Hi-Rail Track weathering

I always paint and weather the center rail. If you only paint the outside rails, then the center sticks out because it don't blend in. If you're gonna paint/weather.... do all 3 rails.

I totally agree! 

 

You might want to try the Scenery Forum for more examples of track weathering, maybe the search function would help also.

I think Dennis Brennan talked about this subject in his book, and included pictures of painted and unpainted center rails.

 I spray paint my track. I model the steam era. I start by weathering the rail using a heavy coat of rail brown using an airbrush. I hit the center rail as well. I then shoot some grimy black straight from the top to give it some contrast in color.  I don't mask anything. Wipe the tops of the rails when done. The whole idea is to take the shine off the center rail as well and blend it in. The only shine should be the tops of the outside rails and the shiny black of the center rail.

 

 

Certainly there is no way that the center rail can ever look "good"; it's just a weird thing

staring us in the face that all of us Hi-Railers have a gentleman's agreement Isn't Really There.

 

Actually, unless you stick to brushwork (ouch!), you will have to make an effort to -not-

weather the center rail, along with everything else. Just treat it like the rest of the track and move on. You'll never hide it.

 

Like Dave C, I spray paint my track (GG, Ross). I do it before it is laid. Touch-up later.

I do not use an airbrush; rather, I use Camoflage Brown spray cans (R'oleum or Krylon). The color is a near match for most rail that I see in my area - and I have photos to prove it. A dark brown/black, I would describe it. Some real rail is newer and still looks like a lighter rust, and some rail takes on the color of its nearby industry effluvia and soils, but most of it is camo brown. 

 

Thanks everyone, I knew I would get a good response on this topic; I had decided to weather my center rails but I didn't see that often enough and I was wondering if I was gonna be different or either wrong in my approach.  Nonetheless thanks again for the info. - MARSHELANGELO