Color / mix of ballast

I'm not a believer in salt and pepper coloration of a blended ballast. I want definite colors to denote mainline and another for lesser trackage such as shown in this photo. The main uses a nice version of limestone and the passing siding uses a color similar to a cinder ballast. Both from Brennans Better Ballast if your shopping for some.

what are your favored ways of applying and fixing ballast?

Neither am I. The variation in color of real ballast would not be visible at the scale distances at which we view our ballast. Natural shadows and highlights in our over-sized ballast particles provide enough variation IMO.

Also, I vary the color on different parts of the layout. For example, red rock country on my layout has brownish ballast while the eastern part has gray.

I use the standard method of ballasting. Spread ballast. Spray thoroughly with wet water. Soak with dilute 1:1 white glue mix.

Jim

I have to agree with Bob and Jim.  I wish I paid more attention to ballast color when doing my layout.

Dave

I use a gray blend of light and medium. Because that's prototypical for this neck of the woods.

Is that salt 'n' pepper?

myself I really like scenic express SE 1212 #12 high rail O-Scale its a nice blend of white and black Ballast  

Vince

Nope...

But let me see a picture just to be sure.

Just as an aside, if you can't find exactly what you are looking for, it is easy to tint ballast by shaking it up in a jar with the I/A mixture of your choice.

--Pete

You can also add some dilute acrylic paint to your glue mix to tint the ballast...or you can wait until the ballast glue is totally set and then brush a wash of dilute acrylic paint over everything - brings ties, ballast and rail color together nicely. 

Jim

I'm using 3 parts woodland scenics grey, to 1 part light grey, (essentially white). I initially started ballasting with just the grey but it looked a bit bland,adding a bit of the light grey really makes the ballast "pop",and looks much better to me. When I weather the track I plan to "wash the ballast" as Jim has suggested to tone down the "salt and pepper" effect. Regardless, at least here in the heart of the midwest,the Chicagoland area, there are any number of ballast colors, some just plain white,to the most extreme mix of color of red, orange, brown, and grey, almost like decorative landscape rock. I personally don't think any blend of color would be "wrong". I'm guessing railroads use whatever is available in a particular area.

This is the best I could do. I don't seem to have pictures where I concentrated on the ballast.

I would like to offer my exception to the "blended" ballast discussion. I model the Fernwood Columbia & Gulf, a Mississippi shortline. I walked many miles of their track as a teenager. Although there was very little ballast that was visible, it was blended. I believe the reason for this was that new ballast was added as needed and smoothed out and blended with the old dirty ballast. In some instances gravel was added to the mix because it was readily available.

The GM&O used gravel on many south end sections of their rails. It was a bad decision because it held water and rotted the ties much faster.

I also remember walking the IC in south MS and it was all gray ballast that was fairly well maintained. That ballast was pretty much all the same shade, in other words it did not appear to be blended.

I love discussions like this,

Malcolm

Blended in a subtle way such as shown above on Vulcans railroad is quite commonplace. I think the hard hitting black/white appearence unless very carefully addressed will come off looking like a decoration instead of a prototype maintenence material. I have areas where I end one color and start blending in a different one since the prototype will do such treatment when they make track repair and use whatever ballast was available without regard to color matching. Ballast can definitely be a complimentary scenic material, but also can spoil otherwise interesting trackwork...some thought beyond just what was cheap and available is very worthwhile in the end.

Bob

I put a little curry & ginger into mine....

But, sometimes I use a little cinnamon...

I like a basic color range, as opposed to a "salt and pepper"look. The ballast on my modules is a medium to lighter gray mix. I had a chance to look at a number of layouts before I made up my mind.