No.2 One Kilogramme Down

A back of envelope calculation indicated a requirement for circa 3.5 kg of ballast.  Four bags of poppy seeds were purchased.  Four weeks later the first bag has been all used up.


My wife confirms my suspicions.  Instead of four bags, the visible trackwork will probably require at least five bags.  Four weeks to use one bag, 20 weeks to use five bags. Completion in six months is a possibility?

There have been discussions on the web regarding the optimum width of baseboards.  The Longsheds Layout was constructed with maximum 3ft width boards.  This is fine for operating.  However for ballasting the width is a bit of a problem.  The solution presently adopted is to start ballasting at the most difficult position - 'upstairs' on the viaduct at the back:




Then when my back starts creaking the centre of operations moves 'downstairs' to the main station boards:


The darker patches of ballast are still not dry.  Interestingly there is a tendency for the poppy seed to swell when initially wetted but it tightens up as it dries - will it sprout?
Location: Dumfries and Galloway, UK

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