Smith and Sons Ballast - A Comparison

[ednadolski]

Here are the results of a comparison of several colors and grades of the Smith and Sons ballast.  I'm trying to see how close this comes to the ballast in the first few seconds of this proto vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj5vQ5oOGL0


And here is the test:



From left to right, the sample ballasts are:

1. S&S Penn/Ohio Limestone 'Fines', sifted to sizes #60 thru #80 screen meshes (i.e., removed the stuff larger than #60 and smaller than #80).
2. S&S Grey Limestone 'Fines', same sift as above.
3. A 50/50 Mix of the above two.
4  S&S Penn/Ohio Limestone #50 (I think this is what @GaryHinshaw uses), screened to remove smaller than #60. 

(All ballast was wetted with alcohol and glued with a mix of 2:1 Water:Modpodge.)

I find it interesting that the #1 and #4 samples are supposed to be the same stuff, yet the finer sifted grade for some reason appears darker after it is applied (the effect seems more noticeable to my eye in-person).  By comparison, the 'Grey' sample to me doesn't look quite right, and the blend doesn't seem to work too well either.  And despite it scaling out to be a bit over-sized, the #4 to my eye looks to have a more pleasing effect, both in-person and in the pic.

I guess it just shows that you can't really be sure of what something is going to look like until you actually build it.

Ed

[wazzou]

More opportunity for reflection of light in the bigger blend?

[svedblen]

The ballast in the video looks more blueish. Is that just due to light conditions and camera settings? I'm just asking since I'm curious and have never been there myself.

[ridinshotgun]

The ballast in the video looks more blueish. Is that just due to light conditions and camera settings? I'm just asking since I'm curious and have never been there myself.

There is quite a bit of stuff in that video that has a blueish tinge to it that is not correct.   White roof and containers are the most obvious.  Could be camera settings or even a filter on the actual camera.

[ednadolski]

There is quite a bit of stuff in that video that has a blueish tinge to it that is not correct.   White roof and containers are the most obvious.  Could be camera settings or even a filter on the actual camera.

Perhaps the white balance?   It may be trying to compensate for the relatively large amount of orange in the frame, plus it is looking upsun to some degree.

I never really noticed it that much, tho the eye compensates for things like that too.

[ridinshotgun]

Perhaps the white balance?   It may be trying to compensate for the relatively large amount of orange in the frame, plus it is looking upsun to some degree.

I never really noticed it that much, tho the eye compensates for things like that too.

I think they are using some type of digital filtering to bring out more detail by shifting it to the blue.  I do the same with my dslr camera and mechanical filters in bright light.  Without that filter the bright light would wash everything out and you would lose detail but it gives things in the video an unnatural shift towards the blue in the spectrum.

I watched again and looking at the grass even it has a unnatural hue to it that I have neve seen in Tehachapi pictures or film before.

[ednadolski]

I watched again and looking at the grass even it has a unnatural hue to it that I have neve seen in Tehachapi pictures or film before.

Here is a different look, considerably less vivid/saturated, tho albeit on a cloudy/foggy day:

[svedblen]

Seeing this I vote for your #4 sample. Size and color mixes both look right in my opinion.

[ridinshotgun]

I just rechecked my stash and everything I have for doing SP stuff is the #4 stuff from S&S. This was after a big discussion on SP ballast a few years ago.  Might have been here or the old SP yahoo group.  Can't remember which.

I actually need to get some more.  Have you had recent contact with them?  Was it email or another method?  I see they have a FB page but noting updated in a while.

[Wolf N Works]

#4 would be my vote

[ednadolski]

I think I agree, and I have also tried some other ballasts from AZRM and Scenic Express, yet they were not even as close as these samples.

@ridinshotgun it looks like the S&S price list from FB is about 4 years old now, but I'll try it and hopefully it still works.

Ed

[ridinshotgun]

I think I agree, and I have also tried some other ballasts from AZRM and Scenic Express, yet they were not even as close as these samples.

@ridinshotgun it looks like the S&S price list from FB is about 4 years old now, but I'll try it and hopefully it still works.

Ed

If you are successful with contact can you PM me?  The last comms I had with them was when the grandfather ran it and I am pretty sure I had to order it via phone and it came with a handwritten sales ticket.

[ednadolski]

Sure, I'll update this thread.

[sizemore]

Throwing my hat in the ring for a contact for S&S!

Appreciate it,
The S.

[ednadolski]

Throwing my hat in the ring for a contact for S&S!

Well, it's been about 30 days now since I tried contacting them, but still just crickets so far....

Ed