Laying Ballast Before Track

[Fishmanoz]

If you look at the TT:120 Getting Started Tips on setting up your layout, they recommend laying the ballast before fixing the track in position.

What do others think of this order of construction? It would seem to go against the OO advice that points need to be dead flat to ensure good running over them.

[HornbyKiwi]

I'd assume they are talking about some sort of foam rubber or cork as the ballast material. With that, you have no option but to lay the ballast down first. However, using the small chip material that is held in place with a water/PVA glue solution, no question you would place the track down first IMHO.

HK.

[RB51]

As the advice is to mix PVA with water it is clear that the loose type of ballast is being used. This is contrary to how most folk would do it as you would almost certainly end up with uneven track. In the dim and distant past I recall seeing a video using this method. Not how I would do it. R-

[P-Henny]

The video that RB refers to is still on the Hornby site...

https://uk.hornby.com/community/advice/how-video-series

This video pre-dates TT. It seems to be Hornby's idea that a novice will find it easier to ballast before track, as doing it the correct way (afterwards) takes a little more skill. When this video became known to the forum, it was forum consensus that the Hornby way was misguided and more likely to cause stock running issues. It (ballasting first) also IMO results with something that is not realistic in appearance.

[96RAF]

I suppose one way of laying under-ballast would be to lay it wet and snug the track down onto it. Others have reported laying the ballast per the Hornby videos and tamping it flat with a suitable tool such as gardeners use when planting seed pots. It is likely a quicker way than the usual pour on top method.

[Ande P]

I suppose one way of laying under-ballast would be to lay it wet and snug the track down onto it. Others have reported laying the ballast per the Hornby videos and tamping it flat with a suitable tool such as gardeners use when planting seed pots. It is likely a quicker way than the usual pour on top method.

 

 

Hmm, yeh that's a great idea actually.. but you would have to have it completely planned out and ready to go wouldn't you. Ok for a small set but doing anything of size you would struggle. Maybe someone clever can test this approach and do a comparison.

[Bulleidboy]

I can see lots of questions being raised on this forum as to why my trains are derailing etc., I followed Hornby's advice and laid the ballast down before the track - can you help?

Be preparedslightly_frowning_face

[TT-Man]

A method I used once for a test track that I set up was to use Febond PVA. The Febond is spread along the area that the track plus ballast will be laid. The track is then pressed into the Febond. While still wet the ballast is put on top of the track and then brushed to create a suitable shoulder and surface etc. As the track is not laid on top of the ballast there are no issues with unevenness. I only laid two parallel full flex track lengths using this method but it worked perfectly and at normal viewing distances looked just as good as the more laborious methods we are all familiar with.

Febond PVA is used by the building trade. It is very economical - you can pick up a 5 litre container for £12.90.

This method was not my idea. It was demonstrated in a video by the famous modeller Barry Norman (Lydham Heath, Inkerman Street etc.).

[RB51]

All those are great ideas [with the exception being the one put forward by Hornby] but bear in mind if you have below board wiring and/or point motors there will be a greater degree of forward planning required.

R-

[ntpntpntp]

Loose or wet ballast first and then laying the track on top is a really bad idea. Your track needs to be on a supportive flat surface so it's not bowed in the vertical plane at the track joints.

There's a reason the vast majority of modellers ballast after track laying :)

[Fishmanoz]

Not loose or wet in their method, ballast and allow to dry before laying track is their recommendation.

I agree it’s a bad idea.