Save money by making your own ballast by Greg Luers A wonderful way to cut costs ... For railroads, ballast is essential to keep the track level, to distribute the loads of the trains that pass over, and to maintain proper drainage along the right-of-way to keep the ground from eroding around the tracks. As model railroaders we strive to replicate this look on our lay- outs. However, buying ballast from the manufacturers out there can be expensive, especially if you need a lot. Some of the manu- facturers don’t even use real rock, using crushed walnut shells instead, which can be harder to glue down. With a little elbow grease, rock from gravel roads can sifted down small enough to • INDEX • TABLE OF CONTENTS