Painting Track Improves The Appearance
Of Your Model Railroad

Track is scenery, too.

Painting track makes a big visual improvement to your layout. Taking the time to add some paint will really make a difference in how your railroad looks. Colors like rust and rail brown help lower the profile of Code 100 rail by taking away the unrealistic metal shine. Works on N gauge track also.

Unpainted switch vs painted track

Here's a comparison of a newly-inserted Peco turnout into a scene where the other rail has been painted.

Painting track comes before ballasting

I usually hand paint the rails with a small brush before ballasting the track. It is a tedious job that I do when I don't feel like starting a more complicated project. You can buy pre-stained ties and mix them in with ties you stain yourself. Sometimes I'll use pre-weathered rail or, if I'm feeling lazy, spray paint the rails and ties after they are in place.

Unpainted switch vs painted track

This is what I did on the free-mo module I'm building. This track has been spray-painted with an initial coat of rail brown. Individual ties will now be repainted by hand with various shades of black, brown and gray. I don't spray-paint track with a can very often because it stinks up the house. I wait until my wife is out. Wear a good mask!

Weathering mix

This is the weathering mix I prefer to use. You can also mix your own with India ink and alcohol. Experiment with a few drops of the India ink mix and gradually darken it until you get the color you want. I keep mine in old jars.

Track paints

Below are paints I like to use for painting track and wooden ties.

Tip: Wipe the top of the bottle and use squares of aluminum foil or cling-wrap when you put the cap back on. This will keep the paint sealed and fresh so it will last longer.

Tip: The cut-off piece of hacksaw blade in a wooden dowel handle is a useful tool for cleaning out HO turnout frogs.

In these next two photos, you'll notice that I've mixed rail sizes.The siding at the back is Code 55. The track on the right at the back is coming off a 3-way Code 70 Shinohara switch. The track in the foreground is Code 100. The ballast on the rear siding is black to distinguish it from the gray ballast on the mainline. Note the acrylic "freight car" on the right in the first picture. This see-through plastic car is from Micro Mark. It helps to locate track problems such as low and high spots or where points and frogs are "picking" the wheels as they roll through. I added some weights on top to help it track better and mimic the NMRA weight standards for a 40-foot boxcar.

Rail sizes

Utopia yard tracks

A lot of my track is laid directly on homasote because it hold spikes well. I also use cork, especially on foam. Although I use construction adhesive to glue foam down, I've stopped using it to hold track in place. The first time you need to lift a piece of track you'll understand why. Destroying a turnout you just paid $30 or $40 for will send you looking for a better way. There is a better way. Go to Ballasting tips page.

Go to hand-laying track.

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