Weathering Track

[Earl Bathurst]

Hi

Want to weather track on my layout and was thinking of spraying the track rather than painting sides of rails. Can weather and paint the track the same time. Is it best to spray track when ballast is down or spray before with a base colour then ballast track then weather it? Also what can i do when it comes to doing the points? I dont own a air brush (yet) so will use spray cans, what colours are best to use?

 

Thanks

[mezzoman253]

Personally I would spray a base colour for the track, then paint the rail sides. Ballast next, then pull it all together with a dusting of weathering colours, you can vary the colour/intensity dependant on what the track is use for, stabling, fuel, platform roads, etc.

 

Try using the search facility on here, there have been several threads on this forum and some nice photo's of some track and layouts.

 

Try a sample on a short peice of track, off the layout, to see what works for you.

 

HTH

 

Rob

[10800]

Want to weather track on my layout and was thinking of spraying the track rather than painting sides of rails. Can weather and paint the track the same time. Is it best to spray track when ballast is down or spray before with a base colour then ballast track then weather it? Also what can i do when it comes to doing the points? I dont own a air brush (yet) so will use spray cans, what colours are best to use?

 

You can paint the rail sides almost at any time (if hand made even before laying, if it's easier). If you need to apply base colour to the sleepers do it before ballasting. Weathering applies to both the ballast and the sleepers so should be done afterwards - it's a fairly logical sequence!

 

You don't necessarily need an airbrush or a spray can. I've weathered track in the past using acrylics/poster paints diluted in a household disinfectant pump spray bottle.

 

As for colours, look at the real thing (or photos of) and see what's appropriate.

 

And as has already been said, experiment first.

[Chinahand]

I weather my trackwork before I lay it and the method I use is:-

 

1. Spray over the track & sleepers with Halfords grey primer.

2. Run a clean cloth with some IPA over the top of the rails to clean off the primer before it dries.

3. Once the primer is thoroughly dry I use various shades of wood dye to stain the sleepers and sides of the rail. You can just slosh it on without having to be too particular.

4. Again, a quick wipe over with IPA on the rail tops and that's it. Job done. Rail ends can be cleaned up with a fibre brush before joining and rail joiners touched in with a brush and some grrey primer and wood stain.

 

I prefer not to add 'rust' as, IMHO, it just end up sticking out like a sore thumb, but if you really want to add a bit of rust to the rail sides you can use some Humbrol Matt Enamel sparingly.