Model Railroading > Scenery application sequence question - Ground cover and ballast

I'm going to be putting down some scenery on my currently bare layout.  It's an urban switching layout so most areas are either yards and industrial sidings plus some industry building sites, all flat.  Track is all laid on 1/4" sheet cork that has been painted a brown earth tone.  Track has been spray painted using Rust-Oleum Camo Brown with a light overspray of Camo Khaki to lighten it up and provide some shading variation.  Rail is hand-painted with Micro Mark Rail Brown acrylic.

My question has to do with the sequence you folks prefer to follow when adding ground cover and ballast.  I'm thinking it makes more sense to do the ground cover area first. then follow up with ballast, so the ballast sits on top of the ground cover where they meet along the sides of the track.  In yard areas where there are adjacent tracks, I'm thinking of ballasting between the tracks and then adding some sparse weeds, etc. between the tracks afterwards.

Or do you apply the ballast first and then the ground cover?   I'm curious as to what you folks do.

Norm

 

You're on the right track Norm...

On the California Southern, we typically paint the layout deck a light beige "dry soil/dirt" color up to the edge of the cork for the track roadbed. Then on that beige paint we lay down a layer or two fine Woodland Scenics "earth" or "turf" ground foams on top of a brushed on layer of Elmer's glue. Very watered down alcohol is sprayed over top the ground foam and Elmer's to soak and seal everything together.

Closest to the (pre-painted) and installed track we often will have an extra space on either side of the track anywhere from 8-12 scale feet wide that is a flat layer of Woodland Scenics fine buff, or fine gray ballast (depending on the area) to act as railroad right of way. Lay down the RoW ballast, then onto track ballast, which for the CSL mainline is a 50/50 mix of fine and medium gray blend. I pour a line of track ballast down the center of the track, just enough to where it is beginning to fall over the top and outside of the rails...

I then start from one side and begin to push the ballast along the track with a 2" inch brush from left to right, letting the excess ballast between the rails get pushed to the sides over the rails and cascade down the slope of the cork... just watching as I go, maintaining an even cascade on either side to just cover the cork slopes. It takes practice, but has produced consistent and reliable results over the years. With several feet of ballast evenly spread out with the tops of the ties clean and free of loose material, spray down your ballast with watered down alcohol, and thoroughly soak with watered down Elmer's glue.

like you said... We want the larger ballast to end up on top of all the other scenery layers. With the basic ground cover and ballast down and dry, now you can go over and begin to add larger bushes, grass tufts, weeds, trees, boulders, track weathering powders, etc.

* edit, just wanted to add, the more little layers and details the better, scenery should never really be considered "finished". I always tell folks, "it's gettin' there!"


~ Mr. MRL



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/25 12:17 by MrMRL.

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In the real world, the ground was there first, then the track was added later, so the ballast is on top of the ground. That's probably the best path to take o a model as well.

Jeff Johnston
thesugarpineshop.bigcartel.com
 

Thanks for sharing your techniques, Mr Mrl.  That right of way you end up with looks fantastic!  I'll have to see what I can do to approach your fine work.

And here's some "before" photos showing the current state of my blank canvas.  My first attempt at painting track, which I'm reasonably happy with.

Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/25 12:25 by NCA1022.

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A common mistake with ballast application is that people will initially dump out way too much, now you're just pushing, spreading and filling everything in with rock. If anything, start out with too little. Spread it along a bit with your brush, and slowly make your own determination how much you really need to just flow over and cover the sloped cork. And also notice that track not installed on cork will require even less ballast to simply surround the sides of the ties.

Another tip. Always remember to go lighter around your switches, frogs, guardrails, and especially switch points... I usually will simply avoid the entire switch point zone with my first ballast pass. I can always go in there later with a smaller cup or small spoon to more sparsely fill in between the ties. Also allows me to apply my watered down alcohol and glue steps more lightly with an eye dropper or something. Freeing glued switch points is way easier when there isn't a ton of ballast jammed under the rails and between switch ties.

Your painted track looks great, any extra color to cover that shiny plastic and metal is a plus.

~ Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/25 12:42 by MrMRL.

I have seen several people ballast then ground work and they make it work. I'm always curious how. Maybe as mentioned, to a little bit as a first pass, then another layer after the ground is there. I've always heard it this way, ground, then ballast. 

Mike ONeill
Okahumpka, FL

I think you need to be careful with the type of ground cover that you're using. When they lay real ballast, it's heavy and whatever it falls down on, it crushes as far as ground cover/weed/plants. I've seen plenty of layouts that have done the ground cover first with various ground foams for foliage, and then they ballast, and you can see all the ballast sitting on top of the ground foam because the ballast is essentially weightless compared to the ground cover.

Keep in mind that modern era track is never just laid onto existing soil, it's surveyed and graded with drainage and a decent base rock installed before the track is installed, ballasted and dressed.. There's probably no wrong way to do it, but I find soil blends in easily to pre ballasted areas because of all the nooks and crannies ballast leaves behind. Part of the fun is finding a technique that works for you. Tip. If you have a small portable vacuum that you can dedicate just for ballast work, if you over ballast or don't like the result after spreading, you can vacuum it up and empty it so you can reuse it again. Being industrial in nature, you might be using finer ballast material depending on on the era you model so a little trail and error might be called for to get the look you want.

I would argue that for old branch lines and yard areas that haven’t seen maintenance in a ver long while, doing the ballast first and then spreading some of the ground cover up close or even between the rails would give the effect of a well worn, and old, track setup.

I do agree that for the mainline, or even well maintained branch line, do the ground cover first and then the ballast. It will turn out much better.

Nathan

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