Model Railroading > Weathering ties?

I'm detailing some recently laid flex track. I want to weather the ties painting the rail and ballasting. I have a mainline that I want to look well maintained and a siding that hasn't gotten a lick of attention since it was laid - it peters out in the dirt.

I was thinking washes of gray in various strengths. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Clarence

Use the grays on the siding. If you are good with a hobby knife, knock a few ties out of alignment, too. Another trick I've used to simulate neglected track is to have some sculptamold in the ties, making the track look like they've sunk into the dirt (and are in desperate need of a load of ballast and a tamper!).

As for the painting work, I won't say that my technique is the best, but I start by painting the track and ties the same color - look at mainlines and the ties are pretty close in shade of brown to the rails. I just shoot it with an airbrush. Quick and effective. There's several ways of getting (or keeping) the paint off the tops of the rails for electrical contact purposes. Then, you can go back and put some highlights of color (black - oil/grease, off-white - leaked loads, various shades of brown to simulate differences in color).

-Eric

I was thinking graying out the siding ties - to look like leached out creasote. I did spread out the ties on the siding, but it's all code 83.

The mainline I now think shades of brown - simulating fresh (dark oily chocolate brown) to worn (light brown), with a dusting of rust powders.

I'm going to go look at some track tomorrow too for inspiration.
Clarence

Airbrushing the rail and overspray onto the ties had looked pretty good and is pretty sraightforward to accomplish. There's also those marker pens with various weathering colors in them, but they're kinda pricey.

In one of the Joe Fugate DVD's he shows individually hand painting the ties but with different color mixes. Then he shows a photo of a prototype siding that looks exactly like what he just did. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for.