HO Scale ballast alternative!

The image shows (L-R) walnut-shell polishing media dyed with Vallejo dark gray wash, a commercial product "Brown", natural tan walnut shell, and walnut shell dyed with Vallejo dark rust.

I bought a 5 Lb container on Amazon for $17 to see how it compared to the commercial ballast I had been using. The 18/40 grit equates to 1.5-3.5 scale inches for HO and is identical in size and consistency. The commercial ballast retails for $15 for a 32 Oz. container that weighs just under 1 lb. Walnut grit is available in containers up to 50 lbs. and can be run through a handheld spice grinder to make it finer - useful for cinders or even "dirt". It's clean and non-magnetic. It's also available at Harbor Freight and many hardware stores.

I'm working on a new layout with over 160 feet of mainline track, some double track, and this container might just cover the entire mainline. I'm going to test dyeing it with water-based wood stain tomorrow - I need dark gray and oxide and will try some Minwax. Also going to get a finer grit to simulate cinders in the yard area, dyed black.

Hope this helps someone save a few $!

Comparison of dyed, natural, and commercial walnut shell ballast.