How to "weather" around sidings?

[spikey]

I have a very small loco depot consisting of a turntable with two short roads off.  One leads to the shed, and the other is multi-use.  This being 1950's, there is a small coaling stage between the two.  Both tracks are ballasted with a mix of ballast, coal dust and ash, and I am happy with the way that looks. 

 

The ground between the two sidings is filler + ash painted in washes of different greys, and that too looks OK.  But I now wish to darken the areas alongside the two tracks to represent the coal dust and general grot which was invariably a feature of the real thing (or at least of the shed areas that I recall).  Being relatively inexperienced in scenics, I'm unable to decide whether I'm better off using washes of black paint for this, or pigments/weathering powders, of which I have no experience.

 

What would you guys recommend?

[cravensdmufan]

I brushed Humbrol weathering powders on the ballast once glued down. A few different shades to avoid a uniform look.  I was pleased with the effect.

 

I opted for lighter colours - but for steam era, as you say, go darker.  Humbrol "Smoke" is a useful shade for many applications.

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2019 by cravensdmufan
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[DCB]

I soak the area with glue and tip antracite coal dust all over it. When the glue has dried  I vacuum it up again for reuse.

Nothing looks more like coal than coal..  I use Antracite in our central heating so I have a ready supply,of coal dust  (and ash)