Painting the railroad

[drtolga]

Hi guys,
I'm new at model building. I have build some plastic models of Revell till now.
Actually I'm building the Express Locomotive BR01 of Revell.
The kit has a piece of railroad.

The question is, how can I paint it realistic (like this):

What I want is:
1) The top of the iron bars look shiny.
2) The sides of the bars look rusty.
3) The horizontal ties look like old wood.

I think Nr1 is not a problem with a metallic paint.
But how can I paint the rusty sides of the iron bars and the old wood.
Will the rust paint of Testors help me?

If yes, how should I use the rust paint for a realistic rusty outlook?
Thanks a lot for the guys, who will help with these questions

 

[waltr]

Best is using a combination of painting techniques. Start with a base color (dark/med brown for the ties) then with 'washes' and 'dry brush' add the lighter colors for the weathered wood look. Same with the rails for varying shades of rust and dirt.
Do the ties first since you will get pint on the rails, then the rails carefully so not be mess up the ties. Last the rails tops.
A 'wash' is thinning the paint so very little color is added
'Dry brush' is wiping most of the paint from the brush with a paper towel that then allows just a very thin layer, or streaks of paint applied.
Google these techniques for more details.

To get variation in the colors use a palette (which can be just a small white plastic plate) and put a few drops of each color. Some 'rust', dark brown, yellow orchre, white and blue. Then when you are painting the 'rust' touch to brush on one of the other colors (don't mix) and paint a little section. Reload the brush with 'rust' and touch a different color and paint some more.
Practice this on some scrape (The sprees, a soda bottle or some else that normally is thrown away).
Here is one method that I've used for ties that works well.
http://www.proto87.com/fast-tracks-ties-stain.html

This could be done with Testors paints but practice before trying to paint the 'real' parts.

Look at the Rails in the photo and look around at objects with rust. Real rust can have quite a bit of variation from the bright 'orange' color of fresh rust to a dark brown on old rust. Testors 'rust' and a dark brown, 'roof brown', can be mixed and overlaid with the wash & dry brush techniques to get a fairly realistic rusted rail look. Practice on the sprees first.

Have fun and show us how it turns out.

 

[Selector]

First, I would score/scour the rails with 80 grit sandpaper, maybe 120. Then I would paint the ties a light tan, some of them more grey to show their extreme age.

As for the rails, the tops as you suggest. The sides can be done many ways, but I prefer to use a smallish artist's brush whose bristles have been cut to about half their normal length. I have used Floquil's "Rust", but it could do with either two coats with the paint well mixed prior to using it, or you can use it as a top coat over something like Poly Scale "Roof Brown" or what I use, Tamiya "Red Brown".

Here is a photo taken on an outdoors shot on a diorama I made last year. The backdrop is the real thing. I set up the diorama on a folding table roadside angled just so, and then used a photo stacking software to compile a perfectly focused image. The rails in this case have only the Tamiya paint...no other coat.

 

[drtolga]

Hi guys,
Thaks a lot for the help. I tried to apply the techniques you described.
The result is not awesome but I think it is acceptable for the first try

Here are the pics:
1) The railroad before painting

2) Used wash technique for the old wood effect of the ties

3) The final view of the work. The sides of the iron bars are rusted and the top of the bars are brightened.

Again, thanks a lot for the precious help.

 

[waltr]

Wow, that looks very good and I would not guess its plastic.
Thanks for posting the results.