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Best Method for Weathered Realistic Track?
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[quote]QUOTE: <i>Originally posted by tsasala</i> <br /><br />This is directed at Joe, but I'm looking for other thoughts. How do you transition from the main line to branch and sides when it comes to weathering? I have a number of branches and sidings that I'd like to paint differently like Joe depicts, but I'm not sure where the branch color should begin or what the best (most prototypical) blending approach should be. It seems to me the branch coloring wouldn't just start, that it would blend some way.?. <br /> <br />-Tom <br />[/quote] <br /> <br />I've only just started to "compete" with Joe on track information in this forum (how am i doing Joe? Is my stuff useful?)... BUT I suggest that you take a look at my profile and all the stuff in that ,that I've written on ballast and track. Hope it's useful. (if there isn't a pile of stuff there please let me know). <br /> <br />It should give you some ideas about changing from main to branch (or yard, or siding, or industrial...) track... <br /> <br />Put as briefly as I can... <br /> <br />You need to consider what you are thinking of as the recent history of the track. If nothing much has been done for some while there will be differences between the tracks but it will be more blended (in colour if not material type/size) by local weathering effects. At the other end of the spectrum the differences will stand out massively. <br /> <br />Where new work has gone in... on whichever track... it may be on a siding or spur that has got so bad that it has had to be replaced, is actually completely new or has a new traffic that has called for and will pay for it to be upgraded. Where this work has been done it will have a distinct start point along the track AND sideways across the track (adjacent roads will still have their existing (older but not necessarily old) ballast/track. <br /> <br />Oh yes,... just because ballast is renewed/replaced it doesn't mean that the track will be. It may be... or not... or in a few months. Where brand new track is put in its cost will probably justify new ballast... because the ballast protects the track. Where track is cascaded (especially panels) the existing ballast may be screened and topped up with new. It is extremely rare for ballast to be cascaded to track... it usually goes as aggregate... for car parks and roads.... <br /> <br />With me so far? [:)] <br /> <br />Big thing to note is that THERE WILL BE A DISTINCT BREAK OFF POINT. <br /> <br />BUT this will fade with time.... same as a paint patch on a boxcar... when it's new it will be distinct... years later it will be faded, maybe even partly covered by later patches, rust etc. <br /> <br />If you want your track to look right you are looking at all the same sort of "history" that you would look for with a freight car EACH TRACK IS UNIQUE. To some extent each tie is unique, certainly each area (if not rail length) is unique. then again, just the same as a string of hoppers that run together will have a common history any track territory will have an overall history. <br /> <br />It would be well worth taking the time to work out the sort(s) of thing(s) you want to depict. <br /> <br />When I get round to it I will try to go through a huge number of photos to select the main features that I want to include. I will probably come up with far more ideas than I can fit in. This will just be the usual matter of choosing. Unfortunatley the size of most pics doesn't usually show up the differences between such details as ballast size (largely because the variation in size is not more than 1/2" and usually less than 1/4"). What does show up is colour ... see elsewhere! <br /> <br />You might like to look at the pics for things that go on along the immediate side of the ballast and between tracks... there is a whole mass of stuff. <br /> <br />Joe's track in these pics looks really good... I'm just hoping that (if he hasn't already) he will break up the uniformity ALONG the tracks as well as across them. Again... see my other stuff. <br /> <br />Something else that shows up in pics is any work on the track... new ties waiting to be put in or in place, old ties taken out... etc... see elsewhere! <br /> <br />having worked out what you want to depict I think that Joe's methods are among the best from what he has written. The variation you might like to add is to part ballast to depth with an older ballast (probably darker) and later top up with new (probably lighter)... you could still add spillage and/or points where locos stand and stain the ballast on top of this. You can also add replaced ties, damaged ties... even new rail lengths waiting to go in, a new rail in place (will not have the weathering crud of adjacent rails) and old rail waiting to be removed. <br /> <br />There's TONS of stuff you can do! <br /> <br />Hope this helps. <br /> <br />Have fun!
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