Getting rusty

[captrees]

My mostly Peco rails are far too shiney, and the sleepers shouldn't be black. I can't find any specific products to add the required brown patina to age my rails and sleepers. Does such a product exist?

I went to Officeworks yesterday and came back with 5 different marker pen, and none seem to give the effect I want. I know there's something out there because I bought some used rails and they had been given the treatment I want.

What are you guys using?

[Dad-1]

Well for rail sides I usually use Humbrol enamels, being rather old I've always used enamel
rather than acrylic. Mostly No.113, or sometimes No.70. You need to keep good polished
rail heads though for the best power pick-up you can get.

Sleepers ? The variations are such that no one colour will do. I'm quite happy for Peco dark
brown plastic for most although where locomotives will sit I wash into the ballast loads of
matt black that also gets washed onto the sleepers & inner sides of the painted rails. When
I say washed in I really mean LOADS of thinners brushed and teased to the degree no edges
to the darkening can be seen, it just fades away. A medium grey would be good for sleepers
on little used sidings where weather is the main influence.

Been trying to find some pictures - best I've found so far.



Geoff T.

[Bigmet]

Seconded! Also old-fashioned, always used matt enamel for this and always will. Try and get some colour pictures of the area or type of line you want to model, there is a lot of variation; so as already suggested 'mix your own' is required. (I model a fast mainline in the late steam period, and the whole track formation had a fairly uniform dusting of brake dust rust plus some soot and cinders - dull mid brown - as the predominant tone, modified by chalk dust to almost a 'milky coffee' tone where cuttings were through chalk.)

My top tip, paint all the rail sides, check rails etc. dull rust on the points before you lay them. Much easier when you can access them from all sides, and you can then clean the rail top and the roll over to the inside of the rail head really thoroughly, and test for conductivity and good pick up with a small loco, before fixing them in place. (The coned wheels contact the inside edge of the rail head, that's where current pick up occurs.)

[captrees]

Thanks gentlemen. I hadn't considered applying paint by brush. I figured that there might be a brand of marker pen, specific to this task, but perhaps not. As soon as I started this thread I found another brand of marker, that works well on the rails... Mont Marte brand. But no good for the sleepers.

The track is all laid, and mostly ballasted, so alas painting prior is not an option, Bigmet. But Geoff's idea of a "wash" and variable colour would work. I may experiment with colour in my PVA wash where I still have some ballasting to do. My ballasting is very un-uniform and random for a feral look, and there is no need for uniformity of colour in the sleepers.

[Bufferstop]

A couple of years back someone introduced a paint applicator for rails. it was like a marker pen with a foam wheel applicator at its tip. You filled it up with your chosen paint. I haven't seen any mention of it since, so haven't a clue whether it's still available.

[Daniel]

Great that you decided to do it, Captrees!

My first image after reading your request was the foam wheel device mentioned by Bufferstop.
I remember seeing also a couple of youtube films about.
But (you know my lone's brain cell's intermittent memory function) couldn't recall the name nor the manufacturer so a search gave me just the brush and the acrylic paint devices.

From allthe methods I tried through the years the airbrush was my best experience but if I find myself again with such task before my nose I will use a combination of all methods I've know varying with the specific situations. Anyway once done the finishing touches will be dry pastel.

Daniel

Last minute ticket for you!:

https://www.osbornsmodels.com/350-103-j ... 0041-p.asp

[Daniel]

... and here you go!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEJUDo7Uw94

Daniel

[captrees]

Thank you team. That applicator looks like its the knees of the bee, if bees actually have knees. I don't know.

I like to ask questions here. Youtube should be the first port of call, but some of the loco reviews could put me off youtube for life. Anyway, my Monte Mart marker pen does the job on the rails very quickly, and all done.



The closeup isn't its best look. But all is well. Now for the sleepers.

[bulleidboy]

Woodland Scenics do a type of felt tip pen - the colour - Rusty Rails.

[GeraldH]

As mentioned earlier it's much easier if you paint the rails before you lay the track. I've been using Humbrol Track Colour (173), but the tin I have doesn't cover very well at all - it could be one of the dodgy Chinese batch? I've also used a generic dark brown paint pen which is very convenient and seems to cover much better, but it isn't precise enough to do the points.

[b308]

I tend to spray the whole lot with "track dirt" spray paint, I always feel that the "rust" coloured paints are too bright, I feel they should be darker. Though on the Real Thing the colour of rails varies so much depending on the light, weather conditions (wet rails are darker in colour), etc..

[bulleidboy]

I know many spray there track with Humbrol No.29 before ballasting or doing anything else. I have noticed that new rails - usually lying beside the track awaiting fitment have the orangey red rust colour, but as has been said, that track in situ the colours vary - my local line (south coast main line) they are dirty brown.

[Bigmet]

It's quite instructive to watch a passing train in open country near sunrise or sunset, looking into the light. Then you see the amount of 'dust' that is raised by the train's movement, especially when going fast. That effectively 'spray paints' the track formation, which is why the new rails from the rolling mill showing bright rust, once installed as running rails quickly become some variation of a dull brown, as the dust raised by trains sticks very effectively to the rough surface of rust.

[boxbrownie]

Try Woodland Scenics Pewter Patina wash, it gives a very nice rusty “see through” effect, so it doesn’t colour the rails and sleepers, just tints them.

[b308]

You can also just spray the whole finished trackbed with a dark brown aerosol can...