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Halfords Red Primer for Track Colour?


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I seem to recall reading someone who used Halford Red Primer to spray their track, as a basis for "track grime" colour - but want confirmation in case I just imagined it! A picture of the finished product if anyone else has tried this would be good too!

 

I ask because I have  a can of it handy, so it would save me having to get another can of a different colour (although other suggestions are welcome for future reference)

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Truth is there is no such thing as "track colour". Track varies in colour from a light beige to almost black depending on its use, traffic, oil, grease, mud, brake dust, etc. In model form it should never be a uniform or one colour. Look at photos and decide on the best colour for the type of trackage you are trying to portray.

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I’ve used it for other jobs, and my view is that it bears no resemblance to any track I’ve ever seen - far too red and saturated. 

 

When I painted track, I used dark earth as a base colour, then a brown colour on the rails, but, as has been said above it’s not a simple topic if you want to get deeply into it.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Nearholmer
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In terms of "other suggestions" for track I am yet to try the camouflage colours now being sold by Halfords although I have used them for other things. I think the dark brown and khaki may have a role.

https://www.halfords.com/search?q=camouflage

I currently use Precision weathered sleepers as my base colour but I've also used Humbrol #29 "Dark Brown" in a can - I think it used to be called Dark Earth.

 

Edited by Gilbert
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1 hour ago, Gordon A said:

Why not try it on a spare piece of track fixed to a bit of board?

 

I might well do that, but thought it would be useful to see if it had been done before. 

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I have used Tamiya Red as it was all I had to hand at the time:

 

ladmanlow1409.jpg.0475f8f6496ee1ec897260c1a665c58e.jpg

 

I then masked off the rail and went over it with Humbrol Dark Earth aerosol:

 

ladmanlow1416.jpg.35337375cfa20b10954f70d99b285904.jpg

 

and finally hand-painted the rail with Humbrol 113 Rust

 

ladmanlow1424.jpg.860c108407b4da28eb8d9a181d52b4c2.jpg

 

Al.

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I might have remembered this incorrectly, but in a magazine article (Chris Nervard?) red and grey rattle can primers are misted onto the track/sleepers, followed with a camouflage brown (misted from the sides towards the rail but slightly heavier from above for the sleepers). The camouflage paint does seem to vary in colour a bit as it goes on.

 

My own experience so far is that I needed to mist grey primer over the red primer to tone it down as otherwise it is really red, but by using the red you get a rust tinge when overlaid with the camouflage paint.

 

I'm certain the original author said something about wanting a good overall representation without spending too much time and effort, but then applying additional weathering in places as required (weathering powders?)

 

I should say that I protected point blades with masking tape and scraped the dry paint off the top rail surface with a wooden coffee stirrer cut into a chisel shaped end - a quick treatment with Track Magic (other solvents are available) and I my trains were good to go!

 

I put photos of my efforts to date on my Woodhey Quay thread (although that track/layout is now Castlebrook Sidings) - links in my signature below.

 

I would recommend experimenting!

 

Steve  S

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