This is how we do the ballasting and these are the raw materials.
I like to mix in a tub and the basic mix is coarse granite, finer granite with a large sccop of Excamite (cascamite), and two scoops of black powder paint with one burnt umber. The scoops are those that are found in a baby milk tin so relatively small. The cascamite scoop is more akin to a table spoon.
Anyhow this is all mixed into the tub and then placed roughly on the section of track to be done. Brushed away from the sleepers, once all is ready the whole lot is sprayed with Mr Muscle Shower Shine (other brands are available!).
The reason I use this is that it contains some form of agent that breaks down the surface tension. You could use a sprayer with some fairy liquid in as an alternative. The track is liberally wetted and this will cause the glue to mix with the ballast and paint. Then I drop diluted PVA from a syringe - this needs to be the consistency of milk until the whole lot is covered.Then I spray a drop more shower shine. Don't worry about getting ballast dust on the sleepers, it will disappear once wet.
Once dry the whole lot should be a reasonably dirty ballast. The photos also show the treatment at the end of the board using card.
Finally a shot of the finished board which has had the rails cleaned and shows a Heljan 47!
Now the job of doing the other boards. I'll hopefully make progress at a much faster rate now
Paul Rowlinson