~ Track Painting and Weathering ~
After the track was installed and tested, it was time to paint the track. I used Pelle Soeeborg's method which looks amazing, albeit a bit time consuming! All the wood tie track was painted in a light gray primer while the concrete track received a coat of dirty concrete. After the paint had dried completely, I gave the wood ties a wash of brown paint. Next, I painted the rails a grimy brown color. Finally, powedered weathering chalks were used to create dirt streaks along the rails and highlight metal components on the turnouts. The points of the turnouts were painted white to match the prototype and then weathered. After the painting process, remove the paint from the rail head with a sharp chisel or your fingernail being careful not to scratch the rail.
Finished Product
Process:
Wood Ties:
- Vallejo Air 050 light gray
- Stain: Vallejo Air 055 Gray Green and 042 Cam Black Brown in a one to one ratio thinned with water and a touch of alcohol
- One coat of stain for sidings and two coats for mainline
Concrete Ties:
- Vallejo Air 131 concrete mixed with two parts 001white
Rail color:
- One part Model Master Gull Gray
- Three parts Model Master Dark Drab
- Three parts Model Master Dark Skin
Next step, the roads.