OK, I'll go first.
My first step is to spraypaint the entire track, so inside and outside plus ties. I use a thin coating of oil on the TOP of the rails and on points. This usually wipes right off after the paint dries.
I add further detail to the ties and Visible sides of the rails with a brush. This is often just one rail on the outside and one on the inside.
Conductivity is not and should not be a problem as long as the upper surface (and inner top, I guess) are paint free. On turnouts the points should also make non obstructed contact with the inner sides of the rails.
Karl
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
I only paint by hand after the rails are in place and ballasted, and after the ballast is itself weathered. I like the grime/rust to look like it does in real tracks...migrated with water and gravity down onto tie plates and the wood and ballast nearest them.
I may be characterized as lazy, but I only paint what can be seen, or what would reasonably be expected to be seen. I figure what I don't have to use in time, effort, material, and tools is the best approach for me. When I photograph, I usually take note of glaring errors, and bare rail would be one that stands out for me.
I brush paint my track. For the most part, I only paint what can be seen. I use the same color for the rail and ties, although I thin the paint slightly for the ties to get some variation in the color.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
I use to paint my rails like this.
I used an old index card [I suppose a stiff business card will do] and ran it along the base of the rail over top of the ties. AT the same time I ran a bruash along the sides of the rails. This way I got the rails and not the ties.
I would paint only what i could see most times.
I also took a piece of basswood [generally 1/4 inch square about 4 inches long] and ran it over the tops of the rail the next day or a few hours later, to clean the rails. I would not run the trains until the paint "cured". This can take a day or longer depending on the paint.
Another way I use to do it was to run a paint brush over the rails before I laid them down. I hand lay my track. But because I wasn't always careful, the paint would come off. Mostly because of oils in my hands I suppose. If I washed the rails first it would have adhered better I am sure.
Anyhow, that's my way, but I don't paint my rails no more though.
I hope that helps :)
larak wrote: My first step is to spraypaint the entire track, so inside and outside plus ties. I use a thin coating of oil on the TOP of the rails and on points. This usually wipes right off after the paint dries.Karl
I also use light oil on the railhead but I try to wipe it off ASAP rather than wait for the paint to dry. I find that a stick of balsa works well and is mildly abrasive but not so abrasive as to scratch the track itself. I use spray cans of red primer alternating with Krylon camoflage flat paints so that I can paint my track outside before I lay it. I paint it curved for the curves otherwise you get shiny little dots when you bend painted track
By the way another technique I have been using lately for touch up work (But it would work for the entire track) are the paint sticks that Testors/Floquil sells in packs of three, one of which is for rail and tie colors. The size of the tip is perfect for track. It is especially useful for turnouts where you need fine control where the points make electrical contact.
Dave Nelson
Not much different from the others. With handlaid track, I brush paint the rail (not all that carefully) - both sides and the rail top with a suitable brown color of Testor's enamel. Most "rust" colors are way too red according to the prototypes I have observed. First evening, I install any uncoupling ramps, lay ties and ballast, and paint the rail.
Second night is actually spiking rail down. I precurve the painted rail, and attach a feeder to the underside on each piece. After spiking, I slide a piece of wood along the inner rail corner to remove paint there. With DC (I haven't tried DCC yet), this was/is sufficient for electrical pickup.
At turnouts where I need to solder, I scrape away the paint from the soldering area with some crocus cloth, apply some rosin flux, and have at it. Touch up afterwards with a fine brush and the same paint.
Pretty simple process, and looks a whole lot better than unpainted rail and unballasted track. The only detailing I haven't done - may try in the future - is detailed painting of ties. Joe Fugate does a great job with this.
my thoughts and experiences, your choices
Fred W
I hand painted the visible rail in my yard after laying and ballasting the track.
I did get one of those foam wheel paint applicators and one of these days I'll give that a try.
Tilden
Jock Ellis Cumming, GA US of A Georgia Association of Railroad Passengers
wjstix wrote:I'm experimenting right now brush painting Neo-Lube (from MicroMark catalogue) on both sides of the rails. Dries to a nice dark gray finish - and it conducts electricity so you don't have to worry about it ......
Stix....after two weeks, any problems with your "experiment"?
Sapper82 wrote: wjstix wrote:I'm experimenting right now brush painting Neo-Lube (from MicroMark catalogue) on both sides of the rails. Dries to a nice dark gray finish - and it conducts electricity so you don't have to worry about it ......Stix....after two weeks, any problems with your "experiment"?
Seems to work well, if any does slop on top of the rail, it cleans up with a bright boy. At this point I haven't "fired it up" yet - I'm also hand painting ties so it's going pretty slow, this is all in preparation for new layout BTW, don't have anything running yet. It looks good, nice dark flat gray color.