jfengineer Wrote:
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> The current ballast on the C&TS appears to be a
> white-colored aggregate material. It looks very
> tidy. In the old days, the rights-of-way were
> black. Was this because they were covered with a
> layer of cinders, or maybe cinders atop earth? If
> so, we can expect the C&TS roadbed to eventually
> become black again.
It was because they had lots of cinders to dispose of and using it in the track was convenient and cheap. Heavily trafficked mainlines always used high quality stone (mostly granite, with a razor edge) when it could be justified and afforded.
No, the stone (whatever it is) now being used will probably not become black like it was in the "old days".