N scale Ballast

[ngoody]

How many feet of N scale track can one expect to balllast using the Woodland Scenics shaker (32oz) bottles?  How would this compare the using real rock ballast ie feet per pound>
thanks

[GaryHinshaw]

A pint is a pound the world around.  Does that help?  Sorry, just being a smart alec.

The length of track that can be ballasted by a quart of material depends on how high and deep you ballast, but we could try to estimate it.  To keep things simple I'll use metric units and assume a ballast cross section of 0.25 cm (0.1") high by 3 cm (1.2") wide.  Since 1 ft ~ 30 cm, we need 0.25*3*30 = 22.5 cc (cm^3) of ballast per foot of track.  Now 1 qt ~ 1 liter = 1000 cc, so the length of track that can be ballasted with this is:

L = 1000 cc / (22.5 cc/ft) = 44.44 ft.

Of course it's meaningless to quote the decimal places here since my estimate of the cross sectional area is probably uncertain by a factor of ~2.  FWIW, I have a quart of Smith & Sons rock ballast that I'm guessing weighs about 2 pounds (so a pint *is* about a pound...) so I figure you'll get ~22 feet per pound of rock.  YMMV.

[Walkercolt]

I've only seen WS ballast in the 6 oz. bags. And believe me, we've tried to buy it from them in bulk...no go. Code 80 Atlas flextrack on cork road bed, our "track gang" uses about 6 Oz. in about 18 feet of "mainline". If you're using Atlas code 55 or Micro-Enginering track, it'll go lot's futher because the ties are thinner. I haven't a clue on real rock ballast, but I think it takes alot more than you expect.

[bobcat]

[Walkercolt]

None of our three main distributors show anything but the little bags(????). I will call WS direct about the "shakers", if i can get out of my driveway Wed. We're having a good-ole' Okie ice-storm! 1-2" of glare ice accumulations possible by Wed AM. I can handle driving on it slow and carefully and choosing the correct route, but the IDIOTS who blow by me +30MPH then JAMB ON THEIR BRAKES ON A STEEP DOWN-HILL GRADE and get side-ways and backwards, richocet off 2-3 other things before stopping in front of me, raise my pulse and blood pressure.