Modeling Weathered Railroad Ties | Boomer Diorama ~ Vlog # 187
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.ค. 2023
- I use this acrylic (paint staining) method for a lot of subjects as a base starter for weathering. Every Model Railroad should have some indication of track maintenance debris and details. Spent or rotted ties are one way of adding that extra touch of realism to your layout and getting in some practice on weathering other subjects as well.
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Layers , layers, layers ...love this video...incredible results Boomer..
Thank you! Cheers!
Wanted to thank you, a bit late, for this tutorial because I just got around to make my own ties. I must say you are a great teacher because they look just as good as yours and they look so amazingly real. I am so excited…by railroad ties. Thanks a million.
Wonderful!
Simply amazing! This channel is like the National Geographic of Model Railroading Scenery and Design!
😁
Well said! I found a new channel, Thanks Mr Boomer
Whoa..
Who knew a simple used railroad tie could add so much character and depth.
I never really thought about it much, but in a steam era railroad these old ties would be everywhere.
Throw that in with some of your hemp shrubs, and static grass to really give it a grown in look.
You said something key which you were going to leave out a portion from the final stain and mix them into the pile. This breaks up the patterns even more.
Yes indeed . . the good ole' Steam era as well. 😉
More wisdom from the master! Thanks Boomer.
You bet!
The rust stripe showing where fish plates sat, ooks fantistic. The final touch for me.
I think so too but unfortunately they don't seem to show as much as I would have liked on camera.
That was crazy how you started just kinda foolin with color washes, then peaked and went for the rust.
They look so good.
Rivet counters beware. 😅
After doing signs for 40 yrs, i get your philosophy.
Thanks Boomer. Great channel.
It's fun just to play with color like this. We are always learning in this hobby.
We have a fireplace and use it a lot during the winter. For several seasons I've saved every kitchen match we've used to start the fire. I accumulated quite a stack. I cut off the burnt ends sometimes leaving a little of the black. I soaked them in my black acrylic wash (black acrylic craft paint & alcohol) and dried them out and will use them for stacks of used railroad ties. They're just about the correct size for HO scale. I just subscribed as I learn from watching other modelers. Railroad ties start out as brand new creosoted posts and over time they change color due to the atmosphere and natural stains especially when rust gets on them. Cheers from eastern TN
The matchstick idea for ties sounds awesome! Good Stuff. Cheers.😁
That is what I do for a tie pile to , it looks so real thanks for letting us all know how to make the rust plates so cool. Happy modeling
Thanks 👍
Thank you SO much! I have 60s/70s/80s industrial buildings in the city where I live. I look at them differently, looking at them as potential models in a slightly different setting than theyre in..
I love those older building. The architecture is awesome and they show updates, renovations, etc. to give them even more character as well.😉
Thank you Boomer! My birthday is Wednesday (26th) so this is my gift to myself and you. :-) Love this techique of applying layers! Amazing how this simple process turns white plastic into objects that look like real wood. I've always struggled with that in the past, this gives me another method to use.
Awesome! Happy Birthday!
Cool this will work in any scale. Thank you for sharing.
Yes it will
I am.just about to start building my trackwork with plywood sleepers and this video came out at the perfect time 😮 Great way to have the base colour for running lines... The Model Guru strikes again!
Sounds awesome. Have fun and milk it! Cheers ~ Boomer.
Thank you so much, Boomer! This is just the mini-project I need to relax after a too-long boxcar build. I don't have all the VMA colors you used, but I think I can do some substitutions or mixing. (I may even resort to some craft store paints. 🙂) I don't have room for a large Pile 'O Ties, but when I ballasted my track I created a few spots where new ties and ballast had been put in. However, I didn't think about the ties that were pulled. Now I know how to model them in full OCD detail and put them nearby. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Have fun! Cheers ~ Boomer.
I absolutely love these ties!!!! No more resin molds for me and spending hours carving to get details in!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
After bit of practice you can pump out thousands of these ties in short order when you total up the clock between dry times of each layer.😁
Great stuff. I followed your methods and made a nice pile of used ties for a gondola load.
Excellent!
One of the thing I noticed on the prototype spur, was some of the ties looked the same as the pile next to it. So this method would work great for not so well maintained spurs, sidings, storage or even a main sections that would be replaced in the future for modeling purposes.
Actually, when I was at the prototype location I was surprised they pulled them up because they still looked pretty good for a low traffic spur.
Fantastic video with amazing content.
Thank you very much!
I'm speechless! Beautiful, realistic railroad ties. Love them! Thanks for sharing!
Cheers!😁
When I built the layout for Railway City Brewing Co. I actually laid the inside loop and ripped it up. Then weathered the scar. I took all the ties&piled them in heaps. To simulate the lost rails of St Thomas Ontario
Sounds awesome! I love that kind of innovative modeling. 😁
I have been waiting for this. Great stuff.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Ridiculous detail on those ties. You da man Boomer, you da man !!! 😁😁😁
I know it's crazy but I love the details. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama absolutely 👍🏽 It’s what makes it all come alive !!!
Excellent process! Anyone looking to model a scene of an abandoned spur or branch with the ties still in place should use this same method. Make the ties a little longer for switches. Maybe even take a dremel brush and dig out where the frog goes to make it look truly rotted. Your video is saved and catalogued for when I do something like this. I like the modern looks where there is an abandoned track or switch cut out. This process will definitely add to the effect. Thank you!
Balsa wood works awesome for the really dead ties as well.😁
First of all, I LOVE Mozart! Second, your model railroading techniques are definitely an art form, just like Mozart. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you very much!
Last Thursday, I had the opportunity in my travels (southern NSW) to come accross a crew replacing old timber sleeper with concrete. following the work crew were several guys and a machine stacking the old sleepers on a flat bed gondola and I though I would recreate the goldola in a siding on my layout, I was going to use timber, however after seeing your results with styrene, I will give that a crack
Thanks Boomer
One pack of ten strips should fill the Gondola. They are quite easy to make once you plug in.
@@boomerdiorama I just wanted to thank you, for an awesome series - very informative and inspirational, I have changed my mindset from quantity to quality.
Really nice work, looks amazing "
for information: the Vallejo 71.270, on the new designed bottles it is called "Off-white" the name of RAL9001 would be "cream white"
O.K. Thank you!
Dear Boomer, awesome process, so simple, such great effects! Makes me think of Joey Ricard’s ‘clown’ method of madness for weathering tracks. Cheerio
Thank you! Cheers!
I model O scale and plan on hand laying my track. Since it will only be a small industrial layout, I can focus more on the details.
For ties, I start by using a razor saw and x-acto knife and score some depth. Then stain them white. Let them dry then washes of burnt umber, after drying then Tamiya black, brown and gray washes. Some say it’s too much, too exaggerated, but you look at O scale track from 1 ft away, it’s really 48 scale feet. If this was HO scale, you are looking at the track from 87 scale feet away. You need to account for the distance the viewer is from the track when considering how it will look. Lots to think about, but super enjoyable!
Your O Scale layout plans sound awesome! Have fun and take your time. Every part of it is a cool experience. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 😁
Well, the Boomer strikes again. The used ties look great and this was by far one of your best step by step explanations. When I think I have plenty of Vallejo Air colors I watch another of your videos and …
Awesome, thank you!
I made sure to take a bunch of photos of tie piles at the CN B&LE Conneaut yard today when I was out flying my drone. Your videos keep reminding me to document these types of things for future reference.
Wow! A drone really opens up opportunities for modelers. 😉
Wow! Love ur work!
😁Thank you. I love the medium for sure. Cheers.
You can tell u love it. I appreciate your attention to detail and that you explain everything. Youre a great teacher!
Another great vidéo learning a lot from you Boomer
Much appreciated!
As always a Master Class , wow another great lesson more great knowledge on technique , its in the details....
Cheers , to a great half hour ...
Thanks for taking the time to watch! Cheers!😁
I wanna make mind the same way Great job
Go for it! 😁
Boomer. That was your best tutorial ever. The rust marks and spike holes make the project. Cannot wait to give it a go
Awesome! Thank you!
Very simple process, yet the results are stunning. Thanks for the tutorial.
Yes it is! Thank you! Cheers!
As soon as I complete my ( handmade ) real wood pulp wood loads 40 & 50ft loads. Easy removalable.
A good plan to make them removable for sure. Happy New Year!
Wow.
Cool! Cheers!
Superb.
Thank you. Unfortunately they don't show as well on camera as they do on the layout. Cheers.
Espectacular su trabajo. Saludos desde Chile.
Thank you! Cheers ~ Boomer.
Those look great! When I was a kid, we bought a bunch of used railroad ties to make terracing around our house, so I have a pretty good mental sense of what "looks right" for an old railroad tie, and these definitely look right. The only thing I might add is some representation of creosote seepage areas, like you can see on the topmost tie on screen at 17:26, maybe with a bit of semi-dry brushing of semi-gloss black.
Thank you! Cheers.
Thank you Boomer, now there is another thing added to my list of MUST do items!
Get at her Ralph . . . lol.😁
Boomer, this looks like a fun modeling process for sure. I model O gauge and I plan to follow your method. I truly enjoy and appreciate your time and effort in producing your TH-cam channel. From: Arlin in Grand Rapids, MICHIGAN.
Pretty easy process with great results. Should work even better in O Scale.
Wow these are the best looking ties I have seen!
They turned out better than I thought they would.
Servus BD, I hope you don't take offense at me, but you're completely insane!!!! Great work with 'Nachtmusik', a perfect combination, great, great, great this work, I'm looking forward to what's to come!!!!!!!!!!!
No worries! . . . lol. Cheers ~ Boomer.
Another great video on new way, at least for me weathering. Like number 16 came from Sweden!
Awesome, thank you!
ok I'm feeling really foolish now for not adding the rusty sections to my old display ties... such a simple touch that adds so much..
This is why I don't model in "O" scale right now . . . it would drive me nuts.🤣
Awsome vid Boomer!👍🏻😀 Let you know how this process turns out in O Gauge. Thankyou for sharing.😃
Thanks!
Really like the rust plates and spike holes. Got to assume you did the with your pick. Keep up the great work!
Yes. I poked a few off camera. ;-)
Wow. You are so meticulous with how you get your colors and shades.
In the end it is just like a "shoot-from-the-nip" recipe pf thin color washes and something cool comes out. Anyone can do this really. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama oh. For sure. But most people are willing to go to the level you do/did. That’s the list impressive part.
This is a great little modeled scene addition. I will give this a try for a tie pile in Mondovi. One question, I missed how you added the spike holes. Did you do it while they were all still taped down and AFTER the airbrush layer? What did you use to make the holes in the ties? Can't wait to give this a try! - Paul
I used a pick. I never showed it because things were feeling ridiculous . . . lol.
Excellent tutorial. Call me crazy, but couldn't you actually do that with full pieces of flex track to weather track? You'd have to base paint them with a rattle can gray or tamiya IPA based gray, but then just do the same process. You'd also need a large flat container to put the track in and probably go through 1/2 bottle of each color but it seems like it might work. Also to get the different staining, you would have to lay one piece of track (top down) on the other (top up) and let them stain each other since the rails wouldn't work on wax paper. I may give it a test run on some scrap pieces..
Great question! Please stay crazy . . . lol. I don't see why not. You could base paint them pale grey (or white) and then dip them in a wall paper tray of thin paint wash. The top of the rails would be easy to clean off later.
@@boomerdiorama Yeah, super easy and you would be painting the rails as the last step anyways. Seems like a great way to get really nice looking track with all kinds of character and not a whole ton of time.
That’s really something. I been doing this with basswood, especially for hand laying with tie plates. I’m definitely giving this process and workflow a shot. I think this will be an improvement for the bridge I’m building.
I don’t use a lot of flex track, but I think, the next time I lay some Micro Engineering flex, I’ll try blanking it with white and start building up this color profile.
What do you think about a process with a brush, and a lot of water I’d imagine, on flex where you can’t batch bath them with washes/filters?
I like using a traditional brush all the time. Go for it. :-)
@@boomerdiorama I don’t want to be inaccurate… my favorite tools I’ve purchased and conquered any fear of is my few airbrushes now. That’s certainly true of any “artistic” tools but would likely apply generally. I do airbrush track now, but I haven’t been using flex in the foreground mostly because it’s difficult (for me, historically) to match flex with the basswood ties of my handlaid switches with tie plates. But if I could use styrene ties I could gain consistency with using more flex track sometimes in the foreground.
It didn’t seem like your workflow with much of the tie coloring would adapt itself to airbrush primarily, but I am going to give it a go with a traditional brush. I’ve got a lot of Tamiya paint, Ralph really got me sold on it already. I’ve got some of the Vallejo Air colors ordered now, so I look forward to a few tries until I get close to your results.
As always, thank you much for sharing the content you do… but it’s really something that you give your time to give feedback to us all here or specifically feedback to the artistically challenged engineer jokers like me here.
I will be modeling gon loads used removed crossties. Removable or course.
That's a great idea. Add a grapple loader as well . . . ;-)
Great tutorial Boomer! Question, do you think craft paints would yield the same results??
Thanks so much!
I don't see why not. Initially craft paints look pretty good. They just don't have the color fast qualities of good pigment - which means they fade rapidly over several years into a dull lifeless color. Use whatever you want. This method takes very little paint at all either way. Good quality hobby paint like Tamiya or Vallejo is much better for thin washes at the end of the day though. Cheers.😁
Have you ever used wood match sticks?
No, but they work great! Good stuff. ;-)
I've spent too much time deciding how to ask this question, so I'm just gonna ask. You used strip to make the ties, which appear to have the same profile as ties on flextrack. But the ties on track are about 1/2 the cross section size of actual ties, since track is embedded in ballast, So, shouldn't ties that are piled up as having been replaced be more square?
They are but they are usually 7" by 9" by 8'5" long as I depict them. Not sure if I understand your question.
@@boomerdiorama Maybe it's my vision. Is the cross section of your ties in your pile a scale 7" x 9"? Or close? If so, then my error. Ties on model track are roughly half the depth of prototype ties as they don't need to be.
For ease of math, let's say the cross section of prototype ties is 8" x 8". Ties on model track are 8" wide by 4" deep. If making ties to use when hand laying track or filling gaps, one would make them 8" x 4". But modeling ties alone one would make them 8" x 8".
Am I being any clearer? Sorry for the confusion.
Is the technique you use to clean your current airbrush the same as you once described with your gravity-feed Omni 5000?
Yes. I use IPA, back flush a few times, flush once more, and throw it in the drawer. If you stick to Tamiya Acrylic and IPA you will rarely, if ever, experience a clogged airbrush.😁
Love your chanel.
I am almost abot to buy some N scsle train starter kitt and parts.
My problem is that I have about 2 meter to build on..
I dont want to make an round boring track.. any Idee?
I wil love to make the houses hill etc but how should I plan the track layout.
I am aming to doo as you but in N scale.. Do you think that 2 meters will do
Six to seven feet is plenty. Look up "Lance Mindheim." He has published several excellent books on shelf layout planning.
Look for books on "Shelf Layout" planning. Probably best to pick one industry off a main line with a run-around track if you are more focused on modeling.😁
Nice, very helpful video. Boomer, Id like to relate one of my comments I posted to another channel. Perhaps you might help. I wish so often that there where how to youtube channels that did painting and decals. So many times, I buy an engine or paasenger car set or freight cars because of its paint scheme, or color, or road name decal. It would be very interesting and helpful to the budget to change what I already have with paint and decals. We just need someone to show us how and then we can practise and improve our own skills. So, please lets get those how to videos coming. And videos can be rewarding. Many times, late at night or early morning, I watch my own videos from my new youtube channel cast to my big screen tv. Sometimes the camera makes the trains or the modeling experience even more satisfying. Admittingly, a how to video can be a lot of work, but I'd love to learn to paint and decal engines and cars. Gary
There are loads of videos and scale modeling channels on the subjects you mention. It's just a matter of finding them. ;-)
Is there a reason that you use that particular brand of paint for this versus say the thinned Tamiya paint? Or, in otherwords.....could I use the Tamiya thinned? lol
Sure. I like to use Vallejo because it's purely water - based with this method. If you use Tamiya with IPA it might turn out different. Who knows, you might like it - go for it.
How long do you let the ties soak in each color?
Until they are soaked, then let the coat dry before the next color.
And if the tie is upside down in the pile, they might not have any tie plate marks.
By the way, my birthday is Tuesday the 25th. 75 and still at work trying to build the road I want.
Happy Birthday!
@@boomerdiorama Thank you...
Sorry. Here I go again…..Some oil / acrylic artists state that the difference is the thickness or viscosity of the acrylic medium that creates a difference. I can see what they’re saying but it’s not a type of pigment thing there, again. However as much as an oil can slosh around and disperse thru a solvent and that an acrylic is in a emulsion - isn’t really a thing anymore, now that acrylics have come to develop ink like thinness. Acrylic was confined to an emulsion of sorts for its beginning days but geez, even in the 1990s we were getting the pigmented acrylic inks. And those are now kind of a huge wide colour range of actual refined artist pigments. That suspended in emulsion / goo - acrylic argument fades and isn’t really gonna make oil and acrylic behave so much differently. At this point, I don’t know anymore significant differences. We turn away the pigment question , and the emulsion - thing. Because you just don’t have to use acrylic that way -in that emulsion like viscosity ….I’d say, “any longer” but it’s been decades. There’s a large amount of visible people in Modelling. Great modellers that say they can’t beat oils for a wash I’d filter or whatever. I’d guess they’ve worked a hell of a long time with oil, and why start again? Or because of their location didn’t or even still don’t have access the to all North American, top of the line ranges of acrylic “inks”. And I’m not talking about gaming paint. I’m sure these great master modellers that have developed over decades find no reason to walk away from their oils. And they shouldn’t. So this large group of great modellers repeat that belief about oils and we all see it on TH-cam. You almost wanna believe it. But technology develops and now that there’s a balance in those acrylic, ink like oils and you just don’t have to work hard to get that acrylic to behave as an oil like wash / filter.
Cheers, Boomer! Love your work!
I still use oils, but I have come to hate the sticky mess they create and having to wait months for oil to properly cure.😁
@@boomerdiorama have you tried tag Golden OPEN series of acrylic? It’s in tubes mostly, which isn’t so functional for my usual purposes but there’s also an OPEN Thinner which is very thin, thin viscosity. Water like, infact you mix it into your mixing water for your palette. Cool thing here is it can be used with all acrylics. So fluid acrylics or multi media / gouache (ish) acrylics, etc, types…anything. All your acrylics can become OPEN acrylics. It’s basically a retarder. But it’s made by Golden so I know you know that’s already saying something right there. And it IS different. Use in your paint as you go and it definitely extends your wet time. For palette time and blending and wash - creeping time. But, it can go further - You can actually go as far as bring back acrylic that is starting to tack up on your palette pretty bad and add some more of the OPEN Thinner and it just goes back to normal wet acrylic. No crumbly, tacky, flaky…whatever…it’s just like it never dried. This is only possible if you’ve mixed the open thinner in before that point, which you can pretty much use like water for the acrylic. Open thinner mixed with water is the preferred method. I’ve even used it in a very small atomizer bottle to spray it lightly on my palette as I work. Small sprayer for 3 reasons - 1) I don’t want it to change my mix ratio too much & create something way too diluted as I work. And of course that really lightly mists the paint. 2) I wanna control it and not blast my wash right across my model and work area. 3) I know it’s a product that you really shouldn’t be inhaling very much. There’s a warning on the bottle. So because I have this fine mist, small spray pattern bottle, I can go really quite close to the paint and pump it and it’s still a controllable amount for my paint. And so it’s not getting pushed thru all the air around me and my environment to inhale. At a Michaels store I found these small, Tim Holtz -brand empty spray bottles. They are sold near the stamping and scrapbook kinda stuff. Anyway, seems like a really good match. Ha! And then months later saw the same thing at the farm dollar store…for a bit cheaper. But maybe check out the T Holtz ones, only because I can specifically call it out and know someone else is finding the same style micro spray pump bottle. Mainly because we’re trying to massively reduce the spray in the air because there’s a toxicity issue here. And I can feel safe having suggesting something that specifically is going to work ok. Anyway, playing around with the Open thinners or paints is a totally worthwhile go. You probably may have been already using them. Hope I havent eaten up too much of your happy time. Keep doing the great vids! Your work totally rocks!
Hey boomer. How come you don’t prime evergreen plastic before you paint it?
Because most "Flat" Acrylic is primer. Primer paint is just a scam if it is not for metal. I only use primer (whatever that is) on metal, like brass, copper, etc. No need to primer plastic when you use Tamiya (XF) paints because it is primer. A wise Jedi from Japan told me this . . . lol. Cheers.
@@boomerdiorama no kidding?!? Wow. And to think of all the rattle cans I have burned through…!
Lovely! Womderful.patina.
Many thanks!
Great choice of music (Classical). My choice lately, while working on building a workbench.
All thats needed now, is creosote oil for the realistic smell.😆🛤🦺
Hey, you could use those latter on the tressel build.😉
Ahhh . . . the fun of building a work bench while listening to classical music. The bridge sounds cool. ;-)
People spent thousands of hours showing off complete layouts. The MASTER himself didicates 1/2 hour video on RR ties alone! He is Bill Gates/Picasso.Divinici of modeling,,,PERIOD!
Thank you. I think fun might have something to do with it as well. ;-)