darkening brass track

[LeonB]

Hi all... my first foray into the forum, with a question...has anyone found a way to quickly tarnish or darken brass track to make it look more realistic?

[Marty Cozad]

Flat black spray paint.
And if your track power just wipe off the railhead with paint thinner as you finish each section.

[ttrigg]

oxide-red primer works well too.

[Anonymous]

o! o! o! ok ok this is wut i did
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let it sit out for a uberrrrrrrrrrr llllllooonnnngggg time and guess what! my rails could have never looked better, black on sides, shiny on top!

[John Busby]

Hi Leon B
I assume your railway will be in the garden
so the best and cheapest way is to just let nature take its course it will darken I can assure you.
regards John

[Curmudgeon]

Except for one brand that often looks like a new penny after several years.....

[kimbrit]

I agree with the time guys, the only way.
Kim

[Marty Cozad]

Mix and match, for siding rails I use rust colors and other places I may mix or over spray something else.

[LeonB]

Thanks for the ideas, all... I must have the "new penny" variety of track. I've have about 150 feet ot it on an outdoor layout for almost two years now and it's still about as shiny as ever, even with a daily irrigation spray during the summer. Patience in some places, spray paint in others, I guess!

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Hmmmmm,
Wonder if acidity of the rain has anything to do with the rate of blackening? I'd think that there in WA where you are pretty much downwind of the wide Pacific your rain might be less acid that those in the midwest or right coast!

[Anonymous]

You can get a special liquid that will darken the sides of track, however it has several downsides (darkening track in general) and i do not do it myself because of this.

1) it makes the rails hard to solder.

2) It can leach onto the top surface of the rails and cause high resistance sections of track.

I bought some when i first started 2nd hand track that had been darkened and never again will i do that.


Rgds Ian