1978 MR vacuum ballast machine - anyone try it?

[wcfn100]

Greg Smith, a well known MN/St.P area modeler, made a video a while back about a ballast vacuum from a 1978 MR.

Has anyone made, tried, or seen one of these?

Jason

[Ian MacMillan]

Hows it not pick up all the ballast between the ties?

[chuck geiger]

Ian is right? HOW? Check this out, the proto has one?




MP Ballast Vacuum - with Difco dump car at San Antonio, TX; 6/5/83. Recently I saw this machine with a pair of green-painted MP dump cars used at the UP's Council Bluffs yard. - © Brian Paul Ehni photo, used with permission.

[chuck geiger]

Hows it not pick up all the ballast between the ties?

It's got to be the small amount of suction?

[Mark5]

Hehe, the concept doesn't appear to have caught on ...  ;D

[Sokramiketes]

Ballast vacuum, awesome.

Ruining the perfect ballast by "misting" with huge droplets of matte medium so ballast is dislodged and it sticks up on the ties and rail web anyway, not so awesome. 

Now, combine the ballast vacuum with a little patience and a light touch with an eye dropper and you've got something. 

[Ian MacMillan]

Ballast vacuum, awesome.

Ruining the perfect ballast by "misting" with huge droplets of matte medium so ballast is dislodged and it sticks up on the ties and rail web anyway, not so awesome. 

Now, combine the ballast vacuum with a little patience and a light touch with an eye dropper and you've got something. 

Bingo

[chuck geiger]

I am going to do the Denny ballast thing on the new layout. Use your fingers, a brush and
syringe with alcohol and then a syringe with water and glue.