Point rodding or ballast first?

[crab]

To clarify please, is it best to lay just the point rod stools before ballasting, then rods after, or complete the rodding before ballasting?

[Bigmet]

Probably as many opinions as there will be pieces of ballast between two sleepers. I suggest a 'mixed economy': put in the point stools, then ballast, then the above the ballast detail such as point rodding.

And before any of this, ensure the track performs perfectly with all the stock and movements you intend running; then make a trial in the least critical area of the layout, of whatever ballasting and rodding detail sequence you decide to go with. Nothing like seeing how it works for you.

[aleopardstail]

Probably as many opinions as there will be pieces of ballast between two sleepers. I suggest a 'mixed economy': put in the point stools, then ballast, then the above the ballast detail such as point rodding.

And before any of this, ensure the track performs perfectly with all the stock and movements you intend running; then make a trial in the least critical area of the layout, of whatever ballasting and rodding detail sequence you decide to go with. Nothing like seeing how it works for you.

this is how I would do it, anything that touches the baseboard is first, then ballast (as it touches the baseboard), then the rodding. also makes weathering the ballast easier. note some rodding needs a bit of though as to how it passes under the rails as well

also totally agree on testing, before ballasting, and with rodding etc I'd be very tempted to get a wood offcut, say for example part of a scenery competition entry, and stick some point rodding alongside the track concerned just to test it all

[Dad-1]

My approach would be the same.
Particularly the full testing. The one time I didn't test I had a point spring dislodged.
When ballasted in I had to slowly trim & cut a hole through the base board to access,
not easy - although less trouble than lifting fully ballasted trackwork.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I have found what I did :-

https://image.ibb.co/nawuQQ/IMG_2253.jpg

No need to say more - reclaimed from my HSII under construction thread.
No wonder I couldn't remember, that was 2017.

Geoff T.