How to Paint & Ballast On30 Track

Here's my "How-To" on a much requested topic: painting and ballasting model railroad flextrack and turnouts. These are the methods I've used throughout the On30 Thunder Mesa layout for many years with good results. Though the focus here is On30, the same techniques can also be used for other scales like HO and N.
Thanks for tuning in, amigos!
Dave
Join this channel to get access to perks:
kzbin.info/door/2JtlZ2I6X4o1eFKSdJaMswjoin
Website: thundermesa.studio
Instagram: thunder.mesa
Patreon: patreon.com/thundermesa/
Spreadshirt: shop.spreadshirt.com/thundermesa/
All music courtesy KZbin Audio license. Attribution given where available.
Country Cue 1 - Audionautix
Valley Drive
5_O_July

[@tonyromano6220]

I really love your modeling and top rate videos!

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Thank you very much!

[@jorgesabater8640]

Delighted to learn something new!

[@scottgperry1]

I love the "Litum & Hyde Explosives" shirt! Great video...

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

It can be yours! bit.ly/3mYgUhQ

[@scottgperry1]

@@ThunderMesaStudio Do you design custom art for business shirts?

[@tomeasley5979]

Dave, great tip! This is the most complete ballast video I have seen. You do an excellent job of explaining each process and why you do each part of the process.

[@d.l.hemmingway3758]

Thanks, I already use the Rustoleum Camouflage paint for my hunting rifles. I now have another use for it when my railroad gets to this point in the construction.

[@barbaraganschow1478]

Your how-to videos are some of my favorite of your videos. Thank you!

[@stevemellin5806]

Very nice thank you have a great weekend

[@barbaraganschow1478]

Oddly enough I keep hearing in this vintage mind of mine:”Uncle Walt would be proud”! Thank you for the beautiful work.

[@normanrowe2831]

Hi. Chick grit, who knew? Nicely done. See ya next time.

[@4449John]

Very nicely done, and without a million dollars worth of equipment. I'm in HO but once dabbled in On30, financial considerations forced me to stay in HO but your railroad is a great inspiration for the desert railroad I plan to rebuild into something more age and operations friendly. Keep up the great work!

[@tonyromano6220]

On30 can be done with converted HO…… Freelance is limitless, I am thinking something other worldly, like a 1950s science fiction movie.

[@thebear5454]

Great tips Dave. Thanks.

[@toddainsworth795]

Lots of good ideas.As usual a very nice video. Im curious about your technique for creating your beautiful Barrel Catus,? best I've seen. Perhaps a future video topic.

[@robjohnson1138]

Very nicely done! I haven’t done any ballasting for years and years, but I seem to remember the advice to put just a touch of oil on the hinges of the switch points, and a little around the drawbar. And just the lightest film on the sides of points where they touch the rails. The oil will help keep the water and glue mixture from penetrating those critical areas and bonding them together. And when everything is dry, a quick swipe between those rails with a paper towel or rag (or your cotton swabs) slightly dampened with some IPA will clean any glue residue which couldn’t bond to the moving parts because of the oil.

[@ianpatrickmchugh787]

I am very interested in how you construct and add details to the rocks and other geographical features of Thunder Mesa. Would you be covering that in an upcoming video?

[@WasatchWind]

He's done a video on it.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Here's a good place to start: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e16nZmSDhb2XiM0

[@oldcharliebean239]

I always wondered how this was done

[@joelvale3887]

You can us a crushed walnuts shells. They sell this product for sandblasting

[@dkaustin98]

Just curious. Is there a particular brand of chick grit you are using? It might be different in other parts of the country. We have a Tractor Supply here that would carry chick grit.

[@HumancityJunction]

Do you add any dish soap to the glue mixture? Or only in the “wet water”?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Only the wet water. I've never seen any need to add it to the glue.

[@kenlynch6332]

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

[@timbercreeksteamco.3734]

Hi Dave, I really enjoy watching your videos. I was wondering what track you use and what code rail. I have some microengineering On30 weathered flex track code 70. Is code 83 better for bachmann trains, I have several porters a forney and an outside frame 2-8-0. It seems like the flanges may be too tall for code 70, just curious what you find works out the best. I'm considering doing a small home layout. I live in AZ would love to come visit some day. Thanks, Jon T.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I use Peco code 100 On30 on the TMMC because it's basically bomb proof. No question that the Micro Engineering track has a better scale appearance. I have no experience with the code 70 in On30 but my guess is you might have some problems with the older Bachmann equipment and their larger flanges. I have seen code 83 used extensively with very good results. You might try code 83 for the main runs and use the code 70 for old sidings.

[@timbercreeksteamco.3734]

@@ThunderMesaStudio Thank you Dave.

[@gardenrailroading]

Do you heat your Glue/water mix before spraying?

[@hammer5848]

where do you get the paper look buildings as place holders in the background?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I design and make them myself. Some are available to download on my website thundermesa.studio/product-category/tmmc/structure-plans/