Experiments in Track Weathering & Ballast

In this video, I'll do some experimenting with track weathering techniques, and lay 12 different ballasts on a ~4 foot section of HO Scale flex track installed on a board. I am in search of the right ballast to use in South Yard, as well as the Main through South Yard, and this experiment has also given me some ideas on how to make the track - both the rails and ties - look the best I can through the yard. This is important, as the layout here is only about as wide as the yard itself - with the exception of some building flats along the backdrop, the tracks will be the whole model in this area.

After incorporating my original shelf layout into the larger layout, the plan for completing my HO Scale Deepwater and Manchester Railroad has been to work Southbound (right to left), moving to the left as scenes are completed. The layout will be in several phases at once, keeping things fresh and interesting as I switch between them.

Special thanks to Sean of the Midland and Dorchester Railroad Channel for the idea of testing ballast types using the sample size packets available from Arizona Rock and Mineral. Check out Sean's Channel here:
   / @themidlanddorchesterrailroad