I'm about ready to lay the track on my new shelf layout and I'm planning on painting the rails to achieve that old and well used rusty look. I plan on painting it after it is down because I want to get any soldering done before it is painted.

If it helps, I'm using late model Atlas and Old Pullman Flex and turnouts along with some Atlas curved sectional track on this layout.

I don't have an airbrush so any painting will be done using a small brush. Any tips you can provide on how to keep the paint from running onto the ties and what type, brand and color(s) of paint you brush painters have used would be much appreciated!

Bob

There's at least 2 discussions on this topic elsewhere - try looking/searching in the Scenery section on painting and weathering rail & in the 3RS section for a very similar topic.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mwb,

Will do - thanks MWB.

I spray my track with brown auto primer from Wally World.
Then I go back after it dries appropriately with a small brush and weather up
my ties as I wish them to be. Works darn well.
A huge caution...be darn sure that you've soldered adequately the rail joiners.
I've noticed a lot of "play" in Atlas joiner which has led to poor continuity of track power.
Next time I will solder thoroughly the joint connections, and run them for a time before painting.

At first I tried a couple of pieces of House of Duddy / Micro Engineering preweathered flex track. It was darn near impossible to flex, so I took a piece with me to Home Depot and had the track color matched. I bought some matching outdoor water based paint. I found it best to mix it 1 to 1 with water and brush paint the track. I don't paint the ends of the rails until they are permanently in place. Joints on curves are all soldered. While the paint is still wet, wipe off the rail tops. Once this is ballasted, the ties look like a different color, than the rails. This method is fast and inexpensive. The track can be painted in place before ballasting or before it is put in place, witch ever is better for the situation.

I have been usingBrown Rust from Joe's Model Trains, 537 W 9th, Erie, PA 16502. The kit has a ScaleCoat size bottle and then another bottle with what appears to be a football inflation needle. Paint runs through the needle and on to a
small, 1/2" roller. The paint is some kind of laytex. Start the paint down the tube on to the roller and run the roller against the track and holy Batman, it's done.

Dick