Brummy's rubber balast

I used it on an elevated track over Midwest cork roadbed in 1997 and installed it the same as granite. I saturated it with "wet water" followed by a 50/50 mix of white glue and wet water. I later switched over to granite because the lightweight rubber when still dry tended, upon application, to jump around quite a bit more than granite.

Photo of Brumley's rubber ballast below on hi-speed crossovers as layout is being dismantled Oct. '09.

Scotie,

Some of those in favor of the rubber ballast say that it transmits a little less vibration to the tabletop and helps keep noise down.

The only con I've heard is that some people find it a little more difficult to get the water/glue mix to penetrate deeply, even with a wetting agent. The rubber particles near the surface tend to float around a little when you try to saturate them with "wet" water and the glue mix.

Jim

All I use now is Brummy's ballast. It is like what Right of way industries did many years ago. I am happy with the rubber ballast. My present layout has been up for 12 years and so far I have had no problems with ballast coming loose. To glue it down I use a mixture of 50/50 glue to water with dawn detergent mixed in with it. I use th bottle the glue comes in and I can dribble it on the ballast. So far I have had no problem with it soaking in to all the ballast..............Paul

I use rubber ballast from Scenic Express, not glued down. I started out with ballast from another manufacturer glued down. The noise level increased dramaticlly on the glued down ballast. I can still tell from two rooms away when the train reaches that portion of track.

I use the rubber ballast on my layout and I do not glue it down.

This subject came up a couple of weeks ago to glue or not to glue.

If I need to make a change or a repair I have a small shop vacuum that I simply suck up the ballast from the track where I need to make the repair.

Once the repair or change is finished I just simply put the ballast back down.

Been doing it this way for 20 years and four different layouts.

I have bought different sizes and colors of the ballast put it in a large mixing bowl and mixed it up by hand just to get some size and color variations.

As far as noise one end of my layout I am working on an engine terminal and sidings and the track thru this area is on cork road bed but no ballast yet.

I can close my eyes and tell when the train hit that section of the layout because of the noise difference.

The rubber ballast defiantly cuts down on the noise of a passing train.