I just wanted to know about spray painting the track once i have them on the cork. Should i have all electrical done? Is one spray as good as another? I assume i have to clean off the top of the rail and where any connections will be/ My tables are painted and tomorrow i want to start in ernest.................Thanks
Joseph: I would have the track down and all the electrical done before I paint it. I have painted everything the same color with a rattle can. That is fast, but I prefer to use acrylics and paint the ties and rails separately. I use different colors for different parts of the layout, i.e., sidings vs main line; well used versus lightly used, etc. I have even painted each tie a different shade of brown; that is not recommended. Then I ballast. Then I weather with an airbrush. Hope this gets you started. Experimentation with some track on a separate board is advisable, IMHO. See which method you like the best.
Joseph, If you paint, be sure to not only clean off the top of the rail heads, but also the inside edge of both rail heads for continuous contact. If you have turnouts that have riveted pivots for the movable point rails, do prevent paint from running between and around these pivots, and under the sliding bar where the push/pull shift control wire is located. Paint can, and will sometimes lock up a set of points. If I paint at all, I mask off these two areas, and touch them up later with a Marks-A-Lot. So far it isn't noticeable and allows the turnouts to work 'freely'.
I paint the rails first grimy black and then using a 18/0 sable brush I cover the grimy black with mineral red. This gives an interesting rusted appearance to the rails. I then paint the spike heads burnt sienna. I paint the ties Railtie brown and then add some offwhite and burnish that into the ties using the "dry brush" technique. Stay cool and run steam....
I hand painted all of my rail with a small brush. Using a mixture of railbrown and loco black. 75/25 came close to the color I wanted. I painted the rails people will see not where the can't see. Be carefull around switches and there contact points. It really did not take much time do do the painting. and the effects are well worth it. Just keep a rag handy for the over paint on rail tops. Mike
I am noticing a difference in feedback re. paint on the inside and outside of the track. If the top is clean, what effect if any of paint on the sides? Or am i having a senior moment. haha. Thanks
If you are referring to the Watash quote above, notice he is talking about the inside edge of the railhead. You do clean the top of the railhead, but also favor the inside top corner of the rail head to improve electrical contact. The inside and outside of the web and the base should be painted. Hope this clears things a little.
Yup ! It was a senior moment!, sorry Watash, i should have read better. I missed "inside edge". Thank you all
Here's a tip for making cleanup of rails after painting easier: oil. Rub a thin layer of oil along the top and the inside (thanks, Watash- you old master, you!) before you paint. After painting the ties and the rails, just wipe off the oil with a cloth. Most of the paint will come off with it. Drag a flat file across the tops (will help smooth the joints) and your rail will look ten times better.
IS it not easier to paint the track before laying and putting the balast?,or am I missing something. Seems that it would be sometimes hard to reach some places on a large layout and awkward also. I said I was going to lay some serious track this week,HAHA!!. I'm still working on the layout, decisions-decisions! I think I have to buy the kits for a tunnel,bridge and overpass so i can get a better idea of scale. In HO , if my rise is between 3/4 and 1" in a min of 36", should work ok?? thanks guys.
3/4" rise for 36 inch horizontal travel would be a bit under 3% grade... Should work yes. It's a good idea to test your locomotives first though-- make sure it can make it up that grade pulling a full train. Good luck!
Joseph: #/4 to one inch rise per 3 feet is a steep incline. You should try and keep the grade to 2% for optimum performance. Stay cool and run steam.....
Joe, remember, you can always run 5 diesel engines to pull that heavy car up hill, just like the real railroads do. Or you could always haul out the Big Boy 4-8-8-4 and let him lean into it! (That is really something to watch with all the monkey motion going on as he scratches and claws his way to the top!) I don't know about today's new diesel models, but I have had no problem with my 1973 Rivarossi pulling up 4% grades. Just be sure you don't stall an engine that has the rubber bands on the wheels, or you will burn up your motor quickly.
Joe, you don't have to ask for permission to make any grade you can use. I suggest you lay a couple of 3 foot sections on a long board, tilt the board up on blocks and try your engines at pulling a car weighted to equal all the cars you would have room for. Raise the board until the engine stalls spinning its wheels. Write down what incline that is. Add another engine and raise the board until both engines stall. That should probably tell you how much you can go beyond prototype and have an interesting layout. Its your layout, so make it for your enjoyment. I ran out of space, so with only 52" a bit over 4 feet, I had to go up 6" to get onto a viaduct I thought I just had to have. The test I made was as described above. As it turned out, all my engines could climb this terrible incline and pull some 8 to 10 cars along also. No I don't like it, and it looks ridiculous, but at least I can run my trains and that was what mattered. [ February 24, 2006, 11:29 AM: Message edited by: watash ]
