Thank you, I guess I should have been more descript about my question. I like the post-it idea for masking the points. This is where I was having the most trouble. I have handpainted track in the past but have decided on my new layout I would use the ol' airbrush.
Thanks again,
Frank
Hi from Belgium;
For my Maclau River I airbrushed all the track in a three or four step.
A good way is first looking some pictures of the real thing.
I don't know if your turnout are Dcc wired but anyway protect the point of the turnout, especialy the the parts which comes against the stock rail to keep a good electrical contact. I use the yellow "post-it" to protect them.
I prefer to airbrush all the track in place after all were checked and checked again.
First airbrush all the ties and track a color like Polly Scale railroad tie brown or a flat brown earth color.
Second, handpaint some of the ties here and there with two or three another brown color and some other with a dark gray color, this would give some nuances in the ties.
Third, using a very small paintbrush, handpaint all the rail a rust color.
You are near the end...
When ballasted, and everything is dry, airbrush a flat black color around the end of the point and around the frog and the gardrails; do that lightly and don't overdo that. Again protect the point of the turnout.
When finished, run a "juice" of heavy diluted black color in the middle of the track to simulate oils and grease falling from the rolling stock. You can also add a wash of some rust , alongside the outside of the track.
Wash the top of the rail with a piece of plastic or wood and after that lightly polish it with a bright boy. Its also time to check if any small part of ballast did'nt interfere with the inside of the track in the turnout and in all the track.
Now you can run your train on a wheatered track.
Marc
I have been trying a few different methods but the simplest seems the best for me at least anyway. I have tried making various templates out of styrene and other materials to mask off the ties after paining so when I paint the rails there is a noticeable difference but when it comes to turnouts well you can imagines the amount of work involved to make a masking template that will work with all the cuts involved etc.
So what seems to work the best so far is I just paint everything Floquil railroad tie brown and then wipe off the tops of the rail either with a damp cloth or hit the tops with a briteboy I will go back hit a couple of ties here and there with the Floquil paint pens to simulate a tie that has been replaced.Their rust pen is a pretty good color for rust so depending on weather or not it's a siding, branch line or main line I may or may not hit it with rust. I know a lot of guys super detail turnouts and track but that just isn't my thing. Once they are painted and buried in ballast I some times will sprinkle black tempra paint in between the rails to simulate oil streaks depending where the tracks are. but just the airbrush with railroad tie brown works for me.
What are you airbrushing? The rail or ties?
Springfield PA
What is the best way to airbrush turnouts? I am using atlas code 55 n scale.