ballast ?

[fran1942]

Does anyone have any suggestions for ballast ?
Rather than buying it from the model shop, surely there is all sorts of everyday materials that could be used instead for much cheaper.
Any ideas anyone ?
Thanks for the help.

 

[jim currie]

screened sand or sand blasting material, i use screened sand .

 

[Nomad]

I used play box sand from the local hardware store,$5.00 for 50#, and sift it.

 

[ejen34]

Used coffee grounds :thumb:

 

[TruckLover]

As grewsome said, play sand gets you the most bang for the buck!!:thumb:

 

[R. MARTIN]

What type of HO railroading are you into Fran? Rural? Urban? Makes a big difference in the ballast quality.

 

[fsm1000]

Run a magnet through the sand after you sift it to make sure ferrous materials do not get into your engines motors.
Just a thought.

 

[jasbourre]

You know those green or gray flower blocks you find at flower shops or the dollar store they work great, and will you are there they also sell many colours of sand you can use.

This is from Drew's lawout
"I use a bunch of different stuff for ground cover…A lot of it is natural…sifted dirt, ground up leaves, small twigs…I also use broken up bits of plaster that I paint to look like loose rock, & lately, I’ve started mixing wood ash with sifted dirt, & using that for ballast…I use bailing twine (jute) to make tall grass, & of coarse, there’s plenty of Woodland Scenics ground foam in there, too"

Pictures of his ground cover can be found at
http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=21976

hope this helps don't forget about the flower dept at Walmarts also, or other craft stores.