ok so I am new to building layouts and am planning on starting my first layout soon. i bought a fairly cheap train that comes with the track with the molded ballast track and was wondering if you guys have any idea on how i can make it look a little better without trashing the track and starting fresh. i was thinking that after i figured out where I want my track to lay, cutting out a little groove for the track to fit in and then laying modelers ballast to make it look more realistic. for my first track I dont know if I want to get into the whole figuring out track radiuses yet (start off with baby steps then work to bigger steps on my next layout.)
any ideas on how I could usse what i got and make it look more to scale and realistic??
I like your idea about a groove to recess the track a bit.
My third layout is in process. I wanted something to practice with using my new airbrush, and grabbed some of that same track. I sprayed it "railroad tie brown" and it looks very good.
I will be spraying my track mounted to cork, and then ballasting over the cork, but I was impressed how browning the sides of the rails and the ties added to the realism, and even the same brown on the molded ballast helped simply by taking away the shiny plastic look. You can do the same with a can of spray paint.
I don't know how much track you are speaking of, but here's a thought on improving the appearance of that pre-moulded ballast: After the track is in place and tested, use a small brush to apply a thin layer of white glue (Like Elmer's) directly to the ballast area (not atop the crossties). Sprinkle on ballast lightly. Some ground foam can also be sprinkled on in your choice of color - like a little line of brownish burnt grass near the base of the ballast where it will blend into your other groundcover. This will represent where the grass doesn't grow well near the ballast and where the RR may use herbicides. Allow to dry overnight and then vacuum. Some frugal folks sweep up the excess for re-use rather than vacuuming, but if the ballast and ground cover is applied in a thin layer, there should not be too much waste. The idea is to add texture and color to that moulded plastic ballast, but only to use a thin coat of glue so that there is only a thin layer of ballast or ground cover that will not interfere with operation. The track should be cleaned before operation to remove any spots of spilled glue or the like. As with any technique, you may choose to test one spare piece of track with ballast to try different combinations of ballast/ground foam.
Remember that your track itself is a model of real track, and if you improve its appearance you will be improving the overall effect or appearance of your model railroad. "Detailing" a section of track with items such as a few discarded crossties and some shrubs or "weeds" can be as rewarding as detailing a scene near the station (especially where the track is in the front of the layout and highly visible). Good luck.
Bill
davidmbedard wrote:Is your track bed grey or black? If it is black, then I would absolutely think about throwing it away and starting with a better track system.David B
Is your track bed grey or black? If it is black, then I would absolutely think about throwing it away and starting with a better track system.
David B
Come to think of it...
The proposed grooving of the foam is more work and more difficult than laying cork and flex track.
It also develops a skill that won't be used in subsequent layouts.
Baby steps are fine, as long as they are forward. Cork and flex track laying are the first such steps most modelers learn (with the possible except that we are lucky to learn that we can buy train sets sometimes for less than the cost of locomotive alone!).
Crews
One thing to think about is if you spray the track, if too much paint seeps into the railjoiners it will wreck your electrical continuity and you could end up with dead spots. So don't overdo the paint.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com