn't wet so it ends up wasting glue
thanks :)
regards!
It says on the bag, woodland scenics medium grey. I got the large bag that cost about £10 from hobbycraft.
Can you use a pipette or something similar if you don't like syringes?