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| EXPERT SECRET: Weathering track to look more real | ||
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Moderators: site admin, Joe Fugate, Spinpuff
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| Joe Fugate |
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   Registered Member #3 Joined: Fri Sep 08 2006, 01:59PMPosts: 148 | Ballasting and weathering track With the sky backdrop finished and the rough scenery plaster work done, I usually ballast and weather the track next. I use MicroEngineering flex track, codes 83, 70, and 55. I like this track because it has very tiny spike heads and a realistic randomness to the ties. Ballasted and weathered ME track looks better than handlaid, in my opinion. (NOTE: You can find the details of this technique in Kalmbach's Realistic Layouts volume 1 (May 2006). I'm also going to be covering these techniques in the Siskiyou Line video series video volume 5 on scenery, among other things.) Here's a photo of some finished track done this way (from the Realistic Layouts article):  Full sized image link: http://siskiyou.railfan.net/model/assets/trackDetail.jpg I ballast the track using Woodland Scenics fine gray ballast, which is a color that matches the prototype Siskiyou Line. You'll need to pick a color that is right for the region you model. Keep in mind that when you bond the ballast using the techniques I outline here that the color darkens slightly. I spread and shape the ballast using my fingers and a small stiff-bristled brush. I like to use my fingers because it gives me lots of control. I use the stiff-bristled brush to brush ballast away from the rail sides and off the tops of the ties after doing the shaping with my fingers. You want your ballast to be even with the tops of the ties, but not *on* the ties. I use 70% isopropyl alcohol straight to wet the ballast prior to gluing. This pre-wetting step is essential because without it the glue will simply bead up all over the ballast and ruin all your careful shaping efforts. The alcohol is great because it goes right in without disturbing the ballast. I use an old white glue bottle, fill it with alcohol, set the tip to release just a drop at a time, and then dribble it all over the ballast until everything is soaked with alcohol. Next, I bond the ballast with a white glue solution. I mix 1 part white glue to 3 parts water, and add several drops of dish detergent to the mix so it will soak in readily. Carefully dribble the white glue all over the ballast and let it dry overnight. The white glue will displace a few ballast grains, but for the most part, things should stay put nicely if you follow these directions. For the few grains that always stray, after things have dried overnight, I take a small screwdriver and lightly scrape the stray grains off the rails and tie tops. Use light pressure on the rails so you don't strip any plastic spikeheads off the track (especially critical with ME track because of the tiny spikeheads). Vaccum to remove any loose ballast grains. I paint the sides of the rails with Pollyscale Roof Brown (mainline) or DRGW Depot Brown (sidings/spurs). I prefer waterbased paints, and Pollyscale sticks to the metal rails well. Use a size 00 brush, and don't fret if you get paint on the ties. If you look at real track, you'll see some of the weather color on the tie plates and ties under the rail -- so you're just making things more realistic if you get the rail weathering color on the ties around the base of the rail! Next, I use an old phonebook as a paint palate and mix some craft acrylic paint (black, brown, white) to get some black-brown and gray-brown color that I paint randomly on a few ties using a size 0 brush. Hit maybe 20-30% of the ties to give them some realistic variation. Paint spur and siding ties more weathered brown and gray tints to reflect the greater weathering and less maintenance they typically get. Let everything dry for about 30 minutes. Next, we need to weather between the rails. Looking at prototype track, it tends to weather dif ferently between the rails than it does elsewhere. To simulate this, I mix 1 part plaster with 1-part black powered tempera paint and brush this dry powdered mixture down the middle of the track (mainline). I mix 1 part black, 1 part yellow, 2 parts brown, and 4 parts plaster and brush this dry powdered mixture down the middle of sidings and spurs. I mist the track with wet water to fix the plaster-tempera mix in place (it will also fade somewhat). The secret is the plaster in this mix -- that will make between-the-track weathering more or less permanent once you mist it with water and it dries. For extra heavy weathering, brush some more weathering powder between the rails while the track is still damp. Finally, I clean off the railheads with 600 grit sandpaper (polish the railheads, really) and then vacuum. As you can see, if you treat the track like any other model and weather it appropriately, it will look great! [ Edited Fri Apr 06 2007, 03:28AM ] Joe Fugate http://siskiyou-railfan.net - 250,000 hits and counting!  | ||
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| Joe Daddy |
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 Registered Member #229 Joined: Sun Apr 29 2007, 05:34PMLocation: Northern Colorado Posts: 3 | Hi Joe! When a fellow has parallel tracks (~2" centers) mounted on cork, what is your advice in regard to the V that runs between the tracks? Seems to me, after looking at a lot of pictures of master modelers, one would be wise to fill in that V and try to make the ballast between the tracks pretty level. Much like it appears in your picture on this thread. I do realize this picture may represent the edge of yard tracks mounted on a smooth sub roadbed, but I think you'll get my point. If you advocate filling in the V do you have a preference like latex caulk, drywall compound or even your portland cement plaster goo you shared on DVD #4. Your thoughts? Joe Daddy Joe Daddy | ||
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| Joe Fugate |
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| Registered Member #3 Joined: Fri Sep 08 2006, 01:59PMPosts: 148 | Joe: Yes, I filled in the V gap between my tracks with a watery mix of my vermiculite scenery "goop" (discussed in DVD volume 4, chapter 5, or also TENMILE CREEK SERIES - part 4 as downloadable video). As you correctly point out, a pronounced V doesn't really exist in the ballast between parallel tracks. [ Edited Wed Jan 30 2008, 02:06AM ] Joe Fugate http://siskiyou-railfan.net - 250,000 hits and counting! | ||
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