Whilst trying to decide on which colour ballast to use on my model railroad, I studied photographs we took on Tehachapi and Cajon passes. Tehachapi (UP) has grey, whilst Cajon (BNSF) has a reddish colour, on their tracks, and it is again grey on the UP (ex-SP) track. So I assume that UP and BNSF use different quarries/type of stone. Does anyone have any info? Thanks.
Alan, since there are so many variables that cause ballast colors, there are no "rules". 1 - Quarry geology, as you mentioned. 2 - Age of ballast in place, and the effects of natural dirt, cargo spills, oil, air pollution, etc. 3 - Location of specific scene, e.g. main, branch, or rarely used line; yards can be filthy, some yards have no visible ballast; grass and weeds obscuring ballast; etc. 4 - Time period being modelled. In the US, you could consider three distinct periods: Pre-WWII - hand labor with care and pride; 1950-1980 - low point in industry, losing money, bad moral, over-regulated; Modern - de-regulated growth industry with modern automated rail/ballast maintenance equipment. Above all, look at lots of real tracks and photos and enjoy your results Hank [ 07 March 2001: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
UP uses what is called decomposed granite which is a brownish pink color in Nebraska and Wyoming. My guess is that it would be different in California. BNSF uses a grayish colored ballast around here.
around here CSX uses *all natural * Limestone (and coal spilled from hopper cars ) for ballast. GOOD LUCK!!
While we're on this subject, I noticed that the ex PRR middle division in Pennsylvania use a darker color ballast. Anyone know what they use and what would be a good mixer of Woodland Scenicks ballast that would come close to what they use? thanks
Dave, check out Arizona Rock and Mineral. They have a variety of ballast for most prototypes. I just got my order today from them, and I am very pleased! I went with the "CSX, ESPEE, WABASH" mix. Check out the site, they have photos of the different types and the prices are reasonable. http://www.northlink.com/%7Eazrock/index.html
Funny that you asked this becouse I have been ballesting track for the last 12 hrs today using one of BNSF's Ex. ATSF unit remote control hydraulic ballast trains. I caught a work train off the Extra Board this week and have been dumping rock in Stockton at BNSF's new intermodal yard. I have been kitbashing a unit train of these cars for the last few months and may try casting some in resin if I can ever finnish. The rock that BNSF has been using out west since around '86 or '87 has been coming from the Newberry quarrey near Barstow CA. It is Mauve in color. Arizona Rock & Minneral makes this exact color for AT&SF or BNSF applications. It is also suggerstd to represent C&NW's "Pink Lady" ballast, although I have never seen that in person. Out in California the AT&SF (BNSF) ballast is a mix of black cinders and white quartz on the sub grade with a spread of new "mauve" Newberry ballast over the top along and between the ties. This is somtimes all mixed together where undercutting operations have taken place. Arizona Rock & Mineral also makes the quartz & cinder. I like their products because they are the closest match to what I model, (BNSF in California), and they size is smaller and more uniform than woodland scenics. You are right about UP's ballast, it is grey up on the Tehachapi pass. Right now I know of two quarreys in California on the UP. The one near Oroville on the Feather River Canyon and the one on the Ex SP Ione branch. The stuff out of the one near Oroville is grey and the stuff from the Ione branch is bluish grey to green. Not too shure on the UP ones though.
Check this out, guys - http://www.chucksballast.com/ This is a local (Australian) manufacturer of ballast using material sourced from the actual quarries and is available in different sizes. It is New South Wales, Australia, based but offers a few shades that would be usable in the examples Brian (welcome to TrainBoard!) cites (the Marulan ballast reminded me of C&NW's Pink Lady when I saw it). No affiliation with the above - haven't used it as yet. Gary.
