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Old, Used and Weathered Ties - Karl. A
Old ties stacked up or just lying around are a great space filler when you just don't know what to put there.
Many modellers use them, but I was never happy with how they looked. Some people just cut some strip wood to length, colour them and glue them down, but that never looked right to me.
Quite some time ago I came up with this simple process to improve the look of my own 'old, used ties'.
Personally, I think it adds more to the scene and adds that extra level that's needed, especially when we spend so much time on the structures themselves and working on Brett's amazing details.
I generally like to use 6" high x 8"wide x 6'6"long ties, but that's personal preference, and about right.
Grain and stain as usual, rough up the ends and colour, then put them next to each other held down with double sided tape. Mark in the rail spacing on each end tie.
Lay a piece of scrap wood that is roughly the width of the rail foot in place and dab on some rust coloured chalk.
Once complete remove the wood to check...
Repeat the process for where the other rail would have been.
Drill or use a pin to make holes where the spikes would have been, these can then be highlighted with a pencil.
Also dust some black chalk down the center to simulate oil drips etc.
A quick and easy enhancement that is subtle, yet to me makes a big difference and one that is never done or thought about.
2014
2022
Many modellers use them, but I was never happy with how they looked. Some people just cut some strip wood to length, colour them and glue them down, but that never looked right to me.
Quite some time ago I came up with this simple process to improve the look of my own 'old, used ties'.
Personally, I think it adds more to the scene and adds that extra level that's needed, especially when we spend so much time on the structures themselves and working on Brett's amazing details.
I generally like to use 6" high x 8"wide x 6'6"long ties, but that's personal preference, and about right.
Grain and stain as usual, rough up the ends and colour, then put them next to each other held down with double sided tape. Mark in the rail spacing on each end tie.
Lay a piece of scrap wood that is roughly the width of the rail foot in place and dab on some rust coloured chalk.
Once complete remove the wood to check...
Repeat the process for where the other rail would have been.
Drill or use a pin to make holes where the spikes would have been, these can then be highlighted with a pencil.
Also dust some black chalk down the center to simulate oil drips etc.
A quick and easy enhancement that is subtle, yet to me makes a big difference and one that is never done or thought about.
2014
2022
Comments
I have always put the oil stains down the middle of the ties like you did here. Below is a reference pic I took while on a train ride in Cripple Creek. The oil stains drip onto the outside of the rail in real life. Don't know if this will make me change my approach but though you would be interested.
Terry
Thanks for sharing this nifty tutorial.
Later, Dave S. Tucson, AZ
Jerry
Bryan, that picture looks to be 2' gauge which is very narrow and therefore the locos would overhang the track considerably.
This means the drive rods, pistons and running gear would be unusually well outside of the rails and any oil drips would fall there as your picture shows.
While I was looking at many track pictures today, they are surprisingly clean, even vintage pics, it was actually quite hard to find many images with substantial oil deposits.
As a side note, Shays and the like always dropped oil on one side of the track due to their drive train configuration.
Great pic, hope you enjoyed the ride and thanks for sharing it with us.
Yes, it was a very narrow track. This was our loco along with the source of oil.
We also took a ride on the Georgetown loop. Best described as harrowing. It was a wider gauge and as seen here no oil on the tracks.
Also went on the Royal Gorge route. It's amazing how they got rails through the Rockies.
Wayne