Best way to "hide" a black 3rd rail

Paint it white?

Take a look at some of the videos of the Glacier Line on this forum.  I think that John has done a good job creating snow scenes on his model railroad.

NH Joe

New Haven Joe posted:

Take a look at some of the videos of the Glacier Line on this forum.  I think that John has done a good job creating snow scenes on his model railroad.

NH Joe

You are right, but also note that his track/rails are totally unpainted, i.e. NOT weathered at all.

Jdevleerjr posted:

I am doing my layout as a winter layout, with lots of snow.  

I originally was planning on using Lionel O27 track with 3 shinny rails.  I was going to weather the outside rails and leave the middle rail shinny along with adding more ties.  I was hopping it would reflect the white snow I will be putting down on both sides and kinda hide itself.  

I was gathering all my Gargraves and Ross track from my old layout to sell on the forum and realized I have way more then I thought.  I think I have enough for the trackplan I want minus the curves.  I could easily purchase some of the curves or even bend some of my flex track make what I need.  

The issues is the black middle rail.  With white snow on the layout it will stand out like a sore thumb!  

BTW I have almost all the curves already for the O27 and most of the straights.  If I sell the gargraves I can buy what I need plus have some to go towards the switches.  If I keep the Gargraves I really have no use for the O27.  

 

I have Gargraves in the snow with the black rail.  Reality...railroad tracks even with snow get black and grimy; less a fresh snow fall until a few trains pass.

I don't think these shots give you a clear impression.  People see what they expect to see and that is 2 rails.  Maybe, just maybe, painting the center rail white or similar snowy color may help to "hide" the 3rd rail better?  

I can't begin to tell you the number of times people see the layout for the 1st time and tell me that they had seen pictures and didn't realize that this was a 3 rail layout.

Like you, I had my concerns about the phantom rail in the snow.  Honestly, I don't even think about it anymore...until your email.  I may, or would like to see a photo of the center rail painted white in the snow.  I'm thinking far more trouble than it's worth.  We will see...

if you painted and or airbrushed black on either side of the wooden ties where blackened rail is that should give the illusion of oil grease stains and blend both items sort of. 

short answer the blackened 3rd rail with snow will stand out part of the 3 rail dilemma .

If one is modeling the "steam era", weathering all three rails with a charcoal green color, pretty well matches the appearance of dirty rails on heavily trafficked main lines, back in the 1940s & 1950s. No matter whether it snowed or not.

I know Woodland Scenics makes both "rust" and "steel" colored paint pens with a wide tip for rails.

I haven't used them, so I can't vouch for whether the "steel" one would work, but maybe others have tried them. 

Hot Water posted:

If one is modeling the "steam era", weathering all three rails with a charcoal green color, pretty well matches the appearance of dirty rails on heavily trafficked main lines, back in the 1940s & 1950s. No matter whether it snowed or not.

Hot Water

I have heard you say to use Charcoal Green before.  What brand did you use on your layout?  Air brush? Paint on with a brush?  

With the ease of insulating things, there are only about three reasons for even having a center rail.  One is nostalgia, in which case you want it to stand out.  Another is that you like the looks of 3-rail track, hence no need to hide it.  And finally my favorite - you cannot afford to switch to 2-rail.

Check out Bob Delbridge - he has converted to 2-rail "Hi-rail".  Or Fred Swain - after struggling for years to hide his center rail with great success, he discovered it was easier to convert.

I was a 2 railer for 40 years.  I couldn't stand the look of three rail track.  Now I've discovered the major advantages of three rail--non-derailing, "dead" rail trick, etc...the biggest POLARITY issues.  I wouldn't want to go back.

The day I will change back is coming sooner than later.  These things are going to be INTERNALLY powered.  We are going to control the trains exactly as a model airplane or boat.  The days of cleaning track will be over.  Until that day, I am more satisfied with three rail than two....with good weathering, ballasting techniques you can minimize the appearance and the advantages to me are well worth it.

Jdevleerjr posted:

Hot Water posted:

If one is modeling the "steam era", weathering all three rails with a charcoal green color, pretty well matches the appearance of dirty rails on heavily trafficked main lines, back in the 1940s & 1950s. No matter whether it snowed or not.

Hot Water

I have heard you say to use Charcoal Green before.  What brand did you use on your layout?  Air brush? Paint on with a brush?  

I purchase a case (8 cars, as I recall) of  Rust-Oleum Satin #7739 Charcoal Green, 12 oz spray cans (rattle cans). I understand that Rust-Oleum no longer makes/offers that exact color any longer, however I have heard other folks have begun using some sort of "camo green/brown" spray color, which might look pretty close.

On nice days, with all the windows open, our layout is upstairs, (5 double crank-out style windows), I would climb up on top of the layout and spray large sections of track in one area, i.e. main lines, sidings, turnouts, industry, & yard. Prior to the spray paint becoming completely dry, I would wipe the tops of the rails clean with red cotton shop rags, moistened with lacquer thinner, and tightly wrapped around a piece of 1" X 2" pine, about 4" long. After about a week, I would spray more track. Obviously, this was all done & completed prior to ballasting & scenery.

To review WHY that "Charcoal Green" color was chosen, it is because of its slight green tone. Why green? Well, back in the early days prior all roller bearing equipped rolling stock, the railroad used huge quantities of journal oil, for lubricating all the plain bearing equipped freight rolling stock. The primary brand of "Car Oil" was a Texaco product called HD-57, and it was DEFINITELY green! Thus, as the Car Oil leaked out of virtually every single freight car in the U.S.A., the sides of rails took on a "greenish" hue as well as collecting dust and dirt. Since I model in the early to mid 1950s, I found this the best track weathering color for our layout.

Jack you did all 3 rails?

I will head over to Home Depot tonight and purchase a few cans of "Camo Green and Brown" and experiment on some extra track.  

Jdevleerjr posted:

Jack you did all 3 rails?

Yes. I didn't even care if it got the ties too. Once ballasted, I think it looks VERY good.

I will head over to Home Depot tonight and purchase a few cans of "Camo Green and Brown" and experiment on some extra track.  

Hot Water

Did you wait to it was "tacky" befoere you wiped away?  I know you said almost dry, but dry to the touch or tacky before you wiped away?

palallin posted:

Paint it white?

I think that would impair conductivity.

Jdevleerjr posted:

Hot Water

Did you wait to it was "tacky" befoere you wiped away?  I know you said almost dry, but dry to the touch or tacky before you wiped away?

Tacky,,,,,,yes. If you wait too long, the moistened cotton rag with lacquer thinner will NOT simply & easily wipe the paint off.

OK - what we have here is another chapter in the twisted world of 3-rail railroading.

So - the "phantom" black rail, so "invisible" (har), is now standing out because it does not match not only the "snow" but the shiny, chrome-bumper rails, which blend with the "snow" but on most layouts are silly-looking Silver Surfer things that should be painted when the track arrives (or anodized black at the factory, truth be told).

(Anybody remember the first Lionel Fastrack? It actually had a blackened middle rail to "hide" it. Really? Among all that gray and silver? Where's the analytical thought process?)

The best "snow" track is Lionel Fastrack. It's shiny as Xmas tinsel; reflects everything.

Embrace the middle rail or go 2-rail; either way life is easier. 

You can get Gargraves track with all silver rails. in fact the Phantom rail (black) is an option.

Michael Hokkanen posted:

palallin posted:

Paint it white?

I think that would impair conductivity.

I didn't mean to paint the top of the rail, just the sides.  If the snow is next to it, I would think the 3rd rail would sort of disappear.