How To Expert Tips Tips for successful ballasting

Tips for successful ballasting

By Cody Grivno | May 2, 2023

Put these time-tested techniques to use on your layout

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Color photo of HO scale figure by turnout with locomotive and boxcars in the frame.
Senior editor Cody Grivno ballasted the track on the HO scale Wisconsin & Southern layout, subject of a mutli-part series in the January through April 2008 issues of Model Railroader. Follow along as Cody shares his tips for successful ballasting. Model Railroader photo

OK, time for a show of hands. How many of you enjoy ballasting? That’s what I expected. Ballasting isn’t an aspect of the hobby most modelers enjoy. However, I’ve ballasted parts or all of several Model Railroader project layouts over the years, and I’ve come to enjoy adding those tiny granules to layouts.

When I joined the MR staff in the early 2000s, former Ad Sales employees Mike Brickl and Erik Bergstrom were dubbed the “Ballast Brothers” for the work they did on our HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy staff layout. When they left the company, I was handed the ballasting duties (most likely because I was the new guy). Instead of running out of the layout room screaming, I decided to take the opportunity and run with it.

Admittedly, some of my early efforts were a bit rough. You can ask David Popp about a few of the turnouts I glued shut along the way. But over the years I developed my skills, using previously published methods as a starting point and adding my own twists. I took it as a high compliment when Andy Sperandeo referred to me as “MR’s own ballasting ace” in our special issue How to Build Realistic Layouts: Freight Yards in 2007.

If you have ballasting work in your future, give these tips for successful ballasting a try. Before long, ballasting will become something you look forward to doing.

Types of ballast

Photo showing ballast from three manufacturers.
Scenic Express, Woodland Scenics, and Arizona Rock & Mineral are three companies that produce ballast. All three manufacturers offer their products in different colors and sizes. Cody Grivno photo

When you head to the scenery aisle of your local hobby shop, you’re going to see different brands of ballast. What are the differences? Mainly size, color, and material. If you’re layout re-creates a specific prototype, you’ll want to check out offerings from Arizona Rock & Mineral. The company produces scale ballast made from real rocks that’s designed to match specific prototypes.

If you’re looking for general purpose ballast colors, you have plenty of options. Woodland Scenics offers fine, medium, and coarse ballast in eight colors. The ballast, which contains tree nut byproducts, is a bit lighter than that made from real rocks. It tends to float away if you’re heavy-handed with wetting agents or scenery glue.

Scenic Express produces natural stone ballast in an assortment of colors. European manufacturers Busch, Faller, and Noch also offer ballast in their respective product lines, which are available from Wm. K. Walthers Inc.

Tools for ballasting

olor photo showing assorted paintbrushes, pipettes, and a spoon.
Two No. 8 flat paintbrushes, 1” and 2” foam paintbrushes, pipettes, and a plastic spoon are Cody’s go-to ballasting tools. Cody Grivno photo

You need tools for ballasting? Yes, but not that many: Two paintbrushes, two foam paintbrushes, a spoon, and pipettes.

I use the two paintbrushes to spread ballast in the gauge and apply glue to the shoulders. I’ve been using the pair of No. 8 flat brushes shown above for years. Find brushes with stiff bristles (soft bristles don’t hold up well, especially if they’re used for ballasting). You may need smaller or larger brushes depending on the scale you’re modeling in. Though you could get away with one brush, I prefer having separate brushes for dry and wet work.

I turn to foam paintbrushes for shaping the ballast on the shoulders. The bevel on the foam brushes is similar to the profile on most commercial roadbed, making it easy to get crisp, angled edges. The 2” brush works well for most applications. The 1” brush is handy for tight spaces.

I use a spoon to apply ballast. Though you can use cups, container lids, and sieves, among other items, I find a spoon easier to control. The pipettes work well for applying wetting agents and scenery glue in a controlled manner.

Wetting agents and glue

Color photo of scenery glues, white glue, and matte medium.
Commercial scenery glues include Deluxe Materials Ballast Bond and Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement. You can also make your own scenery glue by diluting white glue or matte medium with water. Cody Grivno photo

Securing ballast to the layout requires a two-step process. First, I apply a wetting agent to break the surface tension of the ballast. My go-to product is 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, which you can find at drug stores and big-box retail stores. Make sure you work in a well-ventilated area when using isopropyl alcohol and follow all printed safety instructions.

Another option is to use wet water. That’s water with a few drops of liquid dish soap added. Though some modelers have successfully used wet water for years, I’ve never had much luck with it. I find the alcohol does a better job of penetrating the ballast.

Similar to wetting agents, there are off-the-shelf and home-brewed options for scenery glue. Since many of my projects are deadline driven, I use Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement. The water-based, ready-to-use adhesive is non-toxic and dries to a matte finish. Deluxe Materials Ballast Bond and Micro-Mark Scenery and Ballast Cement are two other ready-to-use options.

White glue and matte medium can also be thinned with water for use as scenery glue. Suggested mixing ratios vary. For white glue, published ratios I’ve read include equal parts glue and water, 2 parts water to 1 part white glue, and 4 parts water to 1 part white glue.

Some of the ratios I’ve read for matte medium are 2 parts water to 1 part matte medium, 1 part water to 2 parts matte medium, and 1 part water to 4 parts matte medium. In both cases you’ll want to test ratios to find which one works best for you. Some modelers will also add a drop or two of liquid dish soap to each batch of homemade scenery glue as a wetting agent.

Ballasting the gauge

Color photo showing ballast being applied to HO scale track.
Cody first applies ballast to the gauge of the track with a spoon. He finds the spoon easier to control than other ballast application tools. Jim Forbes photo

I almost always start by ballasting the gauge, the name for the area between the rails. First, I use a spoon to apply the ballast. I sprinkle in enough granules to get the ballast to roughly the tops of the ties.

Color photo showing ballast being spread with a paintbrush.
Cody then spreads the ballast using a No. 8 flat paintbrush. He also uses the brush to remove the granules from the tie tops and web of the rail. Jim Forbes photo

Next, I use a No. 8 flat paintbrush to distribute the granules. On mainline track, my goal is to get the granules off the tie tops and out of the web of the rail. On sidings and in yards it’s OK if you leave some ballast on the ties. Notice in the photo above there are a few low spots between the ties. I just pinch a few granules between my fingers to fill in those spots. I pass over the ballast a second time with a paintbrush to clean stray granules off the ties.

Color photo of wetting agent being applied to ballast.
This image, from a different project, shows how Cody applies the isopropyl alcohol from the sides using a pipette. This method reduces the chances the carefully applied granules will be disturbed. Model Railroader photo

Once I finish ballasting the gauge, I use a pipette to wet the granules with isopropyl alcohol. I apply the wetting agent from the sides. This allows it to soak in from the edges, reducing the chances the alcohol will leave craters in the ballast or wash the granules out from between the ties. I use the same technique when applying the Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement.

Working on the shoulders

Color photo of ballast being sprinkled into glue with a spoon.
Cody uses a multi-step process for the shoulders. First, he applies diluted white glue with a paintbrush. Then he sprinkles in a light layer of ballast with a spoon. Jim Forbes photo

I use a different technique for the shoulders. First, I spread diluted white glue from the tie ends to the base of the roadbed with a paintbrush. While the glue is still wet, I sprinkle on a light layer of ballast with a spoon. Work in manageable areas so the glue doesn’t dry before you can apply the ballast. I use a shop vacuum to clean up any loose granules.

Color photo of ballast being shaped with foam paintbrush.
Cody then applies a second layer of ballast to the shoulders. He uses 1” and 2” wide foam paintbrushes to shape the ballast. Jim Forbes photo

After the glue dries on the first layer, I apply a second layer of ballast to the shoulders. Then, using the beveled edge of the foam paintbrush, I shape the ballast to the contour of the roadbed. As before, I remove the granules from the tie tops and the web of the rail. The flat edge of the foam brush works well for shaping the ballast, too.

Color photo of scenery glue being applied to ballast with a pipette.
To ensure the scenery glue thoroughly saturates the ballast, Cody applies it from the tie ends and the base. Once he sees white between the granules, he knows the ballast is saturated. Jim Forbes photo

As before I use isopropyl alcohol and Scenic Cement to secure the ballast on the shoulders. First, I seat the pipette against the web of the rail and apply the wetting agent from the top, letting it wick down.

As the alcohol soaks in from above, I apply more isopropyl alcohol along the base of the ballast, letting it wick up. I use the same process when applying the Scenic Cement.

Specialty work

Color photo of scenery glue being applied to ballasted turnout.
Cody uses a pipette to apply scenery glue to the ballast on an HO scale turnout. He keeps a paper towel handy to wick up the excess glue around the switch rod, points, and heels. Cody Grivno photo

Ballasting turnouts can be tricky, but it’s achievable. Since there are moving parts, I apply the ballast a bit below the tops of the ties. I distribute the granules with a paintbrush and move the points to make sure there are no bare spots.

As with the gauge, I apply the wetting agent and glue from the edges. I keep a paper towel handy to wick up any glue that gets between the switch rod and headblocks, in the heels, and between the points and stock rails.

Color photo of ballasted yard tracks with additional weathering and scenery.
Oil and grease stains, spilled aggregates, and sprouting grain further enhance the ballast in this yard scene. Cody Grivno photo

Ballasting doesn’t have to be complete once the glue is dry. Airbrush weathering and other scenery materials can be used to further enhance the realism of your track. The photo above shows an HO scale yard diorama I built several years ago. Notice how I used an airbrush with thinned black paint to simulate oil and grease drippings in the gauge.

On yard and industrial tracks you often see evidence of spilled loads. I used a slightly larger ballast to simulate spilled aggregates. The static grass and ground foam capture the look of spilled grains that are starting to sprout.

One thought on “Tips for successful ballasting

  1. I prefer to do ballasting after any other scenery treatment in the area is done. That way there is no plaster ridge buildup along the track and the ballast is on top of the surrounding ground. On the prototype the ballast is the last thing added to the scene, at least until the weeds start encroaching.

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