Getting rusty

[Richard08]

The colour used can also suggest the usage of the track, Railmatch Sleeper Grime (much the same as Humbrol M29) gives 'regularly used' look whereas Phoenix Sleeper Grime looks, to me anyway, more like 'not so much used' (mainline vs. heritage/sidings kind of thing). I blend both, based on how 'old' the track is and taint it with very dilute matt back in places to get the diesel era effect. I spayed all the 'old' sleepers (and rails) with RM Sleeper grime on laying, for the bits with new ballast I left the Peco track as is as the natural colour matches the slightly shiny oily/tarry colour of new timbers very nicely (in my world). All the ballast, except the one 'brand new' bit, gets a wash of sleeper grime/browns/black to age it, between 'just a bit' to 'loads'. I have a length of 'new' rail beside the track I painted with RM Dark Rust - it looked ok when wet, but when it dried out it's way too orange, for me that doesn't work as a rail colour.

The double slip and headshunt are predominantly RM Sleeper Grime, the track middle-bottom is predominantly Phoenix sleeper grime, the points next to it have bare (unpainted) sleepers to get newness. The track on the left was done with a base of acrylic RM Sleeper Grime - it dries slightly shiney compared to their enamel version - avoid....

The little white bits are bits of paper showing me where the signal wires run and will go when I've 'finished' the track.

[Bigmet]

... All the ballast, except the one 'brand new' bit, gets a wash of sleeper grime/browns/black to age it, between 'just a bit' to 'loads'...

Looks good, very natural. Funny thing, I did the newly ballasted length on my last layout 'first time around', and liked the contrast. But I became bored with it, and after a few months, it got the standard 'well used mainline' weathering to blend it in. (Practically the last thing I did on that layout as a necessary move, career, and all the regular truck of life hit me head on...)

... The little white bits are bits of paper showing me where the signal wires run and will go when I've 'finished' the track.

They look somewhat like blown about pages of broadsheet newspapers. I tried to imitate this on the same layout, as it was set in an inner sub area with heavy commuter traffic, and newspaper was regularly blown about everywhere. Couldn't get that to look right, insufficient artistic sensibility...

[Richard08]

They look somewhat like blown about pages of broadsheet newspapers. I tried to imitate this on the same layout, as it was set in an inner sub area with heavy commuter traffic, and newspaper was regularly blown about everywhere. Couldn't get that to look right, insufficient artistic sensibility...

I had a stab at 'typical late 70s rubbish' (god how filthy the railway was then!) on the platform road- it looked quire realistic, but... ewww. I tidied it up. Sometimes realism is a step too far

[boxbrownie]

They look somewhat like blown about pages of broadsheet newspapers. I tried to imitate this on the same layout, as it was set in an inner sub area with heavy commuter traffic, and newspaper was regularly blown about everywhere. Couldn't get that to look right, insufficient artistic sensibility...

I had a stab at 'typical late 70s rubbish' (god how filthy the railway was then!) on the platform road- it looked quire realistic, but... ewww. I tidied it up. Sometimes realism is a step too far

Bloomin’ yobs

[Richard08]

Bloomin’ yobs

No bins - courtesy of the IRA

[boxbrownie]

Bloomin’ yobs

No bins - courtesy of the IRA

That’s what the clear plastic bag bins are for, you can see the bomb and runnnnnnnnnnn