Real rusty rails

[NgaugeDan]

Evening all,

I've just spent the afternoon painting some rails to make them look rusty.  To be honest I'm not too happy with the results but then I had an idea....  Why not rust the rails for real and then rub down the tops and any connector bits for good electrical conduction.

I've decided to do a test,  I've placed one piece into a glass of normal tap water and have placed another piece into a glass of water and added salt to speed up the rusting process.  My plan is to let it go rusty, rub down the top of the rails and then try and run a loco on it and see if it works.  If it does I'll have the real deal when it comes to rusty rails.

Has anyone tried this?  If so what was the outcome?
I'm using gaugemaster flexi track for the test.

Thanks
Dan

[BernardTPM]

If the rails are nickel silver they won't rust.

[NgaugeDan]

Doh  I thought I was onto something there.

[Jerry Howlett]

I bought the "rusty rails painter set" in May and so far have done the approaches to plus, Station platforms and the goods yard probably 20 metres of track. 90 per cent happy with the results, the other 10 per cent was probably down to impatience.  NO I said IMPATIENCE !!. Hadn't even thought before that you need to paint the inside rails as well as the outside ones.. Doh !

[Newportnobby]

Out of curiosity, Jerry, which rusty rails kit did you use please?

[painbrook]

Silly question, are nickle silver rails pure or coated?. cheers john.

[Jerry Howlett]

JT101B-BR from Bromsgrove Models. I just found them by trawling the internet cost £13.50 including a bottle of Acrylic rusty paint plus extra postage for me.

It is the bottle with a wheely thing on the end and all it took was to run it along the rail and then wipe off the surfaces afterwards. I could try and paint some more track and show you the before and after job if you want. I have about another 60 metres to go if I ever get out of traction !

[AndyGif]

Peco track looks like pure nickel silver to me.
i always find it amusing that people actually assume that scrap rail can be weighed in for the silver it contains. When we all know there is none, just copper, nickel and a spot of zinc.

[Newportnobby]

Thanks, Jerry.

Mrs H has really done a good job on you - I hope all that pent up aggression is now over and that the Blue Pullman is worth the terrible injuries you have suffered

[NgaugeDan]

That rusty rails kit is the same as what I used this afternoon. I think my mistake was to leave the paint on top until dry and then scrape it off. Then when scraped off some paint also came off the side of the track :-(. I'll try again tomorrow and clean the tops of the rail whilst paint is still wet and see if I get better results :-)

[Jerry Howlett]

Thanks, Jerry.

Mrs H has really done a good job on you - I hope all that pent up aggression is now over and that the Blue Pullman is worth the terrible injuries you have suffered

As soon as I buy her that damn HDD recorder I will become just an out-patient !. The fact that on her birthday lunch -today I was coerced into buying said device by a bunch of ex-pats means I really MUST go on Amazon tomorrow....

[NgaugeDan]

Ok an update.  I went back to the rusty rails painting tool today and had another go and I've now got the hang of it and it looks effective.  My advice would be to not fill the pot entirely as it makes flow difficult.

Now to get back to more track painting :-)

[painbrook]

Silly question, are nickle silver rails pure or coated?. cheers john.

Reason for that question is, I was  telling my local modelling shop geezer how I reuse the gaugemaster pads, is reaction was that I would wear the track surface away to some metal underneath!, having sawed/cut track many times I thought it was odd. john.

[EtchedPixels]

The nickel silver rail is N/S all the way through - although if you scratch it a lot it'll pick up dirt more easily due to the scratches catching stuff.

The old Hornby OO track was steel with plating and that could suffer.

[painbrook]

Cheers EP,  It probably a case of softly, softly. Cheers john.