Ballast for portable layout

For our modular group we use cork roadbed, lay the ballast, spray with "wet" water, then dribble 50/50 white glue and water.   The key is to totally soak the ballast with glue, then go over it and soak it again.   We carry the modules vertically and generally bang them around a lot and they hold up well.  Initially you will lose a little ballast in areas that were not glued properly.  Just add some more ballast and soak it with glue as above.

Bob

If you just wanted to paint, this Design Master textured paint in Quarry looks nice- finishes with a texture that will look like ballast.

Well, I wound up picking up some cork roadbed and see how that goes for now.  I may end up painting it.  I made ties out of 1/8" balsa plywood and can't believe how much even that dresses my tubular track up.

Thanks

Chris

Properly glued (as described by Bob, above), your ballast will stay in place very well and will stand up to a good deal of handling.

These are the connectors for our modules.....track/roadbed/ballast.....Woodland Scenics' Scenic Cement or 50/50 white glue/water.

Here is Rustoleum Gray textured spray paint on roadbed.

This is what it looks like on the home layout.  Track/roadbed/paint BUT NO BALLAST.

Here's is a picture our our groups portable layout, with full ballast on roadbed.

These modules take a fair beating and from time-to-time need minor touch-ups.

Hope this helps.

Peter

Thanks for the photos and tips.  I think I'll go the painted cork route, that looks really good.  And then I can always ballast it later if I choose to.  The ties I made are thin enought that they'll look OK.  But then again, I'm not going for absolute realism, I just want to dress things up now that I'm starting from scratch.

Thanks again.