I'm trying a few ballasting methods on Amiens Street, so thought I'd post a few 'how tos'
Here is a method I call 'Glue and Drop'
1 - Prep your foam/cork underlay and track as normal (I drill for the dropper at this point, etc).
2 - Plaster the underlay entirely with copydex / foam tack glue. i use a small glue spreader and 'paint' the foam sides and all under the track. Then lay the track on the glue. I use this opportunity to also add back in any cosmetic sleepers.
3 - Dump ballast liberally over the lot, and use a finger / small black of wood to tamp it down.
4- Weight the track down so it sets in shape and level
Fast forward 24 hours.
5 - Remove the weights and use a small hand held or computer vacuum to remove the excess ballast.
All done
PRO:
- It's a one step process, and as I am gluing the track down anyway, it's making laying, ballasting, cosmetic sleep repair all one job
- It's very neat, as ballast will only stick where you plaster the glue - I'm using this method for points, just not applying glue to the moving tie area
- You use a LOT less ballast
CON:
- Ballast only sticks to the glue, so you don't get much 'depth' You might want to go over the area again with the traditional dropper method to model fresh ballast or deeper ballast.
Any feedback or thoughts let me know!