No.3 Fix and Patch - more on maw seed ballasting
Mixing and pasting track ballast loomed large and I am attaching details of the procedure that works for me. I prefer the small poppy seeds to gritty mineral sands. I use wallpaper paste as the adhesive. It should offer less resistance than PVA should there be a change of plan or track repairs needed.
I use simple tools, a small plastic bowl (ex Christmas
Pudding basin), stainless steel spatula and a small screw driver:
I use a heavy duty wallpaper paste which has been chopped
finer using the Kenwood liquidiser in the kitchen. Hopefully the finer powder mixes more quickly
and easily. To make sure that the mix
can be used well before it starts setting I only make a small batch at a
time. I use around 8ml of water (1/2 a
tablespoon):
I add sufficient dry paste powder to make a stiff mix
(around half a teaspoon full):
I then stir in sufficient dry seeds to make a stiff
porridge. In this example, just over 1/4
ounce or just under 10 gm:
The porridge is then spread between or along the tracks
using the spatula:
For smaller places I use the screw driver:
For the sides of the track I make a wedge or fillet which
extends about 1cm from the edge of the rail:
This is then flattened between the sleepers and smoothed into
place:
Then depending on my patience I can use the small screw
driver to clean out between individual sleepers:
Spare or left over material can then be placed between the
rails using the small screw driver:
Experience suggests that it can be three or four days before the mix completely dries.
Experience suggests that it can be three or four days before the mix completely dries.
Prior to running trains the track is brushed gently with an
old tooth brush and the surplus seed carefully removed with a vacuum
cleaner. The tops of the rails are then
cleaned with a damp cloth. Too little paste or applying the porridge too long
after mixing will result in a very fragile ballast which can disappear up the
vacuum cleaner!
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