Materials

• Ballast (colors & grades) — blend for your region
• Adhesives — matte medium or PVA
• Tools — soft brush, pipettes, small spoon, vacuum with stocking

Practice on a test board first—your hands learn the flow, and you’ll waste fewer materials when you move to the mainline.

Prep & color matching

Paint cork or foam a neutral gray/brown to hide gaps and keep “bald” spots from showing. Compare local prototype photos to pick ballast color—mainlines often skew gray, yards warmer brown. Many modelers mix two colors (70/30) for natural variation. Sift fines for N scale so stones don’t ride on tie plates.

Weathering starts under the rails: paint ties and rails first. A rusty brown on the web, darker near joints and frog points, creates depth before a single stone is poured.

Spread & shape

Pour a small line down the center and brush toward the shoulders. Keep grains off tie tops and inside guard rails. In yards, shoulders are low and irregular; on mainline, keep a crisp, even profile. Use a dry, soft brush to taper slopes to surrounding ground foam so the track looks set into the scene.

Pre‑wetting

Surface tension is the enemy. Mist 70% isopropyl alcohol or water with a drop of dish soap until ballast looks damp, not flooded. Pre‑wetting helps glue wick deep without moving stones. If the spray beads up, you need a touch more surfactant.

Glue ratios

For most scenes, a 1:3 mix of matte medium to water flows and dries with minimal sheen. In very fine ballast or hot climates, try 1:4 and build up with two light applications rather than one heavy one. Drip with a pipette along tie ends and shoulders—capillary action does the work. Resist the urge to brush; you’ll just disturb the profile.

Cleanup & curing

Wick puddles with a paper towel edge. While still damp, flick stray grains out of guard rails and flange ways with a toothpick. After curing overnight, vacuum gently through a nylon stocking to catch loose stones for reuse. Touch up with weathering powders to tie rails, ties, and ballast into one tone.

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FAQ

Can I ballast Kato Unitrack?

Yes—treat ballast as a light cosmetic layer. Avoid flooding joiners and keep glue off moving points.

My glue dried shiny—help?

Go lighter on the mix next time and dust with matte powders. A very light flat coat can knock down sheen.

What order should I do scenery in?

Ballast after basic ground cover so stones sit “into” the scene, not on top of bare foam.