Trainslayer

Joe, If you want to try some top dressing ballast this spring give this a try. Go to your local feed store and ask for Red Cross Pigeon Grit. It has a better consistency and color than oyster shell chicken grit. Buy a bag or two to test with. Sprinkle some between and along the sides of a section of track and rub it level with your fingers. If you like the look then go for it. If you do go this route I recommend you finish it off with a watered down glue mixture to keep it from splashing out with a heavy rain. I use a 50-50 mix of water and Flexbond II that you can buy in gallon jugs. To help with spreading ballast what I did was fashion a spreader cup from a 10" piece of 4" diameter PVC pipe. Stand the pipe centered across a section of track, mark where the rails sit against the edge of the pipe then cut slots so the pipe will set down to the top of rails. Fill the pipe with ballast and spread away, finishing up with your finger tips our an old paint brush, use a spray bottle with water to lightly water the ballast and get the dust off the ties, then apply the glue mixture. Ron

Next time I'm in Branson area maybe I'll look you up. The people at Stoneworks (www.RRStoneworks.com) are in your area at Shell Knob and they have an outdoor layout.

I had 3% grade and used the Bachman 10 Wheeler, AristoCraft Alco RS3 and LGB 2-4-0 with little trouble. The LBG unit would only handle about 5 or 6 cars before bogging down. My new layout will also incorporate several live steam units and for that I would keep it no more than 2% grade. Good Luck.

I personally use AirWire by CVP Products. P.O. Box 835772 Richardson, Tx. 75083 www.cvpusa.com .

Engineer Joe, my method of laying track is to remove the sod 10 inches wide where the track will lay. Then fill and tamp the 2 to 3 inch trench in with decomposed granite(I get mine at Home Depot in 50 pound bags or delivered from materials yard by the ton) to about an inch above ground level. Then I lay the track and use Red Cross Pigeon Grit(I get it at the feed store) spread between and alongside the ties as ballast to hold the track.