I'm looking for a rule of thumb for the amount of ballast required for a mile of track in terms of yards. We're talking about a light industrial spur for an example with a minimal profile.Thanks in advance!Gerald W. Kopiasz

Someone told me that the material for 1 yard of track weighs 3 tons but I think this is for a high speed mainline. However to raise a mile of track by 3 inches would take 800 tons of ballast so if you know the ballast depth required it is possible to work it out.G

I recommend finding a copy of "The Track Data Handbook" (Simmons-Boardman, via www.TransAlert.com). I can't lay hands on my copy right now, but I recall it has a chart for calculating ballast requirements per track foot based on how many inches of lift, etc. The book has a lot of other handy references as well.Alan Maples

The chart you are referring to requires knowing the depth of the ballast below the bottom of the ties. If we choose a nominal depth of 6 inches then the quantity of ballast required per 100 feet of single tangent track with 8'-0" ties is 45 cubic yards. Granite weighs on average 2375 lbs. per cu. yd.Happy tamping!Brian Wise