Keep the pictures coming.
What happened to your challenge build building? It’s looking a little worse for wear…where…ware…weir.
John Passaro said:
Keep the pictures coming.
What happened to your challenge build building? It’s looking a little worse for wear…where…ware…weir.
The poor shed didn’t like the lift, it will be repaired in place; legs replaced on inner wood deck, ends reattached and the loading dock rebuilt. It’s a Kit now!
Thanks for the encouragement!
John
As you see I’ve added real estate to Tucson I also removed the backboard. I realized just before pouring cement beams that the Depot (red) was already too heavy…
Yes the Freight depot is closed for minor remodeling…
I left room between the barn leads for wagons and carts to service freight on team tracks.I plan on dirt covering the ties on the leads.
I wasn’t happy with the main line alignment.
I left the 3 tie section above and cut a bit over an inch off the straight track on the other side of the curve. All my tangents went back to running true. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
I’m going to look for Barrio Tiles to cover the barn, they do some fantastic art here… maybe you’ll think it’s their back yard as you leave town on the train.
My clearance car had no issues.
Thanks for looking,
John
coming along nicely, John!
Johnny P. asked me to try weathering my track… oh sometime last year. Being prompt, who? oh well I grabbed a 3 footer and gave it a primer coat and some rust…
It was windy so this is just a quick look.
In the middle I free handed the ‘rust’ application and it wandered between the rails, on the left I laid down strip wood and kept the ties cleaner. While ok for 3’, doing 150’ might be a tad taxing.
If I’m going to bother I’ll want full coverage of the tie plate thingies…
Just what I needed another project! This is only half way, I have another treatment for the ties in a day or so. Goodyear gave me some handy rail covers that will protect the rust. I put new wipers on my truck and the blades have a slide off upside down T section cover. Snapped 1 over a rail and it was snug on the tie plates! Next phase is to take the shine off the ties.
See any difference?
Happy Rails,
John
Well I’ll be damned…that’s coming along really great, really convincing. You done did it, John.
Now hurry up and do the whole railroad!
Nice John The paint really adds to it. So then, are you considering doing this to all the track on your pike? Do you intend to use any ballast up on the new deck? I think the paint would really compensate for the lack of ballast and dirt, not to mention protecting those ties form the intense UV I’m sure you have. It’s really looking good. I’ll be checking back.
Well Randy,
I’ve had 3 lines of thought and finally accepted the paint as a means to my 2nd idea…
Ballast around track on planks tends to get under it and cause problems … I first thought to use furring strips to hold the ballast in place, like an above ground trench, but after several years there are lumpy areas…
2nd idea is to put the track on stringers and then add the ballast, but how to layout the sticks?
3rd idea wasn’t; leave it as is… the tie strips on one section of track show different degree of fading like 3 batches of plastic.
Yes I am going to paint all of it, the brown primer is a Rustoleum Primer/color/sealer all in one and includes plastic as a safe application. I figure I can do all the brown and then use the over spay as my location device for the stringers. Looking at 5 bridges to build and I see the stringers as an easy way to build down. I think I’ll pin nail the stingers, allowing the track to slide sideways for expansion on curves.
There is another paint I’m going to try; Multicolored Textured; basic brown with black (very tiny speckles) and a rough surface which I hope will look more like wood.
The rust is a spray paint called Cinnamon Satin, left over from the sign boards on my freight shed!
I’m off to run errands, will be back later.
John
OK 48 hours later and my mood has changed, I don’t like the rails, ties are ok, but a big Whoa goes out to myself! Go look at the rails under the 315.
I wonder if looking at abandoned tracks influences what we think track should be?
When I look at the active railroad ROW it’s much cleaner. Looking at that section from my desk in the house, about 40’ away, I see a brown rail while the Stainless seems more in line! What I saw under Dave was grey rail with coal/grease spots and faint rusting in wet areas and rather sparse.
I rode the Cumbres last year and that landscape is similar to what I’m modeling, so perhaps I shouldn’t prime the rail in brown and instead will add tints to the SS, tone down the shine and go for touches here and there.
Stay tuned for the next exciting installment! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
John
I be baak.
The wiper covers are great!
I used the primer brown and then shot the texture coat hoping for a better wood looking surface…
The speckles are more muted on the ties … back to the strip wood masks and shot at a lower angle to cover the faux tie plates.
I think a lighter orange … an added bonus! The rail doesn’t look as tall.
While this is a modern section, the different elements have different colors.
Under the rail head the rust is reddish while the spring and tie plate are yellower. The wheels didn’t stray from the top and no signs of flange wear.
I think I’m happier, but there are a few tweaks yet, methinks.
John
John,
You are right on now. I like it! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Hmmmm Both browns in place…
Between this track and behind is planned as my team track area, what grass most likely nibbled and mostly dirt…
Dirt, off the ground at my feet dirt… well dirt is a push.
I have a plan.
Stay tuned…
John
I like the brown a lot, but can ya give me just a little of the old-fashioned rust red?
John Passaro said:
I like the brown a lot, but can ya give me just a little of the old-fashioned rust red?
Hold yer horses!
I did advise to stay tuned.
Oh an answer! Yes I can.
I just didn’t like the lack of control and in my mind, unlike the ties, uniformity will drive me beyond batty. My family has adjusted to batty, it wouldn’t be fair to them to push it. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
I have an Idear! yep it’s mine and I hold it dear… At my jewelry tools supply house here I can get a couple of felt wheels and can mount them on a bent axle then shape the faces to hit the tie plates. I figger I can roll them along the rails just hitting the plates. Varying the colors I roll in varies the application. Random fibers perpendicular to the felt can smear red fer ya. OK?
The main line will have more rust and grease spots where locos drip and blow down, tracks over washes and streams will have more, but a dusty old team track in Tucson? Only where old man Winston spilled the casket of pickles or near where the native women get clean water from a the loco’s canteen, a water car behind the tender… but right here I want to deflect eyes from the fat car barn.
Any method I write about is subject change with the latest ‘great idea’ that strikes me fancy.
Remember Virga is not a pill! Most of our rain is Virga, evaporates before it hits the ground. We see it leave the cloud, but no wet. Looks green on radar.
Look at the rail under Dave’s 315 loco and point out where rust it is. My memories like to trick me, I often recheck references.
John
Dang two paragraphs gone poof…
Rust never stops, they say. So when does it begin?
I’ve been busy! But I think this may end up being second best …
The path to the above;
Steel wool and clothes pins soaked with salty vinegar, kinda makes a mess… ya think?
I love the random nature though and variety of color, oh to paint like mom nature!
Before brushing off the stray strands, I sealed it with Fusion clear UV spray paint.
Otherwise rain could wash the rust away.
I covered the rail and painted the ties…
My one dissatisfaction is when I paint the ties, I also cover the rail’s foot … So on the next section I pre-painted the ties and once the paint sets it’s steel woolies time!
3 days sprayed 3-6 times with salty vinegar. Not liking the salt deposits I’m going to try neat vinegar. Hydrogen per Oxide was also suggested as an accelerator… We’ll see.
Welcome to the journey…
John
Nice effects John, but I don’t think I would be using steel wool around my track. The bits you miss cleaning up have a tendency to head for the magnets in loco motors and then they short out(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
John I love the look of the rails after using the steel wool. That’s the way to go. The ties look much better as well. I bet the cashiers look at you funny when you buy all that steel wool lol…
David Marconi said:
Nice effects John, but I don’t think I would be using steel wool around my track. The bits you miss cleaning up have a tendency to head for the magnets in loco motors and then they short out(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Way back when … I had a black ant problem, their exoskeletons lifted the 0-4-0 wheels up and she stopped. I fixed that by making scotch brite track wipers. One day I ran in the rain and wicked water into the motor yep killed it!
I’m not worried, I have super magnets… on bare wood. I’m also battery powered, so there won’t be track shorts…
I tried baling wire, but it wouldn’t lie flat against the rail …
Still experimenting…
John
The vinegar spray seemed to attract flies of all colors. As I sat there and took pictures it walked closer…
It was a good time to be done.
John