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With my HO layout I used Floquil Roof Brown spray paint to weather my track and rail. However, I am modeling hand laid On30 Narrow Gauge track, now. I'm weathering the ties with shades of gray to make the ties look like they have been out in the weather for a few; or, many years. I want to weather the rail so that it looks rusty and I don't want to get the ties all rusty, like I made them on my standard gauge layout. Any suggestions on how to achieve this? Micro Engineering makes a Weathering Solution for rail has anyone used this and how did it turn out and how did you apply?
Woodland Scenics has Track Painters which are sort of like felt tip pens. There are videos of using these products, which demonstrate there use, very well. So, I am primarily interested in people who have had experience with Micro Engineering's Rail Weathering Solution!
no experience with micro engineering stuff .. i just used an airbrush ... flat for the track with a rusty solution, straight down for the ties with a light grey solution .... two passes painting and one pass cleanup for the top of the rails ..
two evenings, a 15 foot by 16 foot layout .. and then a li
Rails that aren't used regularly just look brown. I have yet to see 'grey' rails unless they are primed from the factory. This combination bridge over the Gaspereau River in Nova Scotia hadn't had a train across it in 30 years by the date I took this photograph:
If you are hand laying track, I don't see the problem?
1. Glue down the ties and weather and maybe add ballast.
2. Paint/weather the rail before you glue/spike it down.
3. Touch up on the rail where you have joints (if soldered), or added feeder wires if not added prior.
I just tried the WS track pen, it’s basically just a paint pen but more money.
I found it tended to slide more than it did paint but after a few passes it did the job.
Oh, good thing they give you an extra tip as the spike heads really do a number on the ends!
After starting this thread, I realized that I had a basic knowledge of how to use paints to weather the rail. I became more interested in the Weathering Solution produced by Micro Engineering. Has anyone used this. My guess is it is the same method that Micro Engineering has used on it's weathered rail, in either Bulk Rail Purchases; or, it's flex track that is available weathered.
The review I saw on using Woodland Scenics' Track weathering paint pens did not sound very promising. As it sits right now it's likely I will use a brush and my Micro-Mark Micro-Lux Roof Brown to weather the rail.
Many use that very technique with that very paint. I have used Floquil 'Rust' to good effect, but now see that it could have used another coat. Also, Poly Scale's "Railroad Tie Brown", but my go-to right now is Tamiya 'Red Brown' [below]
This is an image I took in south-central British Columbia, generally very dry between June and September, and otherwise considered semi-arid:
