Ballast colors and choices - why small internet pics are bad

[Philip H]

so I'm now at the lay ballast stage, and I want to use real rock products on this layout.  The KCS Yahoo group folks were kind enough to work with me on ballast composition for Baton Rouge between 1985 and 1995 - granite - but none of them had a good picture I can work from.  Closest I can get is from just south of Alexandria, LA (north of North Baton Rouge).

http://flic.kr/p/5p5gxq

So, browsing the intertubes, I have come up with a couple of options:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/330-21
This is High Ball Z scale lite gray - probably small enough and seems to me to be the right color; or

http://www.rrscenery.com/Photos/index/Links/AZROCK5.html
using the CSX/Southern Pacific/Waback medium grey in N scale.

Problem is neither of the photos are big enough for my slightly color-blind self to distinguish coloration and size, etc.
Anyone care to help me sort out what I can't see?

[Mark5]

I like the Highball stuff - MBK sells it so if you can make it up there you can see it yourself.

[lashedup]

Arizona Rock and Mineral Pennsy is the color we use on our modutrak modules and looks like a decent match for the proto photo you linked to:

[sizemore]

That proto photo needs some magenta color correction to be right to my eye (on my monitor).

The S.

[kalbert]

I am mostly pro Internet, but in the case of ballast shopping not at all. It's just to hard to tell what is what in the awful tiny pictures taken in who knows what kind of light. Thrown in that everybody's monitor is calibrated different and you've got a total crap shoot as to what it's going to be.

Albeit a big bag of ballast under the pinkish/yellowish fluorescent lights in the shadows at ye olde hobby shoppe doesn't give much indication of what color it will actually be either, at least it gives you an idea of how coarse, what shape, how transparent, etc.

[Rossford Yard]

I have never been happy using just one color ballast. I think you need to consider mixing a main color 2/3 to a minor color 1/3 or maybe invest a few bucks and go 60/30/10 to get just what looks right to your eye.

I love the highball stuff, but it was hard to find, so I used WS and mixed buff and light grey 50-50 and added a touch of darker grey.  It looks like that Pennsy ballast with perhaps a touch of dark grey could do the trick to match the photo.  But, its your eye that has to be pleased.  Don't add to much of the minor color at a time. Its easy to overdo it.  Yeah, ballast is cheap but it gets frustrating to have to buy another bag just to add back a wee bit of base color......

BTW, don't forget that if it looks too light, you can always darken it slightly when you weather the track.

[sd80mac]

I agree that Highball Ballast is a good product. I did rescreen it to get better consistancy though.

Donnell

[Philip H]

Lashed,
I agree that the AR&M Pennsy stuff you showed seems a good match.  I may invest in a bag or two.

I was in Buffalo yesterday and stopped in at Niagara Hobby (sorry to the Lake Erie chapter of TRW but it was an in and out trip and thus no real chance to meet-up) and looked at the WS stuff again.  Their light gray blend fine ballast looks life a reasonable color match as well, but not as "Granitey" as the AR&M stuff.  Ironically, I don't seem to be getting anywhere near MBK these days, so I might be better off ordering the Pennsy ballast directly and giving it a go.  I've become so lazy . . . .

Thanks guys!

[davefoxx]

Philip,

Not to intentionally knock a manufacturer, but I most likely will never use WS ballast again, unless they redesign it.  I've heard WS ballast is made of walnut shells, but, regardless of what it actually is, the problem that I experienced with it, is that it seems to float.  So, when I flowed the glue on, no matter how carefully, the ballast was easily displaced and seemed to migrate up on the side of the rail, which is a pain to clean off.

Hope this helps,
Dave Foxx

[Philip H]

Dave,
I've used WS on prior layouts, and do recall similar issues.  I always thought it was part of their charm . . .  :

[Mark5]

Phillip,

I can put some of the Highball N stuff in a snack bag and mail it to ya.

Mark

[Philip H]

Phillip,

I can put some of the Highball N stuff in a snack bag and mail it to ya.

Mark

That would be sweet!  I'll take as much as you think you can spare, and PM me with the costs.

Philip

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Also, don't ignore more local sources, like the sanded grout in your local Lowes or Home Depot.

[Philip H]

I've looked, and none of the grey colored grouts I have seen really color match.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Damn, oh well, figured I'd mention it.