I am sure that this is a common post, but a search of the forum and on google did not tell me what I needed. What is the best method for weathering track, and what colors do I need? I have an airbrush, so that is not an issue.
Thanks,
sfb
There is no “best” way, but many that will work equally well. Here’s a recent track painting/weathering thread to check out: http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/200137.aspx
On my last layout, I panted the track with a 1/2" bristle brush and Americana brand “Asphaltum” acrylic craft paint. It’s a dark grayish-brown that looks a lot like weathered creosote. I touched up individual ties here and there with black (for recent replacements) and a few other lighter colors for old ties. I used a smaller brush to touch up the rails on yard and spur tracks, but left the ties and rails the same color on the main and other heavily-used tracks. Here’s how the main (bottom) and a branch looked after paint and ballast but before final weathering (and yeah - I’ve used this same photo before):
Paint markers are popular for rails, but they tend to create a translucent effect if used alone. They work much better if a base/primer coat is applied first.
My vote is for the stiff-bristled 1/2" brush, too, although I used PollyScale paints.
While an airbrush (or spray can) may do the job, you may need to do a lot of masking to keep the paint off nearby structures and scenery. Also, any atomised paint which dries before it lands becomes dust and you’ll eventually be forced to deal with it. [:-^]
Wayne
Some of the track on my layout is the “pre-weathered” flex track from Micro Engineering. It uses a chemical patina to darken the rails (including the rail heads) so I use it for sidings, not the main line. And the ties still need weathering since they have the usual plastic sheen.
For the rest of the layout I attempt to paint the track outdoors before laying it. i built a stand using foam core board so that many pieces of track could be painted at once. Actually i built two stands, one for straight track and one for track bent to 38", 40" or 42" radius curves (Atlas flex will not hold a curve but Micro Engineering, Shinohara, and PSC super-elevated track all do). My paint of choice comes from rattle cans, various Krylon “camoflage” series paints blended by spraying two colors at once. Before painting I apply a bit of light oil on a Qtip to the tops of the rails so they can be wiped clean after the painting.
Now, when actually laying the prepainted flex track is often happens that as it is adjusted little shiny dots appear where the spike heads on the ties masked the paint off the sides of the rails. A quick swipe with one of those Testors weathering paint pens takes care of that. Indeed you could use the paint pen to do all of your track weathering, although you still need to address the shiny plastic ties.
Dave Nelson