Big_Boy_4005 posted:Sure Mike, it's pretty simple really. I bought a gallon of a color called potting soil, but you could just take a picture of a rail into the paint store and get it matched, or you could just pick a nice dark brown from the chip rack.
Some guys buy rattle cans to paint their rail, but I wouldn't want to use those in the train room, and just went with Latex. That's OK if you paint before you lay, but once it's down, I think the latex route is better. Beside, you can get any shade, and aren't limited to what comes in a can. There is one drawback to latex, and that is, it doesn't like to stick to the bare metal very well, and scratches off easily if you aren't careful.
To apply it, I just use the cheapest external mix air brush. You can pick one up on eBay for around $10 or a little less. Then you thin the paint to about the consistency of cream, and blast away.
Remember, everything that doesn't go on the rail, goes in the air, and lands on everything! I took an old desk fan, and an old box and a new furnace filter. Then I cut out the bottom of the box and had the fan blow into it, placing the filter on the other end to catch the over spray. It really helps keep the dust down.
It may take a couple coats to cover properly. Just let it dry between coats. I like to scrape the paint off the blackened center rail, making it black again. It's a little more work, but I like the look. I use a piece of Masonite to scrape the tops of the rail clean.
You shouldn't need anything close to a gallon for your layout. By the time you get it thinned, a quart should be plenty, but you'll need a larger container to hold it with all the extra water.
Hey Elliot,
I have used latex paint that I had color matched to get a concrete color on my old trolley line, I also mix a shade of brown with plaster when doing scenery work. I hate to see white showing through.
Instead of a cheap air brush I wonder if you could use a spray bottle? It would keep the dust down.
