91rioja said:
Is it a true statement that in the prototype world the ballast is used as a bed for the ties and track? If so, I was wondering if this would work out OK.
When I lay my track on top of the roadbed (HO) and then ballast, I get a really thin layer between the ties, and sometimes you can see through to the roadbed. So what if I used, say 1/8" shimms, to raise the track off of the roadbed and then put the ballast down. Would this not give the appearence that the track and ties are sitting on top of the ballast, like it is in the prototype?
What do you think?
Just a guess here, but I think that you may have misunderstood how the prototype ballast functions, which has led to the replies not addressing your situation.
While the prototype
does lay the ties on top of the ballast, it also fills in the spaces between the ties and around the ends of the ties with more ballast. Usually this is up to the tie-tops, although it can be less, or even sometimes more. While the ballast below the ties is there to aid with drainage, the ballast between the ties is to keep them from moving every time a train passes. On our models, we use a roadbed (usually) like cork or foam to represent the ballast that's supposed to be
supporting the ties, but because it is not actually seen on the prototype, there's no need to actually use ballast for that purpose on our models. What we
do see on the prototype is the ballast that holds the ties in place, and that's the ballast that we need to model. So, don't be afraid to add more ballast to cover up those bald patches. The one place where you
don't want too much ballast is at turnouts, especially in the space between the ties where the tiebar/throwbar is located: in this space, there should be
no ballast, and in the areas beneath the moving parts (points), the ballast
must be kept below the tietops. I usually paint the aforementioned areas with black paint before ballasting, as this area is usually quite greasy on the prototype anyway.
Here's a photo that shows the ballast around a turnout, and how it differs from that on the track under the locomotive.
I hope this answers your question.
Wayne