I was wondering if anyone has thoughts on when to put the ballast down. I have heard it should be the last thing you do. Others have suggested it should go down before the surrounding ground cover. Not quite sure about the pros and cons of the timing. Sounds like a job you don't want to do more than once.
Ed Kazarian
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I ballasted when I was done,it took a long time with tubular track because of the distance from the rail to the roadbed.
Mikey
You can do ballast and ground cover in either order. I prefer to do the ballast first, because then the ground cover looks like its grown into the edge of the ballast bed, rather than the ballast laying over the ground cover. The ballast also tends to bounce around more than foam ground cover, so its easier to contain and shape it without the ground foam already down.
I have done ballast both ways. I think which ever way works best. The last sections I did I ballasted first then added plaster. It took a bit longer to stay neat but I was working with a soupy mix of plaster so it spread easily...........Paul
I prefer to ballast before any groundscapeing and after I have rust-painted the rail sides.
Just realized that I have not thanked you guys for your replies. I hope mine comes out half as good as yours!
Ed
First, I wait a while after laying down track not only so I can see if it all runs steady and true, etc., but to run for a week or two to make sure I like the new track arrangement, etc.
I prefer to do my ballasting after I have added grass and bushes, etc., near the track. After all, that is how it is the the real world, the land came first, and it had grass and such growing on it when the track was put down and ballasted. Ballast on top of the ground, grass, etc.
I have to regulate things on my railroad construction. Its a part of my 13 step OCDS layout building technique:
1) Benchwork
2) Lay plywood roadbed structure
3) Lay cork roadbed
4) Install tracks and switches
5) Pull cable wires
6) Install feeders and block wiring
7) Run all sizes of trains and root cause wiring, track, and clearance issues
7) Create all foam landscape features
8) Add plaster rock walls and "mud" for scenic land contours
9) seal with paint
10) Ballast track, scenery foam, and trees
11) Paint track
12) Clean track
13) Run trains
It depends on your access to the track. If the track will be toward the back of the table and you will be reaching over finished scenery you are better off ballasting first. My preference is to ballast first, but that is primarily to get it over with, but that isn't always possible. In the photo, ballasting on top of the rock was done (Obviously!) after the rock wall was put in place. Ballasting on the lower tracks was done prior to adding scenery.
Trainfun - Wow! That's as nice a PW picture as I've ever seen. Magazine cover quality.
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J Daddy - Good list. I wish I was that methodical.
Personally I laid some ballast to see if I was on the right track and because I was tired of seeing incomplete areas. I ballasted some areas that I thought I would not have to disturb, but I will have work around one area because I became over enthusiastic.
I ballast early in the day.
I'm too darn tired at night.
I have generally found it easiest to ballast the track after it's been laid.
Personally I like to ballast on Tuesday....I don't know why. 
It depends...if it is to represent track that has recently been maintained then I ballast after the other scenery so it gives the illusion of ballasting ater the vegetation has been growing. If it is to represent a well used main line, then I ballast first and add the grass and brush afterwards so it looks as if the grass and such is growing back up and around the ballast.
I have generally found it easiest to ballast the track after it's been laid.
I generally sleep after . . . oh, wait . . . never mind.
After building several layouts in HO and O scale-2 rail, here
is my order of construction. Large layout bias.
0) Collect and prepare motive power and rolling stock
1) Layout Drawing
2) Benchwork
3) Sub-roadbed
4) Roadbed and mainline track
5) Basic electronics so you can run a train
6) Sidings, spurs, additional eletronics
7) Signal system
8) Run trains a lot to work out kinks
9) Operating system, car cards etc.
10) Backdrop
11) Layout structures and structure footprints
12) Basic scenery hard shell
13) Rock castings
14) Basic scenery foam and ground cover
15) Track ballast
16) Trees
17) Layout skirt and pictures for layout room
18) Details, details, details
19) Layout cleaning and maintenance
20) Layout upgrades, you will never finish!
My thoughts,
ncng
Well at least I'm getting step # 0?? done.
Uh oh. That took several years. I don't think I'll finish!
Looks like people do what they feel will accomplish the job for them. I always thought to do like real life, the ground/dirt came first and the tracks 2nd. I like the idea of the road bed rock covering the weeds and plants that will look like they are growing up in the roadbed.
Just reviewing the replies again after I have started some ballasting. You guys really have some great looking track!
Ed Kazarian
So will you . . . so will you. Just follow the suggestions made here and take your time. That seems to be all it takes, really,
I have generally found it easiest to ballast the track after it's been laid.
I generally sleep after . . . oh, wait . . . never mind.
Lee!! 
.............
....and here I thought you were going to give Martin a dose of your own profile perspective on the idea of ballasting track BEFORE it's laid!!...
"If no one has ever done it that way before, it might be fun to try!"
You know....like using Simple Green for cleaning track???
KD
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