Track weathering

[johnandjulie13]

Hello All:

I am finally starting to do the landscaping/scenery of my little layout:

 

I can't wait to get rid of the Martian landscape.  One of the things I was thinking of doing was weathering my track.  I have seen this done with HO track and was wondering if anyone here has weathered three rail track and, if so, with what techniques?  I am using Atlas track and switches and would appreciate any feedback.

Regards,

JO

[J. Daddy]

are you good with an airbrush? or would you like to learn how to use one?

[cnw1995]

I painted the rail when it was all down already so didn't want to try an airbrush. I used a 'paint stik' marker in brown and burnt umber - I found it with touch-up paints at Home Depot. I just ran it down the side of the tubular rail I was weathering ( I only weather 'good enough' - so only on the visible side of the outside rail ) amidst the ballast stone. On my current layout, I haven't bothered as the platemen on Sodor Railways keep everything shiney.

[johnandjulie13]

Doug:

Thanks for the input.  I have looked at paint sticks but I am not sure that I want to go that route.   I would want to make sure that both sides of the rails (and the third rail???) would be weathered since both sides can be viewed.

J. Daddy:

I have an airbrush (and have used it before), and I would not be afraid of using one for this situation.  What would you recommend?

Regards,

JO

[Dave Connolly]

 My layout has been under construction for 18 years. Never thought about weathering when the track was initially laid. Got my ballasting done as well as most of the scenery. After weathering my cars and engines the shiny rails really stood out.

 I used a single action airbrush and painted the sides of the rails POLY S DRG&W Building Brown. I then shot straight down with Grimy Black. I worked at 3 foot sections. Wiped the rails once after the brown and again after the black. Some of the ballast got weathered as well and the paint sort of toned it down. Certainly would have been easier to do initially as my old body had to twist in some uncomfortable positions to get it done on a somewhat finished RR.

 Below is a photo that shows the brown correctly. Often times in photos it tends to look more orangey rust.

[chuck]

Floquill makes a paint marker set secifically for weathering rail:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLCR4&P=

 

[johnandjulie13]

Dave:

Thanks for the reply.  Your track looks great!  Why do you do a second coat of grimy black?

Regards,

JO

[johnandjulie13]

Hello Chuck:

The track looks good.  How hard is it to use the paint marker?

Regards,

JO

[chuck]

On FastTrack it helps to have a steady hand.  It's still much easier (and faster)  than using a paint brush.  Atlas should be very easy because of the T-shape.

[Dave Connolly]

 I don't mask anything and am not an artist when it comes to painting. When I shoot the brown at the sides of the rails the center rail gets some as well as the sloping ballast. I use 2 shades of gray ballast. I shoot the grimy black almost straight from the top. I'm more interested in the ties as well as the ballast with this step. It ends to tone down the ballast that gets covered with some of the brown. I guess it represents where oil will drip and fling off of cars. Some will find it's way to the rails as well. I experimented on some scrap Gargraves with different methods as well as colors. This method seemed to work best as far as the look I was after and also the ease of painting a somewhat finished RR.

[A&Y Ry]

Joe's ModelTrains Co sells a rusty rails painter that is a minature roller fed by a bottle/tube designed for o-gauge.He also sell shades of rail paint. I haven't tried it but some say the roller is quick and easy.

I have used paint sticks from Walmart and MIchael's Craft stores with various degrees of sucess and, failure!

www.joesmodeltrains.com/news.htm

[Roger Bielen]

I used Rustoleum red primer thinned down and/or Floquel rust, also thinned.  I did my "rusting" before installing the track.  It helps to wipe down the track with a rag dampened with mineral spirits, or alcohol, to remove the light coating of oil that is frequently on new track, helps the paint adhere.

[Anonymous]

Got to thinking about this as I am about to begin construction on my layout... what do you do to clean the track once it is weathered?  Does the cleaning solutions remove the weathering?

[J. Daddy]

use a scotchbright pad, cleans up really nice, I use 3 parts Floquil box car brown mix with one part grimey black in my airbrush ( nice to have acrylic paints to reduce the hazzardous fumes). I spray the track after it has been attached and before ballasting, this gets the ties, tie plates and spikes and nails well covered. I use a 3X5 card behind the rail to prevent overspray from going everywhere, but I work a 6 foot section at a time, tape my switchpoints to avoid painting them and away I go. You will be surprised how fast it goes. Just don't let the paint dry on top of the rails too long, otherwise it takes longer to remove it, if this happen though I use goo gone to clean the rails.

On a high-rail layout you really need to paint those rails, they just stick out in every photo....

[J. Daddy]

Dave,

Nice job on the track weathering! Had me fooled at first glance I thought it was HO scale. Is that Ross track, Atlas, or Gargraves or....? Everything in this shot looks well proportioned... makes me think I can use gargraves S track, paint it, ballast it, and achieve the scale look. Did you use cork roadbed?

[johnandjulie13]

Thank you for the feedback!  I will be breaking out the airbrush this weekend and we will see how it works.

Regards,

JO

[Dave Connolly]

 J Daddy, Thanks for the comments. It's all Gargraves with Ross Turnouts. The track in this area sits on Vinylbed. I used cork in the earlier portions of the RR. The Vinylbed was a new product at the time and my local shop carried it. So I figured it give it a try. What I liked about cork was the way it could be shaved with a rasp to transition from the mainline to the yard area. The portion of track the engine and car are on lead to the yard. In order to achieve the less maintained look the track rests on just the homesote. All ballast is Woodland Scenics.

[Buckeye Riveter]

chuck

Floquill makes a paint marker set secifically for weathering rail:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXLCR4&P=

 

A year ago, Chuck posted this photo of weathering of Lionel Fastrack.   Has anyone tried these techniques on MTH Realtrac? 

Chuck.....What did you use on the roadbed?  Did you spray it on?  It looks so much better with the weathering you have done.