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Weathering track


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I'm working on my first DCC OO layout using Peco 75. I intend to solder droppers to the side or underside of track. And modify all points by soldering wires across from stock rail to the blade. So my question is, would I still need to mask off areas before track weathering?

 

My plan is: 1. Cleaning with IPA. 2. Soldering. 3. Weathering on the bench. 4. Laying. 5. Ballasting. 6. Weathering in situ.

 

Sorry, I've also posted this in the permanent way section

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Nothing to do with masking but when were you going to weather the sides of the rails?  I wouldn’t bother doing that on the bench because as you lay the track,  particularly on flexitrack curves, movement of the rails within the chairs results in unpainted rail showing and the need to redo it.

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What is the consensus regarding paint brushing vs airbrushing when it comes to track weathering:dontknow:?

 

I happen to have both, but my airbrushing skills are currently zero (not unpacked the equipment yet :haha:). But I am willing to learn.

 

Edited by ISW
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3 hours ago, ISW said:

What is the consensus regarding paint brushing vs airbrushing when it comes to track weathering:dontknow:?

 

I happen to have both, but my airbrushing skills are currently zero (not unpacked the equipment yet :haha:). But I am willing to learn.

 

I'd be tempted to say don't worry about airbrushing the track, but do consider the following:

 

- lay the track, permanently, with glue or whatever your chosen method is, of permanently attaching it to the baseboard

- spray the track with red oxide primer (eg. from Halfords) in a can (but do mask off areas such as electrical contacts or other sensitive mechanisms first)

- spray the track with a track colour can, such as 'Track Grime' (or is it 'Rail Dirt?') from the likes of Railmatch or Precision

- when thoroughly dried, use brushes to weather individual areas of the rail sides and the sleepers

- when the above is completed, apply ballast and fix in place with your chosen method (my layout thread 'Bethesda Sidings' -

- illustrates my methods, which admittedly aren't everyone's cup of tea)

 

Edited by Captain Kernow
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My personal preference is to solder droppers to every individual length of track so as not to rely on fishplates for conductivity.

 

The reason for this is that if you airbrush the track/ballast there is a chance that paint could insulate the joint

 

Your plan with regards to soldering droppers to the points and adding wire bridges is sound and advised, by doing this you don’t have to mask off the points as you’re no longer relying on blade contact

 

I glue down my track (and test) then I use an airbrush to weather the rails and sleepers with sleeper grime

 

After ballasting I use the airbrush again and weather the track and ballast together using sleeper grime again...I don’t bother with rust on the rails but in some areas where locos have stopped I’ve put oily steel down the centre of the track

 

Disclaimer - I would like to point out I’m a beginner/returner to the hobby and most of what I’ve learned is from help and support from other members

 

Chris

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4 hours ago, ISW said:

What is the consensus regarding paint brushing vs airbrushing when it comes to track weathering:dontknow:?

 

I happen to have both, but my airbrushing skills are currently zero (not unpacked the equipment yet :haha:). But I am willing to learn.

 

 

It depends on the amount of track you have to weather, trust me when I say hand painting large areas is not enjoyable or rewarding! Personally I now use an airbrush for weathering track and find that a single coat of enamel Railmatch sleeper grime sprayed over rails and sleepers gives me 95% of what I seek. If I want anything more custom or to fine tune a finish then a little brushwork is easiest. On WHL4 I have yet to do anything other than use sleeper grime and I am very happy with the appearance of my track. 

 

It is very straightforward to airbrush track, I would go so far as to say it is impossible to cock up. There are a few good example videos on Youtube if your feel particularly nervous. It is a good way to learn about your airbrush and how it functions. The only negative is the cleaning after you have fiinished airbrushing (which absolutely critical for the longevity of your airbrush) so I recommend that you do a decent amount of track at a time.

 

 

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54 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I'd be tempted to say don't worry about airbrushing the track, but do consider the following:

 

- lay the track, permanently, with glue or whatever your chosen method is, of permanently attaching it to the baseboard

- spray the track with red oxide primer (eg. from Halfords) in a can (but do mask off areas such as electrical contacts or other sensitive mechanisms first)

- spray the track with a track colour can, such as 'Track Grime' (or is it 'Rail Dirt?') from the likes of Railmatch or Precision

- when thoroughly dried, use brushes to weather individual areas of the rail sides and the sleepers

- when the above is completed, apply ballast and fix in place with your chosen method (my layout thread 'Bethesda Sidings' -

 

 

 

Capt',

Thanks for the ideas.

 

22 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

My personal preference is to solder droppers to every individual length of track so as not to rely on fishplates for conductivity.

 

The reason for this is that if you airbrush the track/ballast there is a chance that paint could insulate the joint

 

Your plan with regards to soldering droppers to the points and adding wire bridges is sound and advised, by doing this you don’t have to mask off the points as you’re no longer relying on blade contact

 

I glue down my track (and test) then I use an airbrush to weather the rails and sleepers with sleeper grime

 

After ballasting I use the airbrush again and weather the track and ballast together using sleeper grime again...I don’t bother with rust on the rails but in some areas where locos have stopped I’ve put oily steel down the centre of the track

 

Disclaimer - I would like to point out I’m a beginner/returner to the hobby and most of what I’ve learned is from help and support from other members

 

Chris

 

Chris,

 

Beginner?, Join the club, and hence the reasons for the question. I do have droppers on each track & turnout on each baseboard, but do rely on the fishplates where there is a track joint within a baseboard. I'll bear your advice in mind when I'm painting.

 

1 minute ago, young37215 said:

 

It depends on the amount of track you have to weather, trust me when I say hand painting large areas is not enjoyable or rewarding! Personally I now use an airbrush for weathering track and find that a single coat of enamel Railmatch sleeper grime sprayed over rails and sleepers gives me 95% of what I seek. If I want anything more custom or to fine tune a finish then a little brushwork is easiest. On WHL4 I have yet to do anything other than use sleeper grime and I am very happy with the appearance of my track. 

 

It is very straightforward to airbrush track, I would go so far as to say it is impossible to cock up. There are a few good example videos on Youtube if your feel particularly nervous. It is a good way to learn about your airbrush and how it functions. The only negative is the cleaning after you have fiinished airbrushing (which absolutely critical for the longevity of your airbrush) so I recommend that you do a decent amount of track at a time.

 

 

Rob,

 

Many thanks for the advice. Your layout is coming together nicely and the track does look good. I'm not so sure about the statement "... it is very straightforward to airbrush track ...". Time will tell if I can get to your standard. It seems that airbrush cleaning is a bit of a bugbear, and that will be even more so at the beginning when I'm learning / testing on short bits of track. Suppose I'd better buy plenty of airbrush cleaning fluid!

 

Out of curiosity, how long does a standard tin of modelling paint last when weathering track? How much track can you do with a single tin? Any rough estimate will do, I'm not looking for millimetre accuracy!

 

 

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7 minutes ago, ISW said:

 

Rob,

 

Many thanks for the advice. Your layout is coming together nicely and the track does look good. I'm not so sure about the statement "... it is very straightforward to airbrush track ...". Time will tell if I can get to your standard. It seems that airbrush cleaning is a bit of a bugbear, and that will be even more so at the beginning when I'm learning / testing on short bits of track. Suppose I'd better buy plenty of airbrush cleaning fluid!

 

Out of curiosity, how long does a standard tin of modelling paint last when weathering track? How much track can you do with a single tin? Any rough estimate will do, I'm not looking for millimetre accuracy!

 

 

 

Ian

 

I can only speak from my experience but weathering track was the first thing I ever did with an airbrush about 2 years ago. Since then I have used my airbrush, an Iwata Neo TRN2, less than half a dozen times; I am very much an inexperienced novice when it comes to using it.

 

From memory I used just over 1 bottle of Railmatch sleeper grime to do Crianlarich, there is a brief summary with pictures half way down page 5 of the WHL4 thread. Remember that you need to thin your paint, I mix a rough 50/50 paint and thinner which I find gives me a nice consistency. 

 

Good luck with your testing

 

Rob

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Good to get so much feedback on this, thanks guys. Even though this is not my first layout, it's the second, in many ways I feel like a beginner. Because that was 25 years ago and so much has changed since then. And the last time I used an airbrush was even longer!

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I have used Humbrol 29 Dark Earth Acrylic (AD6029) spray can for large areas after thoroughly testing electrical continuity and running qualities of the trackwork. This can be blended as desired in various locations with differing tones applied with airbrush and touched up with paintbrush. Ballast can be applied before the paint but obviously will negate any natural colouration.

A longish process overall, try out your methods on a short piece of track and see which works better for you.

 

Providing individual electrical feeds to every piece/section of track and polarity switching of all points can initially seem onerous and somewhat OTT but you will for ever after be thankful you spent the time doing so.

Edited by Right Away
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Airbrushing or spraying  is great if you can get at the track in question.  Easy  on a portable layout not so clever on a wall hugger.   Cleaning  the surplus paint off  is a bit of a challenge.  Modern 00 model trains and scale wheeled older stock have coned wheel treads which run on the gauge corner, the inside corner of the rails,

Triang / Hornby ran on the flat top of the rails which is easy to clean with a bit of sandpaper or track rubber,   The inside corners need a lot more careful attention.

Some of my code 100 is beautifully weathered, where the roof leaked the steel is really rusty, and outside the N/S has weathered to a deep brown with shiny bits by the chairs where the rails expand and contract.  They were laid in the hottest part of summer into sand and cement  ballast so don't normally buckle just creep back and forth. 

In the shed where track was laid in winter the track does continually buckle, not a problem on the unballasted parts where I simply push the pins back in, but the ballast holds the sleepers firm and the expanding rails break the chairs, which means replacing sleeper bases which makes one hell of a mess of the ballast, I allow a lot of spare wire on my feeds to allow the track to be lifted and feed to the mid point of lengths of track where ever possible, using as few pieces of track as possible also helps. Cutting the webs between sleepers every 8 or so sleepers from the rail ends allows the easily damaged sleeper base ends to be replaced quickly with minimum disruption.  

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