Any suggestions for this? I am thinking Rustoleum Camoflage Brown for main line and Tamiya(sp?) dark earth for sidings and yards.
Thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
I’ll offer an opinion here. I have no exoerience in weathering ties but I think you have to use the colors that best depict what you have observed. I would try it on some test track to see the results and go from there. As far as sidings go, it would depend on several things like the age of the siding and it’s use. Some sidings are old and the ties are basically sun pleached to a light gray while others are like new. Weathering ties is one of those areas that we want them to look as close to real as we can, but lets face it, all ties are not the same color, even on well maintained trackage. I for one am not going to hand paint every individual tie on my layout, nor am I going to get out a magnifying glass and search for date nails on another’s layout. Hope this helps, Ken
From suggestions in the Forum, I decided on Rustoleum #1918 “earth brown” spray cans and did the whole layout with it. I had not yet tried out my airbrush or might have another opinion. I was happy with the outcome, especially how the same color somewhat disguised the different brand track pieces, insulating rail joiners, etc. I like your idea of a different color for mainline versus sidings and yards. I plan to do some brush weathering before/after ballasting. I’ll have to read up on that.
That track looks really nice. Now wait untill you get it ballasted, will really look great. Looks like you made the right choice. Ken
I’ve used Model Master 1954, Light Earth, and 1992, SAC Bomber Tan, with success. Doesn’t hurt to mix things up.
Thanks fellas -
Mike, I thought about those colors too.
Paul, is the earth brown in Rustoleums camoflage line?
I spray-can painted my flex track and turnouts outdoors, using a special stand that looks a little like bleacher seats that I made out of foamcore. (Bits of tape protected the contact points on the turnouts.) I used a Camoflage brown from, I think, Krylon in one hand, with a can of flat red primer in the other, and moved the two cans back and forth while only now and then pressing the nozzle down on the primer red (I use the “ONE - two – three” rhythm of a Viennese waltz). This gave a varied and, I thought, realistic look. Another useful color (which I also use to paint the underbodies of freight cars such as the old Model Die Casting metal frames) may seem counter-intuitive, a Camoflage dark olive green, but it is very close to the old Floquil weathered black.
A bit of light oil on a Qtip run along the top of the rail before painting makes it very easy to wipe off paint that gets on the top of the rail.
I had attempted to pre-bend my flex track to the curves of my subroadbed and roadbed before painting outdoors, but adjustment was needed at which time little silvery dots appeared where the molded “spikes” had moved and exposed unpainted rail. A quick swipe with some of the Testor’s weathering paint pens took care of that and added yet more variety.
For painting smaller segments of rail that is already laid and on the layout (which I try to avoid due to the difficulty of getting really good ventilation into the layout room) I built a sort of small spray booth out of a large empty jug of kitty litter laid on its side, cut out so that the ends follow the contour of the rail and roadbed, and the side is cut out, almost like a miniature theater stage. The back, sides, and “roof” prevent small spritzes of spray paint from going where I do not want them. It would also be useful with airbrush painting. It is not vented and it is not “safe” – all it does is contain the paint. The "safet
Funny, I use the light earth also, looks great once ballasted. Originaly I was going to do a wash after painting but found that step was not needed to look great after all was said and done.
Yes, meant to say it’s Rustoleum Camoflage #1918 Earth Brown. I got it at HD or Wally World.
On a detail note, I created one problem. While I taped the points themselves, I got too much paint on the tietops below the moveable length of the point rails. Ditto where the throwbar moves between the two adjacent ties, which can be close clearance and get sticky or insufficient clearance. I could have avoided this by lighter painting on the turnouts and/or more liberal taping (then, brush additions where needed). I got the problems solved but it was an avoidable issue.
Most of my track is pre-weathered, but I used cheap brown craft paint to paint over white-tie track. Craft paint is far cheaper and less toxic than spray paint. For the yard, I painted darker colors, removed some ties and angled others to make less uniform track.
That is what I do as well. My wife would have a fit if I tried spray painting in the layout room which is also our office. I am just at the point of weathering the track and I am not sure if it should be done pre or post ballast.
Joe:
Being a little klutz on fine details. I prefer to weather track before ballasting. Then if you want to the ballast in selected spots could be dry brushed for rust, crossings, etc effects.
Dave
I use Rustoluem camouflage brown as the base for my track weathering.
For heavily used/well maintainted tracks like these, I don’t add much more.
Elsewhere I add dry-brushed acrylic and/or airbrush weathering the vary the colors.
The same base color can be used everywhere to kill the plastic and nickel silver shine, while the final effect depends on what you do later.
All the track here started with the same paint.
I use Valspar rattle can “Labrador Brown” for spraying flex track & even carefully masked turnouts prior to installing. For delicate or touchup work I use Polly Scale “Roof Brown”
To me they are practically the same color
I started using Rustoleum Camoflage Brown in a rattle can for both the rails and ties, but didn’t like having to mask adjacent areas. So I sprayed a piece of paper, took it to my local hardware store and they matched the color and sold me a quart for $10. I have much more control brush painting.
Grinnell