How to clean ballast off of Ross Track?

Water in a spray bottle to soften the glue. it's likely to be white glue.

You can use "wet water" ( water with a few drops of dish detergent) and/or isopropyl  alcohol in a spray bottle. Spray it on let it sit and brush it off with a stiff paint brush.  

Fill a wall paper tray with 91% alcohol, throw the track in, wait a bit. Most of it will probably just fall off. A couple good wraps against something should take off the rest, or hit it with some compressed air.

If that doesnt work, try brake cleaner. 

Thanks for the replies. In thought using water with a spray bottle would be the route to go. I was just apprehensive with the wooded ties.

 

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Paul

PaulB posted:

Thanks for the replies. In thought using water with a spray bottle would be the route to go. I was just apprehensive with the wooded ties.

 

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Paul

The ties may suffer some. I think that you'll find how much wetting will be needed through trial and error.

I don't understand why folks glue the ballast when it's not a portable layout.

The preferred mixture of water and white glue seems to be 50/50.This is exactly why I use 25% glue and 75% water.Im constantly changing/improving my layout.I spray with a 25/75 mix of water and isopropyl and the stuff falls right off when I am in the process of re installing track. Nick

Moonman posted:

PaulB posted:

Thanks for the replies. In thought using water with a spray bottle would be the route to go. I was just apprehensive with the wooded ties.

 

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Paul

The ties may suffer some. I think that you'll find how much wetting will be needed through trial and error.

I don't understand why folks glue the ballast when it's not a portable layout.

Re  gluing ballast on a non-portable layout....my sentiments exactly!    And this situation is just one of several reasons why I won't/don't.  But, TEHO, always.

BTW, you'll want to THOROUGHLY dry out the track....quickly!...after any water-based removal technique.  Or else corrosion of the rails and 'spikes' (steel staples holding the rails to the ties on Ross trackwork) will set in, further disappointing the appearance and perhaps causing electrical issues down the road.

KD

Remodel work to add a couple of three-way switches. If the ballast wasn't a concern, and didn't interfere, it remained on the switch.  

I vacuumed the loose ballast and used it again.  Liberal application of diluted white glue. The bigger chunks fall apart with a little finger massage.

A couple of the 101 switches were re-positioned.

After some airbrush touch-up with railroad tie brown.  Before airbrush work, I cleaned the track lightly with lacquer thinner, to remove glue and any out of place ballast.

I leave my ballast loose except a bead of white glue outside the ties to hold it in place. This technique allows you to re-use most of the ballast by vacuuming it up. Be sure to clean and put a new filter in the vac before sucking up the ballast. I’m not worried about ballast coming in contact with trains because I have high tubular track, but this method should work with lower track if the ballast is carefully applied.