Hi Walt, thank you for your comment. I think how one looks at the issue of painting their track depends on their goals and priorities. Years ago I did in fact paint and ballast my track and at the time I felt it was worth the effort. Now that I am older, I feel the need to really think about how I use my time. I enjoy working on the railroad, but also want to spend time being able to run my trains. I also would like to complete the OM&S in my lifetime, lol. So in my case I simply decided not to devote the time to it. Thanks again! Bill
You had me grinding my teeth with the painters blue tape... I'm almost 80 years old getting back into model railroading looking at the new American Flyer, I'd be dead by the time I got every piece of track done LOL. Great stuff thanks for posting and having the patience to do it...
Good morning, Dwight, I do understand. I have in fact painted my rails in the past, but now that I am older and I was rethinking the idea. In part the reason I chose not to paint my track at this time was due to my age. I think perhaps for many of us as we get older we begin to think more about how we spend our time. I decided I did not want to spend it taping and painting track. Thanks for watching my video and offering your comment. Much appreciated! Bill B.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway Thank you so much. I was afraid you'd take it the wrong way... I just want to put trains on the track. Thanks again 3:00 a.m. here in Arizona getting ready to go to bed. I'll be up at 9:00 for sure... God willing.
Nice job on the video thank you for sharing. When doing customer layouts we use the markers we also give the ballast a wash down with a black wash it brings out the look of the ballast and helps highlight the rails. Hopefully this tip helps.
Thank you, Harry Henning lll, for stopping by commenting and subscribing. My tickled pink to have you as a subscriber. I watch you guys all the time on The Train Shop Weekly! I love your collection and the layout. Bill B. PS As of now I've decided not to color the track. The tip of giving the ballast a black wash maybe something I'll have to give a try.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway thank you for following us. I think this is a good way for many of the new guys in our hobby to learn new ideas. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Joey @Joey's Trains. The video did turn out pretty well I thought. The only area I would really like to improve upon is the length. I'm still working on the "brevity" issue. lol Thanks again! Bill B.
Good evening, dmarino2494, that is pretty much how it fell for me too. I am not saying painted/weathered rails don't look good, I just decided the "look" in my case was not worth the time and effort. Especially since I chose using FasTrack knowing it was not the most realistic looking track out there. I fully accept that there are others who will come to a different conclusion on the matter. Thank you for commenting. It is much appreciated. I do hope your holidays will be happy and that you have a safe and peaceful Christmas. Bill B.
I admire the testing you did to see how it went, in my situation I've been using K-line shadow rail when I can, ( over 100 ft so far), I really like the stuff, but its not cheap. I would like to replace the other lionel stuff with it when I can. Like the series...
Hi, bsalightning69, I appreciate your taking the time to comment. Yes, bet at this point the K-Line track is getting to be hard to find and expensive as well. I have never tried it but am glad you are liking it. I always liked K-Line's steam locomotives and much of their rolling stock. They made good quality product and was sorry to see them go out of business. Although I recognize that Lionel's Fastrack is not the most realistic or versatile track system, for my needs I have found it to be pretty good. I will say that every once in a while, I still wonder about painting the outside rails, but to date have yet to take the plunge. We'll see. I am glad you enjoyed the video. Bill
I saw on an O rr forum they use gun bluing for the center rail and Put black/brown chalk powder down the center of the ties to darken it. The 3rd rail practically disappeared.
Good morning, Phillip! Thank you for your comment. Those are some interesting ideas. At this point I have not chosen to paint/color my track, but the thought of doing so is still being considered. I'll think about the ideas you have shared. Thanks! Bill
Hi Guss! Thanks for commenting. Could you tell or do you have any idea how Lionel's Retail Store painted their track? It would be interesting to know as you would think they would be pros at it. Bill B.
Thank you, NorthPennSteam Productions! You should do a video about painting your Realtrax. I'm sure it would be good and I for one would like to see how you did it. Bill B.
Truth be told I previously used MTH on another railroad and in fact did paint it using my airbrush and "rattle cans." It came out looking very good, but it took an enormous amount of time. This was years ago and the Realtrax had solid rails a different rail profile than I believe it does today. Bill B.
Good Morning Bo. Yet another great video. Looks like you equally covered all the bases, between the paint pens, hand painting, and spraying the paint. I tried the paint pens myself, and like you, I was not happy at all with the results. I can also agree with you that the airbrush would give the best results , but in your case, the masking of the track, to protect the finished look of the ballast, is a must and would be a royal pain. I guess I was fortunate that I used Ross / Gargraves track for my layout, because after laying my track, I was able to airbrush my rails "before" I applied any ballast. I just waited till after the paint was dry to apply my ballast to get that finished look of my track. I think, IMO, you may want to re-consider at least the tracks inside your tunnels and use the paint pens for this. After all, the track is mostly hidden. Perhaps later on, you may discover a better solution for the rest of the layout. Hope you and the Mrs are doing well. Again, great video, keep up the good work that you do. Take care my friend.
Good morning, Rick! Great to hear from you. I appreciate your considered comment. Like the painting of the track I have thought long and hard about it. I love Ross track and switches as well as Gargraves. And I absolutely, understand why you went with them. I chose to use Lionel's Fastrack though for a couple of reasons. One was the availability, a second was ease of installation and the other main reason was that at this stage of my life I really did not want to spend my time painting track. Now, I have actually already put the track down and added a little ballast. Today, I was going to install the tunnel and replace the two turnouts that are together at the north end of the railroad. They are the ones that are a part of the internal (Elizabethtown) Loop. At this point, I think I am just going to leave all the track unpainted. Your layout looks great and I understand where you are coming from with regards to painting the track. I am glad you commented, Rick. Do take care and I will keep in touch. Bo
Nice demonstration Bill B. I did some of my track after I had it together and it made it more difficult. In my opinion use the rusty rail marker and leave the center rail alone. One negative to painting the rails is after years of cleaning track some paint will come off. Good decision Bill.
Thank you, Al, @Al's AJM Trains. I understand the desire by some to want to paint their Fastrack, but after having thought it through, I'm okay with the decision. I agree on Fastrack, if I were to paint the outside rails, I believe I would simply leave the center rail alone. Thank you for your comment. Bill B.
Great comparison video Bill, all three methods look like they all will take some time to complete, but I’m with you and scenic pens would be my choice as well. We’ll done.🚂👍
Ron, thank you! Yes, I've painted track in the past, but now I am not so inclined to do so. Painting track is just not something I really want to do now. Thanks again for your comment and kind words. Bill B.
I agree with not painting the fastrack. Not enough of a visual impact to off set the work that it takes to paint the track. Good video, always learning.
I think you've made a wise decision not to paint the tracks, Bill. As you said it would be too tedious. In case I had to paint the rails I would also choose the WS pens. Thanks for showing us the three different methods. Great video. 👍
Very well explained sir! While us HO scaler's dont have to worry about the center rail, making the normal rails look like they have been there awhile is a challenge. I've folks take shots at rail painting and to be honest, no matter which way you go, its gonna be a pain. With the monster I have now, weathering track is going to be an undertaking that I'm not looking forward to. Thanks for the video....gives me food for thought.
Hi Ray, I am glad you got something from the video and appreciate your taking the time to comment. Just off the cuff, if I had a lot of HO track to paint that is already down on the layout I believe I would give serious consideration to using an airbrush. It would be easier to do where there was no scenery, but with an airbrush you don't generally have a lot of overspray if you are careful. If there is scenery you would want to put something between it and the airbrush to avoid any damage. But I think you are right deciding to paint one's track is heck of an undertaking anyway you look at it. Thanks again. Bill B.
Hello Sir, I'm a 1st time subscriber, I hope to enjoy more of your videos later on, and I would like your honest opinion about this question. How do you feel about painting the entire Lionel Fastrack, and just before the paint is completely dried, I would use a track eraser to clean off the tops of the rails? Thank you for your time Sincerely Allan
@@allanmartinez1190 Hi, Allan, good evening! I appreciate your question. I do have a couple thought related to your question. First off, if creating a realistic layout is important to you I would suggest that creating realistic track is the place to start. I would note that I believe there are more realistic track systems available such as the track offered by Atlas O. I am happy using Lionel’s FasTrack, but not everybody trying to achieve a realistic look is. Tell me this, are you thinking you want to paint the entire sections of track to include the grey plastic base or are you talking only the rails? Whatever painting method you choose I would recommend only painting the rails and paint them a rail brown. The idea of wiping the paint off the tops of the rails is essential, but I would avoid using anything abrasive whenever possible. If you don’t wait to long after applying the paint one can generally wipe the paint off the top of the rails using a cloth. If necessary adding just a little solvent to the cloth (the solvent type would depend on the type of paint used) should do the trick. I hope I have answered your question. If not, let me know. Thank you again for the question. Bill
Thank you, Ken @Ken Munoz at MM&R Railroad, appreciate the comment. I'm glad you liked the video and subscribed to the channel. Welcome aboard and stay tune, there is more to come. Bill B.
Really nice job Bill! I also use fastrack and have decided not to paint the rails. I have ballasted my track, just don’t think the amount of time and using fastrack, its just not worth it.
Hi Peter, @Peter Gulotta. Thank you for the kind comment. Like you, I am considering ballasting my Fastrack. After all was said and done, I concluded that if I decided to paint the rails of my track, it would be anything, but Fastrack! If you know what I mean. lol. Appreciate the comment. Bill B.
Wow, super video, Bill! You did a superb job laying out the options and doing them. I have to say up front that all track types have advantages and Fastrack has a lot of pros, but ease of painting might not be one of them. I agree with you that the paint pen makes the most sense for track where there is a permanently attached base and the 2nd coat would definitely be the way to go. Masking all that track base would take the fun out of it. The other question you brought to my mind was regarding painting the center rail. The tie and base colors Lionel chose for their track are very light, so I don't think there is really any advantage to going to the trouble to paint the center rail black (Gargraves has al those dark ties which are also closely spaced and the black rail makes sense for that track, and in my case I plan to use ballast that is around 75% black and 25% lighter colors, so the black rail makes sense in that case as well). I don't know if your center rail would be best blended with (1) flat paint the light gray color matching the base, (2) a color matching the ties (3) same color as the outside rails or (4) unpainted at all. It might be a matter of your personal preference. However, I think you were wise to consider painting the track inside the tunnels for now and so the question about the center rail is still valid as it would impact how you paint inside the tunnels (the center rail inside the tunnels specifically). Perhaps inside the tunnels black center rails might work great, or maybe it doesn't even really matter, so I guess it is really a question to consider more than me thinking I have an answer. Have a great rest of your week, Bill! I appreciate you! T4
Thank you, T4. A funny thing is as I sat back and watched the video, I laughed at myself for how serious I looked throughout. You might have thought I was discussing some weighty topic, beyond the painting of my track's rails. With that said, I agree some track/track systems seem to lend themselves to their rails being painted more than others. I also think that when it comes right down to it as to whether or not to paint and/or ballast ones track it really does come down to one's own preferences. At this juncture, I figure that if over the years I have been able to come to terms with issues like the track having three rails, claw couplers on locomotives and cars, and scale proportionality of my layout, I can probably get past my track's shiny rails. LOL. Thank you again, T4. Appreciate you as well. Bill B.
PS T4, I would note, Gus @Guss Hadley The Lunatic From Arno, mentioned in the comments that while at the Lionel Retail Store he noted that the tracks on their display layouts were painted. I would like to see how Lionel went about doing that and whether or not they applied any additional ballast to their roadbed.
PS Take 2. lol. Have you given any thought about perhaps travelling to York next year for the Fall show? I've been thinking about it. Thinking about it even more after each of Dave's @dagryffyn hobby, train show reviews. Bill B.
I have a question. If you could find tape the exact width you needed between the rails and also tape off the outside part then spray paint all three rails the same color would it be worthwhile? Curved track would be more difficult and switches even more so. I think you made the best choice for you. It still looks good not painted. Maybe just ballast the outside edge of the track to make it more realistic. Thanks for testing all those options.
Hi Chris, @Nathan5Chime. Thank you for the question, Chris. In my experience the taping of the track is very time consuming and frankly very boring. The broader curves are not as challenging as the shaper ones and you are right about the switches. One can purchase wide rolls of tape and with a ruler and Exacto knife or razor blade cut in bulk stripes the desired width such as the width between the rails. You know Chris, sometimes you have to determine just what is the best use of your time and for me at this stage of my life masking track or painting it just did not rank high enough to warrant my choosing to do it. There are a ton of other things on the railroad that I really do want to do, and I'll focus on those things. Thanks again! Bill B.
I believe I would paint it the same way I painted any of the other track pieces. Based on my experience, painting the switches would just simply take more time due to their greater complexity. Thank you for the great question. Bill B.
Bill, great video on the different techniques. I actually painted a few of my front tracks, mostly the ones I do a lot of my video shots in and I used the steel rail pen. I have the tie painter too, but haven't used it yet. If you are going to paint rail that's already secured down the pen is the easiest. The painting and masking could be really difficult in certain spots. I'm going to finish mine in the next few months and see how it turns out as a whole.
Hi Matt, thank you! Of the two colors made by Woodland Scenics I actually liked the "Steel Rail" color the best as well. I could see using the "Rusty Rail" color on sidings or track that was to look older and perhaps less maintained. I agree, about working with track that is secured to the layout, the track painter pens would definitely be an advantage there. Have you found that by in large one coat using the pens was provided sufficient coverage? I found that with the "Rusty Rail" color in particular that it came out looking like a second coat would have helped a lot. Thanks for commenting, Matt. Much appreciated! Bill B.
Great video Bill, I didn’t paint my track, but would have used your pen method if I would have. The cost of using tape would be enormous for the amount of track we have. In either case great informative video for those who are inclined to take on the task. 😊👍
Hi Jorge, thank you! Having painted my track in the past using an airbrush and spray cans I can attest to the fact that one goes through a lot of painter's/masking tape. And the thing is the more you work at trying to get the most out of the tape the more time is consumed by the process. Thanks again. Bill B.
Great video Bill! I had never seen those track painter pens before and learned something new! Personally, I prefer the shiny look of new rails for my layout versus the rusted rail look. I think Fastrack would benefit from a wash of very diluted black paint over the ballast portion to make it look more realistic, but have not tried it yet to see if it would look good or not. Thanks again for a great video!
Good morning, Darin! Thank you for the kind comment about the video. This was the first time I'd ever used the Track Painter pens as well. I think that if I had more experience with them, the example I did in the video would likely have turned out better. In the past I enjoyed the rusted rail look, but now my focus for the railroad is on other things I suppose. I have heard also that giving the Fastrack roadbed a dark wash will enhance its appearance. I may just have to give it a try. I certainly have a few spare pieces of track laying around now that I could experiment with. lol. Thanks again! Bill B.
Hi Bill, I pretty much decided the same thing. At my age I simply concluded that the time spent on the project just was not worth it to me. I’d rather spend my time on other things about the railroad. Thank you for your comment! Bill B.
If you felt confident enough with your airbrush skill, you could just not mask the rails and airbrush the sides of the rails with vallejo paints and could lightly clean the top of the rails so they can be used. This could also weather the ties and "ballast" as well. I have been contemplating this as well for my own fast track. Ill have to try it out and maybe make a video on it. Seems to be a topic many O-scalers have to grapple with. Great video.
Hi Gold Standard, you may be on to something with regard to the airbrush and Vallejo paint. I do like the Vallejo paints. I feel like to do that though one would need to have a pretty steady hand. I mean like you suggested one could really go to town, but even with a relatively small railroad like mine it would take a good bit of time and effort. There is always room for another video on the topic and I hope you consider doing one. I'd be interested. Also, thanks for subscribing. Bill B.
Hi Chicago South shore & south doki. You are absolutely right. For me though, it was more of a matter of what method might work best for me while at the same time trying to decide if painting the track was something I really wanted to do. Thanks for your comment. Bill B.
Good evening, Adam. Thanks for checking out the video. Essentially, I believe you are right as little in nature is absolutely perfect. Your point is well taken. Bill B.
Not now. Not ever. Sheesh! The effort is tremendous just to keep a few model-snobs happy.
Ty for posting.
Hi Walt, thank you for your comment. I think how one looks at the issue of painting their track depends on their goals and priorities. Years ago I did in fact paint and ballast my track and at the time I felt it was worth the effort. Now that I am older, I feel the need to really think about how I use my time. I enjoy working on the railroad, but also want to spend time being able to run my trains. I also would like to complete the OM&S in my lifetime, lol. So in my case I simply decided not to devote the time to it. Thanks again! Bill
You had me grinding my teeth with the painters blue tape... I'm almost 80 years old getting back into model railroading looking at the new American Flyer, I'd be dead by the time I got every piece of track done LOL. Great stuff thanks for posting and having the patience to do it...
Good morning, Dwight, I do understand. I have in fact painted my rails in the past, but now that I am older and I was rethinking the idea. In part the reason I chose not to paint my track at this time was due to my age. I think perhaps for many of us as we get older we begin to think more about how we spend our time. I decided I did not want to spend it taping and painting track. Thanks for watching my video and offering your comment. Much appreciated! Bill B.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway Thank you so much. I was afraid you'd take it the wrong way... I just want to put trains on the track. Thanks again 3:00 a.m. here in Arizona getting ready to go to bed. I'll be up at 9:00 for sure... God willing.
@@dwightbernheimer331 Get some good rest and I hope your day will be a good one. Bill B.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway thanks again
I'm with you, Bill. Thanks.
Thank you, Rudy! Much appreciated! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Bill B.
Nice painting tricks.
Thank you, Ogauge Trains plus slot Cars! Much appreciated! Bill B.
Hello. Great Video & Layout. Take Care. Cheers Andy.
Thank you Andy. Your comment is much appreciated. I hope you will stay tune for further progress on the OM&S. Bill B.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway Hello. I Will Stay With Your Channel. Take Care Bill. Cheers Andy.
@@somersetandy9238 Great! I've subscribed to your channel and will do the same. Hope your week will be a good one. Take care. Bill B.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway Hi Bill. Thankyou. We Have A Great Community With Railways. It's So Much fun. Take Care. Cheers Andy.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway Hi Bill. I Am Subscribed To Your Channel Mate. Take Care. Cheers Andy.
Nice job on the video thank you for sharing.
When doing customer layouts we use the markers we also give the ballast a wash down with a black wash it brings out the look of the ballast and helps highlight the rails. Hopefully this tip helps.
Thank you, Harry Henning lll, for stopping by commenting and subscribing. My tickled pink to have you as a subscriber. I watch you guys all the time on The Train Shop Weekly! I love your collection and the layout. Bill B. PS As of now I've decided not to color the track. The tip of giving the ballast a black wash maybe something I'll have to give a try.
@@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway thank you for following us. I think this is a good way for many of the new guys in our hobby to learn new ideas. Thank you for sharing.
Great idea! Came out nice 👍
Thanks Joey @Joey's Trains. The video did turn out pretty well I thought. The only area I would really like to improve upon is the length. I'm still working on the "brevity" issue. lol Thanks again! Bill B.
i agree the painting doesn't add enough to the overall look to make it worth the effort
Good evening, dmarino2494, that is pretty much how it fell for me too. I am not saying painted/weathered rails don't look good, I just decided the "look" in my case was not worth the time and effort. Especially since I chose using FasTrack knowing it was not the most realistic looking track out there. I fully accept that there are others who will come to a different conclusion on the matter. Thank you for commenting. It is much appreciated. I do hope your holidays will be happy and that you have a safe and peaceful Christmas. Bill B.
I admire the testing you did to see how it went, in my situation I've been using K-line shadow rail when I can, ( over 100 ft so far), I really like the stuff, but its not cheap. I would like to replace the other lionel stuff with it when I can. Like the series...
Hi, bsalightning69, I appreciate your taking the time to comment. Yes, bet at this point the K-Line track is getting to be hard to find and expensive as well. I have never tried it but am glad you are liking it. I always liked K-Line's steam locomotives and much of their rolling stock. They made good quality product and was sorry to see them go out of business.
Although I recognize that Lionel's Fastrack is not the most realistic or versatile track system, for my needs I have found it to be pretty good. I will say that every once in a while, I still wonder about painting the outside rails, but to date have yet to take the plunge. We'll see. I am glad you enjoyed the video. Bill
I saw on an O rr forum they use gun bluing for the center rail and Put black/brown chalk powder down the center of the ties to darken it. The 3rd rail practically disappeared.
Good morning, Phillip! Thank you for your comment. Those are some interesting ideas. At this point I have not chosen to paint/color my track, but the thought of doing so is still being considered. I'll think about the ideas you have shared. Thanks! Bill
Ozark, I was at the Lionel Retail Store looking at their display layouts, they painted their track.
Hi Guss! Thanks for commenting. Could you tell or do you have any idea how Lionel's Retail Store painted their track? It would be interesting to know as you would think they would be pros at it. Bill B.
Awesome video Bill! I should do a video on painting my MTH Realtrax!
Thank you, NorthPennSteam Productions! You should do a video about painting your Realtrax. I'm sure it would be good and I for one would like to see how you did it. Bill B.
Truth be told I previously used MTH on another railroad and in fact did paint it using my airbrush and "rattle cans." It came out looking very good, but it took an enormous amount of time. This was years ago and the Realtrax had solid rails a different rail profile than I believe it does today. Bill B.
Good Morning Bo. Yet another great video. Looks like you equally covered all the bases, between the paint pens, hand painting, and spraying the paint. I tried the paint pens myself, and like you, I was not happy at all with the results. I can also agree with you that the airbrush would give the best results , but in your case, the masking of the track, to protect the finished look of the ballast, is a must and would be a royal pain. I guess I was fortunate that I used Ross / Gargraves track for my layout, because after laying my track, I was able to airbrush my rails "before" I applied any ballast. I just waited till after the paint was dry to apply my ballast to get that finished look of my track.
I think, IMO, you may want to re-consider at least the tracks inside your tunnels and use the paint pens for this. After all, the track is mostly hidden. Perhaps later on, you may discover a better solution for the rest of the layout. Hope you and the Mrs are doing well. Again, great video, keep up the good work that you do. Take care my friend.
Good morning, Rick! Great to hear from you. I appreciate your considered comment. Like the painting of the track I have thought long and hard about it. I love Ross track and switches as well as Gargraves. And I absolutely, understand why you went with them. I chose to use Lionel's Fastrack though for a couple of reasons. One was the availability, a second was ease of installation and the other main reason was that at this stage of my life I really did not want to spend my time painting track. Now, I have actually already put the track down and added a little ballast. Today, I was going to install the tunnel and replace the two turnouts that are together at the north end of the railroad. They are the ones that are a part of the internal (Elizabethtown) Loop. At this point, I think I am just going to leave all the track unpainted. Your layout looks great and I understand where you are coming from with regards to painting the track. I am glad you commented, Rick. Do take care and I will keep in touch. Bo
Nice demonstration Bill B. I did some of my track after I had it together and it made it more difficult. In my opinion use the rusty rail marker and leave the center rail alone. One negative to painting the rails is after years of cleaning track some paint will come off. Good decision Bill.
Thank you, Al, @Al's AJM Trains. I understand the desire by some to want to paint their Fastrack, but after having thought it through, I'm okay with the decision. I agree on Fastrack, if I were to paint the outside rails, I believe I would simply leave the center rail alone. Thank you for your comment. Bill B.
Great comparison video Bill, all three methods look like they all will take some time to complete, but I’m with you and scenic pens would be my choice as well. We’ll done.🚂👍
Ron, thank you! Yes, I've painted track in the past, but now I am not so inclined to do so. Painting track is just not something I really want to do now. Thanks again for your comment and kind words. Bill B.
I have never painted any of my tracks
I agree with not painting the fastrack. Not enough of a visual impact to off set the work that it takes to paint the track. Good video, always learning.
Hi, L Perry, yes, always learning is one of the great aspects of the hobby. Thank you for watching the video and for your comment. Bill B.
I think you've made a wise decision not to paint the tracks, Bill. As you said it would be too tedious. In case I had to paint the rails I would also choose the WS pens. Thanks for showing us the three different methods. Great video. 👍
Albersala, thank you! I appreciate you and your kind comment. Bill B.
Very well explained sir! While us HO scaler's dont have to worry about the center rail, making the normal rails look like they have been there awhile is a challenge. I've folks take shots at rail painting and to be honest, no matter which way you go, its gonna be a pain. With the monster I have now, weathering track is going to be an undertaking that I'm not looking forward to. Thanks for the video....gives me food for thought.
Hi Ray, I am glad you got something from the video and appreciate your taking the time to comment. Just off the cuff, if I had a lot of HO track to paint that is already down on the layout I believe I would give serious consideration to using an airbrush. It would be easier to do where there was no scenery, but with an airbrush you don't generally have a lot of overspray if you are careful. If there is scenery you would want to put something between it and the airbrush to avoid any damage. But I think you are right deciding to paint one's track is heck of an undertaking anyway you look at it. Thanks again. Bill B.
Flextrak would look better with the ballast paint scheme in light tan or a light gravel color to make the ballast look better
Hello Sir,
I'm a 1st time subscriber, I hope to enjoy more of your videos later on, and I would like your honest opinion about this question. How do you feel about painting the entire Lionel Fastrack, and just before the paint is completely dried, I would use a track eraser to clean off the tops of the rails?
Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Allan
@@allanmartinez1190 Hi, Allan, good evening! I appreciate your question. I do have a couple thought related to your question. First off, if creating a realistic layout is important to you I would suggest that creating realistic track is the place to start.
I would note that I believe there are more realistic track systems available such as the track offered by Atlas O. I am happy using Lionel’s FasTrack, but not everybody trying to achieve a realistic look is. Tell me this, are you thinking you want to paint the entire sections of track to include the grey plastic base or are you talking only the rails? Whatever painting method you choose I would recommend only painting the rails and paint them a rail brown. The idea of wiping the paint off the tops of the rails is essential, but I would avoid using anything abrasive whenever possible. If you don’t wait to long after applying the paint one can generally wipe the paint off the top of the rails using a cloth. If necessary adding just a little solvent to the cloth (the solvent type would depend on the type of paint used) should do the trick. I hope I have answered your question. If not, let me know. Thank you again for the question. Bill
Great video, consider me subbed.
Thank you, Ken @Ken Munoz at MM&R Railroad, appreciate the comment. I'm glad you liked the video and subscribed to the channel. Welcome aboard and stay tune, there is more to come. Bill B.
Really nice job Bill! I also use fastrack and have decided not to paint the rails. I have ballasted my track, just don’t think the amount of time and using fastrack, its just not worth it.
Hi Peter, @Peter Gulotta. Thank you for the kind comment. Like you, I am considering ballasting my Fastrack. After all was said and done, I concluded that if I decided to paint the rails of my track, it would be anything, but Fastrack! If you know what I mean. lol. Appreciate the comment. Bill B.
Wow, super video, Bill! You did a superb job laying out the options and doing them. I have to say up front that all track types have advantages and Fastrack has a lot of pros, but ease of painting might not be one of them. I agree with you that the paint pen makes the most sense for track where there is a permanently attached base and the 2nd coat would definitely be the way to go. Masking all that track base would take the fun out of it. The other question you brought to my mind was regarding painting the center rail. The tie and base colors Lionel chose for their track are very light, so I don't think there is really any advantage to going to the trouble to paint the center rail black (Gargraves has al those dark ties which are also closely spaced and the black rail makes sense for that track, and in my case I plan to use ballast that is around 75% black and 25% lighter colors, so the black rail makes sense in that case as well). I don't know if your center rail would be best blended with (1) flat paint the light gray color matching the base, (2) a color matching the ties (3) same color as the outside rails or (4) unpainted at all. It might be a matter of your personal preference. However, I think you were wise to consider painting the track inside the tunnels for now and so the question about the center rail is still valid as it would impact how you paint inside the tunnels (the center rail inside the tunnels specifically). Perhaps inside the tunnels black center rails might work great, or maybe it doesn't even really matter, so I guess it is really a question to consider more than me thinking I have an answer. Have a great rest of your week, Bill! I appreciate you! T4
Thank you, T4. A funny thing is as I sat back and watched the video, I laughed at myself for how serious I looked throughout. You might have thought I was discussing some weighty topic, beyond the painting of my track's rails. With that said, I agree some track/track systems seem to lend themselves to their rails being painted more than others. I also think that when it comes right down to it as to whether or not to paint and/or ballast ones track it really does come down to one's own preferences. At this juncture, I figure that if over the years I have been able to come to terms with issues like the track having three rails, claw couplers on locomotives and cars, and scale proportionality of my layout, I can probably get past my track's shiny rails. LOL. Thank you again, T4. Appreciate you as well. Bill B.
PS T4, I would note, Gus @Guss Hadley The Lunatic From Arno, mentioned in the comments that while at the Lionel Retail Store he noted that the tracks on their display layouts were painted. I would like to see how Lionel went about doing that and whether or not they applied any additional ballast to their roadbed.
PS Take 2. lol. Have you given any thought about perhaps travelling to York next year for the Fall show? I've been thinking about it. Thinking about it even more after each of Dave's @dagryffyn hobby, train show reviews. Bill B.
I have a question. If you could find tape the exact width you needed between the rails and also tape off the outside part then spray paint all three rails the same color would it be worthwhile? Curved track would be more difficult and switches even more so. I think you made the best choice for you. It still looks good not painted. Maybe just ballast the outside edge of the track to make it more realistic. Thanks for testing all those options.
Hi Chris, @Nathan5Chime. Thank you for the question, Chris. In my experience the taping of the track is very time consuming and frankly very boring. The broader curves are not as challenging as the shaper ones and you are right about the switches. One can purchase wide rolls of tape and with a ruler and Exacto knife or razor blade cut in bulk stripes the desired width such as the width between the rails. You know Chris, sometimes you have to determine just what is the best use of your time and for me at this stage of my life masking track or painting it just did not rank high enough to warrant my choosing to do it. There are a ton of other things on the railroad that I really do want to do, and I'll focus on those things. Thanks again! Bill B.
How would you paint a switch?
I believe I would paint it the same way I painted any of the other track pieces. Based on my experience, painting the switches would just simply take more time due to their greater complexity. Thank you for the great question. Bill B.
Bill, great video on the different techniques. I actually painted a few of my front tracks, mostly the ones I do a lot of my video shots in and I used the steel rail pen. I have the tie painter too, but haven't used it yet. If you are going to paint rail that's already secured down the pen is the easiest. The painting and masking could be really difficult in certain spots. I'm going to finish mine in the next few months and see how it turns out as a whole.
Hi Matt, thank you! Of the two colors made by Woodland Scenics I actually liked the "Steel Rail" color the best as well. I could see using the "Rusty Rail" color on sidings or track that was to look older and perhaps less maintained. I agree, about working with track that is secured to the layout, the track painter pens would definitely be an advantage there. Have you found that by in large one coat using the pens was provided sufficient coverage? I found that with the "Rusty Rail" color in particular that it came out looking like a second coat would have helped a lot. Thanks for commenting, Matt. Much appreciated! Bill B.
Great video Bill, I didn’t paint my track, but would have used your pen method if I would have. The cost of using tape would be enormous for the amount of track we have. In either case great informative video for those who are inclined to take on the task. 😊👍
Hi Jorge, thank you! Having painted my track in the past using an airbrush and spray cans I can attest to the fact that one goes through a lot of painter's/masking tape. And the thing is the more you work at trying to get the most out of the tape the more time is consumed by the process. Thanks again. Bill B.
Great video Bill! I had never seen those track painter pens before and learned something new! Personally, I prefer the shiny look of new rails for my layout versus the rusted rail look. I think Fastrack would benefit from a wash of very diluted black paint over the ballast portion to make it look more realistic, but have not tried it yet to see if it would look good or not. Thanks again for a great video!
Good morning, Darin! Thank you for the kind comment about the video. This was the first time I'd ever used the Track Painter pens as well. I think that if I had more experience with them, the example I did in the video would likely have turned out better. In the past I enjoyed the rusted rail look, but now my focus for the railroad is on other things I suppose. I have heard also that giving the Fastrack roadbed a dark wash will enhance its appearance. I may just have to give it a try. I certainly have a few spare pieces of track laying around now that I could experiment with. lol. Thanks again! Bill B.
Seems like an awfui lot of work for 3 rail track. I wouldn't unless you're going to weather the rolling stock too.
Hi Bill, I pretty much decided the same thing. At my age I simply concluded that the time spent on the project just was not worth it to me. I’d rather spend my time on other things about the railroad. Thank you for your comment! Bill B.
Enjoying your videos, especially the locomotive unboxings.
@@billmcmurtrie1142 Thanks Bill! I do unboxings periodically for items I purchase which I think others might be interested in. Bill B.
If you felt confident enough with your airbrush skill, you could just not mask the rails and airbrush the sides of the rails with vallejo paints and could lightly clean the top of the rails so they can be used. This could also weather the ties and "ballast" as well. I have been contemplating this as well for my own fast track. Ill have to try it out and maybe make a video on it. Seems to be a topic many O-scalers have to grapple with. Great video.
Hi Gold Standard, you may be on to something with regard to the airbrush and Vallejo paint. I do like the Vallejo paints. I feel like to do that though one would need to have a pretty steady hand. I mean like you suggested one could really go to town, but even with a relatively small railroad like mine it would take a good bit of time and effort. There is always room for another video on the topic and I hope you consider doing one. I'd be interested. Also, thanks for subscribing. Bill B.
You can paint Lionel fast track
Hi Chicago South shore & south doki. You are absolutely right. For me though, it was more of a matter of what method might work best for me while at the same time trying to decide if painting the track was something I really wanted to do. Thanks for your comment. Bill B.
Rust isn’t perfect, you don’t have to do the whole rail
Good evening, Adam. Thanks for checking out the video. Essentially, I believe you are right as little in nature is absolutely perfect. Your point is well taken. Bill B.