Much to my chagrin, I read the label on the Micro Engineering “ME” weathering solution and noticed that I cannot brush the liquid on my newly laid hand built switches that I built using ME unweathered rail. So now I need to mix paints to try to match the color of ME’s weathered rail.
I also purchased Mico-Mark’s tie stain, but alas, when I used it to stain Fast Track’s Laser Cut Ties for the switches, the resulting color is very pale compared to the ME weathered ties that are on my layout.
Does anyone have a “secret” paint formual that they would be willing to share with me that matches the color of ME weathered rail and ME weathered ties?
I also use Nscale Fastrack turnouts whith ME weathered track in code 55.
I didn’t use anymore wheathered track because didn’t find it helps for something.
Also because I paint my track.
I prefer to paint it because staining only the turnouts give some unreal spot of color in the laying track and it’s difficult to match them whith the flex track color.
But today and when I was using wheathered track, here is the way I do it,
I didn’t stain the ties but paint them whith an airbrush using Polly scale railroad tie brown including all the weathered flex track. Protect the points of the turnouts whith a “Post-It” paper.
When dry I handpaint, here and there, some ties whith various shade of brown and gray acrylics to kill the uniformity color of the ties.
When everything is dry I lightly brush a wash of very diluted white over all the track to dull all the colors
I also paint by hand the rails in a light rust-brownish color and add here and there whith an airbrush some black paint to simulate oils and grease at the moving parts of the turnouts.
It seems a big work but in fact not, and goes quickly.
Have you tried to stain the wood a second time after the first staining had fully dried? I have stained wood projects where I had to stain the parts more than once to match the previous projects.
The Micro-Mark tie stain does not take too well to the Fast Track turnout ties as they are constructed of plywood, and thus do not absorb stain very well. I routinely use your suggestion for applying more than one coat of stain when I build furniture (one of my other hobbies).
I first tried using Floquil’s Railroad Tie Brown, but this simulates fresh ties, and does not come close to the color of ME’s weathered ties. I tried mixing different combinations of Floquil paint to match the color of ME’s weathered ties, but I have yet to stumble across the correct color mix.
I am hoping that with the paint mixture that I have come up with, along with adding ballast and then using a black wash applied to the ties and ballast, that the ties under my switches will blend in, hopefuly seemelessly, with the rest of my hand laid track that sits on top of the ME weathered ties.
The exact color of the plastic tie isn’t that important. Various manufactures molded color will vary. Ties should be weathered before ballasting. Just the process of ballasting will add some weathered tones fron the residual dust and coating of glue.
I will tone down the base plastic, drybrushing shades of brown. Some older sidings will show heavily weathered ties and will be more to a gray/ silver in appearance. While working on doctoring up the tie color you can also show replaced ties by painting with the tie brown. That real “creosote” brown willnot remain very long as they start to age in the first place.
At my club we have handlaid track, various handlaid and production turnouts mixed with Wather’s/ Shinohara 83 flex. Blending the ties is imperitive to acheive a more uniform look
Flextrack on main, handlaid yard
Handlaid and flex mix
Older siding
When painting/ blending these ties, I will work with the various paints and occasionally dip brush in thinner to blend on the ties themselves. The rails are weathered, roof brown and rust mix just prior to ballasting.
The “magic formula” that I have come up with for matching the color of ME’s weathered rail is:
50 parts Floquil Tie Brown
10 parts Floquil Engine Black
5 parts Floquil Rust
I am also using this color for staining the Fast Tracks laser cut switch ties. While it is not 100% match to the ME weathered ties, it is close enough that once the ballest has been applied and weathered with india ink and alcohol.
