Smith & Son Ballast

[wazzou]

I just went back and checked after  said he turned off the cache feature and noticed that my photo now appears when I hadn't seen it before.

[chicken45]

Ok kids, this pretty much settles it.

Left: ARM Light PRR              Right: S&S Gray Limestone



S&S Gray Limestone for me!!! I got some Penn Ohio, too for sidings.

[mu26aeh]

S&S seems more uniform, where as ARM has some black and mixed lighter greys

[chicken45]

S&S seems more uniform, where as ARM has some black and mixed lighter greys

Yeah, but I like the texture better. I didn't notice this until @tom mann pointed out that a lot of that ballast actually is translucent. If you take a look at sand, regular beach sand or whatever, it's basically glass and I began to notice it in macro photography. It makes the ARM stuff look even more like salt and pepper.

Anyways, I'm quite happy now with this.

[wazzou]

Yeah, but I like the texture better. I didn't notice this until @tom mann pointed out that a lot of that ballast actually is translucent. If you take a look at sand, regular beach sand or whatever, it's basically glass and I began to notice it in macro photography. It makes the ARM stuff look even more like salt and pepper.

Anyways, I'm quite happy now with this.

....again, IMHO and in my own mind, what is becoming less important to me as I get old is the...
"macro verses the micro".
It's certainly up to the individual, but if you expect your ballast to stand up under a microscope, you may be expecting too much. 
Disclaimer
The Smith and Sons does a good job, but...
I posted a photo of AR&M ballast earlier in this thread, which is fairly close-up and a pretty faithful re-creation of ballast where I model and I'll be danged if it does not look translucent, because I don't typically focus on every stone, anymore.

[peteski]

I also notice the apparent translucency of the AR&M ballast. I agree that we don't examine every piece with our eyes up-close, but I think  that even 3' away we will still notice the overall difference.

[GaryHinshaw]

Looks great Chicken.  So is this the product that Dale now calls Dark Limestone, or is that something else?

I just went back and checked after  said he turned off the cache feature and noticed that my photo now appears when I hadn't seen it before.

I see it now too. When do we get to see the rest of your layout? 

[chicken45]

Looks great Chicken.  So is this the product that Dale now calls Dark Limestone, or is that something else?

I see it now too. When do we get to see the rest of your layout? 

Nope! This is the same gray limestone blend that you used and suggested to me.

We are now ballast buddies, both using PennOhio and Gray Limestone!

[towl1996]

To me, the ARM stuff, with the black cinders, is what you would see during the steam era, the SS stuff during the diesel era. But i'M sure either would look good for a Pennsy layout.

[chicken45]

To me, the ARM stuff, with the black cinders, is what you would see during the steam era, the SS stuff during the diesel era. But i'M sure either would look good for a Pennsy layout.

I can always add cinders.  For me, it’s more about the shape of each rock and the color.

[GaryHinshaw]

We are now ballast buddies, both using PennOhio and Gray Limestone!

Aw shucks.   

As a P.S. to my original post, I was able to pick up my ballast from a US post office last week.  I now have a potentially lifetime supply of #50 Penn-Ohio, lovingly packaged:



 

[ednadolski]

Nice, it's that healthier reduced fat ballast.

Ed

[wazzou]

High in fiber.

[Point353]

I now have a potentially lifetime supply of #50 Penn-Ohio, ...

That could depend upon how sparingly or generously it gets applied:

[Dave V]

For all the poo-pooing WS crushed walnut hull ballast gets, it most certainly isn't translucent under any magnification.  Just sayin'.