16 replies since #9's last. Guess we'll have to wait and see if and what he decides.
How do you bring yourself to ballast/weather the track?
- Thread starter number9
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goscrewyourselves
I'm the one
Guess so Toot'n.
Well, there is a lot to digest here, and a lot of good information about ballasting track too. I suspect that I will have to take a wait and see approach. Clearly the building of the roadbed will have to wait until I get the basement walls fixed, as they will attach to the walls. This may be an opportunity to paint the walls like the D&J railroad pics show. This will also cause me some pain in terms of lost money and lost space (if the wall fixing uses 6" on each side, that is a foot off of the model railroad layout that I loose). Fixing the space is less straightforward than putting up insulating panels and sheet rock due to the way it is laid out. I would think I might be done sometime next year with it.
I am sure a lot of people think a year is nothing on the scope of things, and you may be correct, but I will have to think hard about shelving the engines and track for over a year. I could sell them (they are all new in the box) to finance the rebuilding of the basement. Someone noted what would I do if I did not put trains in the basement. Well, I used to do a lot of woodworking, and have most of my tools. I could just start doing that again. I am no longer sure I want to dedicate the amount of time, space and money it takes to start enjoying this hobby.
While there is the local club, I think some of the regulations do not match up with my ideals (you bring engines and you leave them there and they own them. For some reason I am not cool with that.)
Thanks for all of the input.
I am sure a lot of people think a year is nothing on the scope of things, and you may be correct, but I will have to think hard about shelving the engines and track for over a year. I could sell them (they are all new in the box) to finance the rebuilding of the basement. Someone noted what would I do if I did not put trains in the basement. Well, I used to do a lot of woodworking, and have most of my tools. I could just start doing that again. I am no longer sure I want to dedicate the amount of time, space and money it takes to start enjoying this hobby.
While there is the local club, I think some of the regulations do not match up with my ideals (you bring engines and you leave them there and they own them. For some reason I am not cool with that.)
Thanks for all of the input.
goscrewyourselves
I'm the one
Darn, what's the name of that Club ... would certainly be one for people to be aware of if they have those sorts of regulations. How do they enforce that sort of regulation? Would love to see them try to make me leave one of my engines there ...
marriedshades
Member
You ever thought of ballast the road bed and lay you track on top and nail it down. I proto typical new track is on top the ballest. As for painting its your track do what you like you only need to inpress yourself. And you may take one small piece of track and ballast and paint and like what you see or not. And decide you want to do all your track.
I think I made it sound a lot harsher than it is. I also don't know all of the specifics, and zero of their members seem to have any issues with it.
marriedshades noted that some people ballast the roadbed and then lay the track on top of that. I am guessing that you would glue the ballast down (after flattening it) and then nail/tack the track on top of that. That is an interesting idea. I will admit this thread has turned into a "can I even do it now", at least in my mind, however some of the ballast ideas are quite interesting.
I wonder if anyone else has ballasted roadbed and then put the track on top. I would be interested to see a picture of how that turned out.
marriedshades noted that some people ballast the roadbed and then lay the track on top of that. I am guessing that you would glue the ballast down (after flattening it) and then nail/tack the track on top of that. That is an interesting idea. I will admit this thread has turned into a "can I even do it now", at least in my mind, however some of the ballast ideas are quite interesting.
I wonder if anyone else has ballasted roadbed and then put the track on top. I would be interested to see a picture of how that turned out.
Darn, what's the name of that Club ... would certainly be one for people to be aware of if they have those sorts of regulations. How do they enforce that sort of regulation? Would love to see them try to make me leave one of my engines there ...
Nothing wrong with taking a step back and thinking things over. I'd double check that club rule. While nothing is impossible with a private club, that would be very unusual. I think what they might have meant is that if you leave engines or rolling stock on the club layout it is subject to use by the general membership. My club has that rule, and we require that members treat other member's equipment "better than their own". If you don't want other members using your stuff, just lock it up (we have lockers) or take it home. I have quite a bit of rolling stock and several locomotives on the club layout and nobody has ever damaged anything. it really depends on the members. I have had very positive experiences with the clubs I've belonged to over the years, but I did shop carefully!
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Ha, they obviously had lots of problems with people leaving equipment on the club layout. I experienced that once. We arrived for an operating session only to find one of the main yards totally clogged up with one of the member's equipment (one who did not show up for the operating session of course). Took 30 extra minutes to get that stuff out of the way and set up. We had public standing there waiting for trains to run.
Beachbum
Member
I'll add a dissenting voice - I don't like to ballast - it's a PITA IMO - therefore I don't. For me the color/texture of cork roadbed is close enough to give an illusion of ballasted track. I might change my mind eventually, but for now I'm satisfied and relatively stress free hobby-wise.
Somewhere there's a thread where the OP uses Rustoleum stone effects spray paint on his cork and lays his track on that.
That also sounds interesting. I will admit upfront that I purchased a boatload (336 linear feet) of this stuff: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Woodland-Scenics-HO-ST1474-Track-Bed-Roll-24-p/woo-st1474.htm
I am not really sure why I purchased that over cork, but probably because when I did cork (I will admit, years ago) it became brittle and was a little crumbly.
I am not really sure why I purchased that over cork, but probably because when I did cork (I will admit, years ago) it became brittle and was a little crumbly.
