I hope to start building my layout within a month. Would it be a good idea to weather (paint) the rails before I ballast?[%-)]
Yes I did and it worked very well
Yes I think it would be much easier on YOU!
Yes, i’d strongly recommend that the track (rails and ties) be painted and weathered before you install the ballast. It will be a lot easier and neater to do first.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins
I paint the rails a dark rusty brown (Floquil/Polly S Roof Brown) color and then spray the ties from directly “above” with a mix of brown ( Floquil/Polly S Tie Brown) and grey (UP Armour Grey). That way the rails and ties are different colors.
Dave H.
Thanks, all, for the advice. Dave H., thanks for the color scheme. I’ll use it.[8D]
I spray the rail and ties Floquil Roof Brown, The rails then get a wash of thinned Floquil Rust, sporadically brush painted. Rust is the overall color of guard and frog rails. Then I go back with the brush and randomly paint individual ties grays, blacks and dark tans. These ties colors are done maybe one in 15 to 20, overall but done in small groups. I like the effect and find it enjoyable to do!
How do you guys protect the rails when you paint “from above”?
Definitely paint the rails first. I use Floquil grimy black, roof brown and boxcar red–light spray coats of all of them, starting with the grimy black. By the time I get to the boxcar red, the ties have somehow miraculously decided to be a different color than the rails. Don’t ask me how. As to ‘protecting’ the rails when you paint them, just use a Bright Boy after. Works like a charm.
Tom
Got it. Thanks Tom.
You don’t “protect” the rails. You paint them. Then go back over the rails with a “Brite Boy” eraser (or a piece of wood or masonite) and clean the paint off the rail tops. If you have any contacts or you are relying on the contact between the point and stock rail to power the rails through the switches, you can mask over them.
I don’t use rust because most “rusts” are too orange, they are the color of “new” rust and rails are a darker black/grey/brown. However your coloration may be different in your area or the lighting in your room may be different.
Dave H.
I coat the rails with Maas metal poli***hen spray. It’s easier to remove and, well, polished. Heard oil film works too. I try to avoid abrasives.
Dave H. I stated I use a wash of thinned Floquil Rust which is brushed on after the roof brown. There being a roof brown coat under, the rust color becomes very sublime, and really only looks like a lighter and oranger discoloration of the roof brown.
I get a kick out of you guys whom say; “I stay away from abrasives”, then go on to explain you use a fine abrasive (Maas) to to remove the paint, or polihe rail heads.
There is nothing you can use to polihe rail heads which is not an abrasive!
I use a bright boy to clean the rail heads when the track gets dirty and would venture to state a bright boy polishes the rails better than driving your trains over them does.
I weather my rails before I ballast, but them I weather my ballast as well. I give heavily traveled track ballast a light overspray of grimy black and I drizzle oily black mixed with rust downthe middle of the ties between the rails to simulate oil drippings. Don’t over do this, but a little messyness between the rails helps realism.
Ron
I’ve always wondered about weathering HO scale track as I thought it would hamper electrical conductivity. I’m assuming then the points where feeder wires are soldered should be kept “paint free”.
Am I assuming correctly? [%-)]
I use Krylon or Rustoleum camofloge brown.I think it’s called earth brown. Both brands are about the same color.I mask off the road bed on the sides.(which I painted grey primer before I laid the track.) I paint the ties and rails the same color brown. Be sure to solder your joints first. This shade of brown is almost the exact color of most real track.
Let the paint cure for a few days before ballasting. After ballasting, I go over the track with weathering chalks for the rust, dirt and oil effect.Clean the rail heads with a bright boy when done.
Have anyone used 600 grit sandpaper like Joe Fugate to get rid of the paint? What material is a bright boy?
Paint first, then ballast. I use a brush. Working in about 1 foot sections, I paint the inside and outside of the rail, and wipe off any slop with a shop towel. I also keep the areas where a turnout’s point and stock rails meet free of paint. For colors, I use a mix of Polly S Zinc Cromate Primer and DRG&W Frt. Car Red.
Nick
Antonio,
You are correct in your concern about conductivity. Ballasting and painting are the two operations that cause most of the problems on Model railroads electrically speaking. This is where the lack of feeders becomes apparent, where power routing turnouts become unreliable, where rail joiners fail. Why??? because glue and paint are good enough insulators to cause problems if the track work isn’t electrically sound.
The classic is to have the layout running great and then paint and ballast and suddenly nothing runs. I have experienced this personally and I’ve seen it over and over again on fellow modeler’s layouts. To avoid these problems I have a few things I always try to do:
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I never rely on un-soldered joiners to conduct electricity.
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Never rely on power routing turnouts to conduct electricity solely through the point contacting the stock rails. Most people can get away with relying on the points for power for awhile, but then things start getting unreliable…
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Use lots of feeders.
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Go easy on paint and ballast around turnouts…
When I follow these guidelines I can make the oldest, cruddy looking, dirt buried track run just fine…
I havent had any problems painting feeder spots…
Testor’s rust is a great looking rust that isn’t too orange, works well mixed with grimey/steam power black for rails…
Trainnut1250,
Thanks for the great tips!
Even 20 years ago when I read of modelers “paint weathering” their tracks it made me scratch my head back then as I wondered if Resistence to current flow would actually increased from painted rail.
Looks like the BIG key is to use feeders and keep ballast and paint away from switch points. [8D]
I do notice that some rust colors are “too orange”. I usually add a small amount of brown to my rust washes. Helps considerably.
High Greens! [;)]