What is 'sign paper'?
Yes, the poles are colored differently one side from another.
The NORTH side is heavily faded and weathered, The south side looks much darker. Yes the south side *does* fade, but not as quickly as the north side frosted with ice half the year. That water damage is far worse. If you are going to scrape a dowel with a razor saw, then make the nort side of your pole rougher and more grey in color, and let the south side be more brown (if the creosote is holding) or tan.
Oh Oh.... The LION got out...
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Remove all the dust with the help of sign paper and then paint it..It will work better. Try it out.
Pressure cleaning roof Margate
Personally, I've been thinking about going with the pre-wired "Totally Wired" set by Rapido trains. Does anyone have experience with this product? They have also recently come out with a double crossbar in addition to their triple.
Paul
tstage You do see cracks in worn out line poles though. Some of them around here in NE Ohio have some significant and deep grooves in them. Tom
You do see cracks in worn out line poles though. Some of them around here in NE Ohio have some significant and deep grooves in them.
Tom
Yes. The poles here actually split, and that's the toughest part to model. Haven't figure that part out yet, but it's definitely a noticeable characteristic.
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
m horton I prefer to rough them up a bit with sand paper instead of a razor saw. You really don't see wood grain in line poles.
I prefer to rough them up a bit with sand paper instead of a razor saw. You really don't see wood grain in line poles.
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
What poles are you talking about? Railroad poles are different from your utility poles.Also what era? If your modeling todays lines the lion's corect, no poles.
Like every has said look out side. Older poles are faded, but some times have some darker areas near the ground. The cross arms are some times even a different wood and fade quicker. I prefer to rough them up a bit with sand paper instead of a razor saw. You really don't see wood grain in line poles.
BroadwayLion Three cross bucks? Modern Railroad.... BNSF went to buried fiber optic 25 years ago.
Three cross bucks? Modern Railroad....
BNSF went to buried fiber optic 25 years ago.
You want more realistic telephone poles? LION says take 'em out of your layout because modern lines are buried....
This is the kind of ROAR that gets our friend the LION sent to his room in the monastery with nothing but bread and water for a week!
And by the way, I also use roughened up, tapered dowels; I would suggest when you go to paint/stain them that you go outside and look at telephone poles and notice that they are almost invariably a darker, warmer color on one side, usually the side facing predominantly away from the sun, and a cooler, grayer color on the side that gets the most sun.
Then take 'em out and bury the line??
Or you could emulate the IRT on the Dyre Avenue line, and grow grapes on the lines... ☺
As to the crossarms and the glass insulators. Over the years Rix Products has made a selection of plastic crossarms cast in either clear plastic or green tinted plastic -- with the idea being that you paint the parts that are supposed to be wood or metal, and the remaining clear plastic is a remarkably realistic looking insulator. Right now they are sold out of green but have the clear -- I find the green at swap meets from time to time
http://www.rixproducts.com/model_railroad_kits.htm
Their line poles are also good models. Don't go overboard in roughening up the line pole by scraping a Zona or other fine tooth saw against it. Close up the wood of a utility pole is certainly not smooth like metal, but except for very aged poles just a few feet away you do not notice much of the grain. The main thing is painting to kill the plastic sheen. Krylon camoflage paint out of a rattle can does the trick, with additional weathering. Obviously old poles tend to look gray almost like driftwood, while newer poles still show the creosote or other treatment and often have a reddish cast.
Dave Nelson
Note the 2 pictures above: Telephone poles can have have one crossbuck, two crossbucks, or three crossbucks. "Extra" crossbucks can be removed from RTR telephone poles before bark/razoring and weathering/painting.
As to first impressions without seeing both layouts...
Both pictures are effective. The single crossbuck gives a more used, and perhaps, the appearance of a rural mainline -- while three crossbucks lends an appearance of an urban/modern railroad.
Conemaugh Road & Traction circa 1956
I'll 2nd the suggestion on the razor saw. Just take the saw blade and rake it perpendicularly long the length of the pole; rotating it slightly on each pass. It really does quite a nice job roughing up the surface to give the pole a more "aged" look. Using a slightly grayer brown adds to the realism, as well.
A year ago or so, COdy had a good write up in a 'realistic scenery' book. I used Rix Products poles...followed his directions to a 'T', and they came out fantastic. I also wired them with black thread...look great.
I'm posting a photo of real utility poles on Community photos as I have so many to view outside my door I wish I could get rid of all of them, except the view of the mountains that go with the picture.
The best,
johncpo in New Mexico
Paint the insulators a light green.
I have plastic telephone poles that look very realistic. I first scrape them a little with a razor saw, then I paint them with cheap craft paint from A.C.Moore. The color I use is charcoal gray, after that dries, I the dry brush with a light gray.
Sam
Did you rough up the plastic surfaces a bit with a razor saw or something like it. Makes them not as smooth and when you paint and add wash it looks quite different.
Wooden dowels work well also, just remember to taper them a bit if you can. Makes them look more realistic. Roughen them up a bit too.
Have fun,
Richard
Wooden dowels, stained.
Steve S
I have the typical plastic telephone poles that I just can't get to look "realistic." They still look plastic and ive painted them a few times. Have any thoughts on painting or even making your own?
-J
-Jon