Killing plastic look of Kato Unitrack

[PED]

I would like to kill the plastic look of Kato Unitrack. I understand how to overlay it with ballast but that is more work than I am interested in doing at this time. I just want something simple to kill the plastic look of the track base. I have seen videos where people air brush or spray paint it but I don't like that look either because it also paints the ties. I am thinking that weathering the ballast area with chalks (rub off too easy?) or applying a wash of some type. I am not trying to make it real dark (oily black). I am OK with stock gray color or perhaps a bit darker if necessary. My main objective is to do something simple that will dull it down to help kill the plastic look.

Would air brushing it with a flat clearcoat do the trick?

Anyone have any suggestions on what will or will not work?

[mlehman]

Yep, hit it with Dull-Cote or something similar. Then take a block of wood (2x4x6" will work) wrap in a paper towel, mist wityh alcohol and wipe the rails so they stay clean and conductive.

Be careful to mask over or otherwise avoid getting the spray in the contact points between sections.                                           

[Anonymous]

With a little effort, you can "dramatically" enhance the look of Kato´s Unitrack.

Some years ago, I built a small, mini-modular layout using Kato N scale Uniitrack, but didn´t like the plasticky look of it. So I painted the entire track in a dark brown color, using a rattle can, and carefully re-ballasted the track.

The job is a bit tedious, but the result is worth it!

Spreading the ballast and shaping the shoulder works much better if you use a flat, delta-shaped brush!

[DigitalGriffin]

Ballast is the best way.  

[dknelson]

A small spray bottle with isopropyl alchohol (70% or 90%) with a few drops of india ink mixed in.  A light spray over the track (masking with paper nearby stuff you do not want darkened) give it a different and more varied look.  It is easier to start light and make it darker than it is the other way around, but if you do over-darken a damp rag can help. 

This is also what I use on my ballasted track to give it a bit of variety.

Dave Nelson 

[riogrande5761]

I have some HO KATO Unitrack and personally I don't think dulling it is enough - sure it will kill the shine but it will still be the same unrealistic color.  The only thing IMO that will make a big difference is to treat it similarly to track on a sub base such as cork.  Paint the whole thing a base color like Camofluage brown and then add a thin layer of ballast.  ;-)  At minimum it needs paint.

[jjdamnit]

Hello all,

As I understand; with some sectional roadbed track- -the track can be removed from the roadbed.

If you can separate the track from the roadbed, I suggest that you paint the separated roadbed in the color(s) of your choice, layering the paints to suite your aesthetic needs. 

Some folks in these forums have suggested using textured spray paint(s) to achieve the faux look of ballast.

Others have suggested applying ground foam, applied over the still wet paint(s), to achieve the desired outcome.

Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

You cannot separate the track and ties from the roadbed, when you are using Kato Unitrack.

[joe323]

In the end I think you will have to ballast it because no matter how you paint sectional road bed  looks well sectional and not the unified look you want ballast hides the gaps between the pieces.

[jjdamnit]

Hello all,

Good to know!

Sir Madog

You cannot separate the track and ties from the roadbed, when you are using Kato Unitrack.

Another reason to use track, roadbed of choice and ballast all separate!

Hope this helps.

[joe323]

Atlas true track has that separate roadbed feature.  However After contructing a layout with EZ track   and a new one with flex track and cork roadbed.  I would do the flex  again it isn't that hard to do.

[wjstix]

Before installing the track sections, I 'paint' the sides of the rails with Neo-Lube (available from Micro-Mark), which leaves them a flat dark gray. Then I paint some of the individual ties brown, and some 'railroad tie brown' which is really more of a brownish-gray.

You really don't need to put ballast over the ballast, but you can add fine gray mix ballast along the edge to break up the crisp line of the Kato track's ballast. (Kato does make ballast meant to match their track pieces.)

Adding weathering, either a mix of alcohol and India ink, or powdered charcoal, helps tone things down. Since my layout is set in early winter, I add a light dusting of snow, rubbing it in like chalk weathering.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/m/mrr-layouts/2290019.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PED]

Thanks for the great feedback. As the OP, I have watched with great interest all the different responses. Although I do expect to add a ballast coating long term, I have other higher priority tasks to deal with so I was seeking a interim step that would help, I think I will try some chalk weathering as first step.