Painting rail/track

[julienjj]

I whent to the hobby shop this week and bought a bottle of rail brown paint, but i was wondering how do you paint them ? i started doing it with a small brush but I would greatly appreciate tips !

 

[cg51]

Use an airbrush, cheap one works fine(badger beginner model 250) works well, paint the ties rail tie brown and then at a low angle almost horizontal spray the rails, i like to use rust mixed about 50/50 with rail brown for the main line rails so there is a subtle diffrence between the ties and rails,and add a little more rust for the sidings and other track work.

 

[railBuilderDhd]

I just tried the paint pens from Floquil and did like them but that's an expensive option if you have a lot of track to paint. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/270-3801
Dave

 

[Selector]

I used a small cheapo artist's paint brush with the bristles cut short to stiffen them a bit. I used the shake-the-bottle Floquil "Rust" and also Poly Scale's "Railroad Tie Brown". The former is oil based, the latter water based, so different cleanup required.

It goes much more quickly than ballasting, so I don't mind painting rails. You only have to paint the sides that get photographed or viewed, too.

You can teach yourself how to apply the paints this way. It takes desire, first and foremost, and then time so that you can relax enough to actually enjoy this for about 10 minutes at a time.

Hints - every three or four minutes, clean off the bottle neck, close up the bottle, and give it another shake. Your paints will be nice and thick this way.

For Floquil especially, do take the time to meticulously clean the threads and inner faces of the cap, and do clean the outer neck and threads of the bottle before you cap and store the paint. Or else...!

-Crandell

 

[bigford]

Floquil rust has to be the most thinned out paint in there line
Most of the 1:1 ties by me seem to have a washed out whitish look
to them. You could dry brush on some white after the rust and brown dry

 

[stationmaster]

I use "rattle cans".

Bob

 

[UP2CSX]

I agree. If you don't have an air brush and the track has not been laid down over foam yet, Rustoleum Primer in spray cans is almost a perfect color to weather tracks. Since it's solvent based, you don't want to use this on foam, since it will make some big potholes along the track. Rustoleum may also make a latex primer, which would be safe for foam. Just mask and cover anything you don't want weathered if the the track is already down.

 

[stationmaster]

Actually, Jim, I use 6# fishing line, usually Berkley Trilene(I usually have short leftovers on the replacement spools, and Krylon. I hang the lengths of track on a tree limb, or an 8' piece of closet dowel rod in the garage(take the cars out first,. Bad things happen if you don't) or the track for the garage doors and spray away. lol

I do touch up work after the track is laid.

Bob

 

[sarge]

Ok newbie question along the same lines - I see alot of people suggesting airbrushing with 2 different colours. So as I look at my track I envision spraying everything.

Is there a technique especially with N scale to airbrush paint the ties, then the rail, and not get it on both?

 

[stationmaster]

Why? Aren't the ties weathered too? You will end up with a very dark brown tie, if you weather the colors in the correct order, just like the real thing. The tops of the rail will be shiny, the web dark, and the ties dark brown..........

And who wants to drag a compressor, hose and extension cord around? That's why I use spray cans and the "hangin' method" BEFORE laying my track.

Of course, you can always brush the ties..............

bob

 

[cncproadwarrior]

I agree. If you don't have an air brush and the track has not been laid down over foam yet, Rustoleum Primer in spray cans is almost a perfect color to weather tracks.

Jim, do you mean the rusty metal primer?

 

[hamltnblue]

You could try one of these:
http://www.linsjunction.com/jmt.asp

 

[ICG/SOU]

Yes. Rusty red primer is great. It also suffices (to me) as a good alternative to boxcar red (most SOU rolling stock).

I sprayed a good deal of my track before putting it down. However, I didn't know that solder doesn't stick to paint, so I had to break out the wire wheel on the Dremel to clean the ends of the rail for soldering.

If I had used something other than blue foam and WS roadbed (just straight plywood and cork, I guess), then I could have sprayed everything after laying it and soldering it.

 

[cncproadwarrior]

To any Canucks looking for Rustoleum rusty metal primer, it's marketed under the Tremclad name here in the Great White North.

 

[stationmaster]

Use Krylon.....much less expensive.

Bob