progress pics

[J&A_RR]

our first thread with pics was http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=13191

now I am trying out ground cover and ballast for the first time. the ballast is a little lighter than I thought(went with light grey) and really looks white in the photos. Pardon the pile of mess, it is for an upcoming neighborhood garage sell.
also starting to work on the hills which I am going to subcontract some of that out to the little lady.

 

[J&A_RR]

another

 

[SteamerFan]

Looks good, you could always mist spray the ballast with a brown color, make it look a little older, looks like fresh laid right now

Put a few small pockets of short grass here and there in the ballast, maybe a flower or two along the sides.

Just a few suggestions.

 

[J&A_RR]

thanks steamerfan, sounds like a good idea.

john

 

[SAL Comet]

Ha John,If you deside to paint, you could leave the main line lighter than the rest so it looks newer. Just a thought

 

[J&A_RR]

what would be the best way to go about weathering the track and ballast? what colors, what paint, technique.... ?? I have some extra track and ballast I could practice on. I like your idea also scott, keep 'em coming.

john

 

[theBear]

what would be the best way to go about weathering the track and ballast? what colors, what paint, technique.... ?? I have some extra track and ballast I could practice on. I like your idea also scott, keep 'em coming.

john

I'd go with the same paints and washes you'd use for rock faces.

Make sure you get the rails clean after painting.

That green car is really pretty kinda goes with my avitar.

 

[J&A_RR]

Well, I went for broke and pulled up all the ballast, I had only put glue on some of it which took a little work to get up, but the rest came right up with the vacuum cleaner. :thumb:
I am able to save that ballast for later. I went with a dark grey and it looks much better. I only put a little down to see the difference... night and day!! that's a load off.

I will post pics of the same section by wednesday so we can see the difference.

 

[60103]

I remember reading that some ground foam somes out a completely different colour when photographed than it looks in real life. The ballast may just be a bit glossy and reflects all your flash back at you.

 

[J&A_RR]

I think you are right david, and also in the plastic bottle the ballast comes in, it seemed darker, but once it was laid out on the layout with other colors around(ground cover and black RR ties) it really looked almost white. So.... buh-bye light grey ballast. But it will be good for dirt roads or around buildings or what not.

 

[trainwhiz20]

J&A,

I just wanted to show you this. Here is WS gray ballast used on my track, and the color is well portrayed by the camera. (yes, it's HO scale...)

It doesn't look half bad. It's a little monotone, so I'm going to get some black ballast/dirt and sprinkle it sparingly.

For a first timer, it looks great, I think!

Hope this helps in your decision.

 

[J&A_RR]

looks great trainwhiz!! That does help.

edit: Forgot to ask is yours fine or medium ballast.

I am now going with the WS gray but in the medium ballast. I know some say for HO it is to big but I like the texture it brings. I will be putting some down tonight and will take a couple of pics to post up tomorrow.

I look forward to seeing your progress Trainwhiz!!

 

[J&A_RR]

here are a couple of pics of the new ballast...

I used a halogen lamp to brighten up the garage for these pics

 

[ScottyB]

what would be the best way to go about weathering the track and ballast? what colors, what paint, technique.... ?? I have some extra track and ballast I could practice on. I like your idea also scott, keep 'em coming.

john

I have been using the technique from the book, Trackwork and Lineside Detail, which has turned out very nice. Basically, you take three colors of spray paint (the author suggests using Krylon over other brands). Colors are Ruddy Brown Primer, Ultra Flat Black, and Grey. Using a q-tip, put a little oil on the top of the rails for easy cleaning and start with the Ruddy Brown Primer. Not a lot, just enough to make the rails looks rusty and get the shine out of the ties. Wait about 10 min for it to dry, then take the Ultra Flat Black and spray a very fine dusting here and there, not much. The brown should still be prevelant. Then finish with the grey, just a fine mist here and there.

It has worked very well for me, and when the paint has dried, either use oil on the tip of a q-tip, or a bright-boy to clean the top of the rails. (The most labor intensive part of the job). The difference in color should be subtle, but noticeable when the weathered track is laid next to a non-weathered track.

If anyone has a good suggestion of a color mixture for ballast, that would be appreciated.

Scott

 

[J&A_RR]

thanks scott, I was leaning that way but was wishing I had done this before laying the track. The next layout we do I will weather the track first. This is only my first, so this is the practice layout. Anyway, to Andrew, a train running in a circle is heaven to him, so with this layout it is fun to see his expression.

 

[SteamerFan]

John, that new ballest looks wonderful!

Yours too trainwiz

 

[trainwhiz20]

Great shots J&A.

I weathered the track before I layed it down, and I was so thrilled with the results. I used Tamiya Paints (an aerosol can), and used a flat brown. I did the project outside on my driveway. The Atlas track improved 100% from the black plastic to the brown. You can see the color from my photos. Then I installed the track. Once I have all the ballast down, I'm going to put some black on the rails and ballast to represent oil drippings.

You can paint the track in place, as long as it isn't ballasted. It's a little difficult, and you'll have to be working in a well ventilated area. I'm glad I painted the track ahead of time, the result was well worth it.

It looks fine, your track improved greatly with that new ballast. I love the shots of the locomotives. Great stuff. Keep it up!:thumb:

Thanks for all the comments guys. It really makes me feel more confident that I'm doing an okay job!



BTW- I used a fine ballast. In my opinion, I think medium ballast is WAY to big for HO scale, but it seems like it worked good on your layout. Please keep us updated! Thanks!

 

[J&A_RR]

tonight andrew and I worked on some trees. this is our first try at it but we'll get better. the small one in the middle is a lifelike store bought. I could not get over the difference. I left a lot of trunk to be pushed down into the foam, also they can be cut shorter if need be. About another dozen should do it for our background scenery.

 

[LIRR]

Can we see an overhead shot of everything thats been done so far?

 

[J&A_RR]

not much to look at yet, there is more mess on the layout right now than anything. I am starting to do everything on a work table now instead of having supplies all over the layout.
I am shaping foam for the hillside we'll be working on this weekend and do some more ballasting also. having fun.....