I have some sand box sand I purchased from my local big box store. I bought it for putting on our driveway when ice and snow hit.

It is close to the color of the aggregate hauled out of South Florida by FEC so would be great for my gondolas and hoppers for Naranja Quarry. Also for the ground around there. I model in HO scale.

It could also be used for the limestone ballast FEC used in my period. 

Has anyone used this before for ballast? If so how does it work, any problems issues? What about for scenery?

Thank you

Bill Michael

Many many moons ago, when I lived in California, I visited a train club in Sacramento near where I was attending college.  They told me they ballasted their track by mixing in a powder cement (brand was Weldwood) with the ballast, spreading it to shape, and then wetting it with wet water to activate the cement and holding the ballast in place.

I have a Bachmann USRA light 2-10-2 (HO) which I got very cheaply on eBay a few years ago.

It exhibited a slight 'waddle' which despite much tinkering I couldn't eliminate. I bought a new chassis from Bachmann and waddya know - it still waddles.

The silos are a major landmark for the Loveland Great Western beet factory as well as Loveland itself.  They are huge – 200’ tall with eight 40’ diameter storage silos.  The machinery tower on top of each silo quad proudly proclaims “GW”.  Great Western sugar is gone and the factory mostly torn down but the silos still stand and are still used to store sugar from other factories.  This is a photo from 1985 just after the plant was closed.