POLL - Spilled ballast or not?

[nachoman]

Personally, I think this is the kind of detail that makes a difference if your goal is to make an accurate representation of the real world. The only reason to leave a detail like this off is if you intend on creating an idealized world - where all the sidewalks are swept, all the houses have freshly painted siding, and the roads are freshly paved. But I also see your point - many of us like view the real world as ideal and try to ignore the blight, and such untidiness on a layout is pure sloppiness . My advice is to not worry what others think and make they type of layout that you want.