Grease on sleepers

Hi All.  Back in British Rail days, when I used to change cabs on my duty Underground train, I would notice , when there wasn’t a train in the bay, that the track was badly stained. Was this oil or grease from the DMU that ran on that line? As I haven’t found anything about that under the subject of Weathering, or would that just date the period modelled to the Diesel era, making it too modern?  Best wishes Kevin 

Hey Kevin,
Peco recently created a Diesel track weathering kit if you want an all in one option.

https://www.modelrailwaysdirect.co.uk/landscaping-materials/peco-ps-371-track-bed-weathering-kit/

Hi Chris. Thank you for your reply. It does look interesting, and thank you for the information. But, I am looking for something “ a bit diy “ . Maybe if I can add something ? I don’t know what yet, to a spare wagon to drip a black substance in the four foot way .  â€œ quink “ for instance, it is a pity that I haven’t got my old school fountain pen, that would have worked.  Best wishes Kevin 

You can create the oily greasy marks on sleepers and ballast with a cheapo pot of black acrylic paint from any art supply stores Kevin.

Brian

Hi Brian. Thank you for your reply. That sounds like a good idea, but, I think that would work well with a wash Best wishes Kevin 

Hello Kevin,
Just get a tube of both matt and gloss/satin black acrylic paint from a reject shop/poundland/whatever and dilute them to a wash as you state. From either of the selections, add a little to some white paint toget a greyish wash  and paint/wash away on your track until you get the desired effect with the three colour washes.

Steam locomotives also dropped ashes, grease and oil over supply to bearings on rods and wheels to the ground/track which built up over the years on both in and out sides of the tracks. If you can visit a tourist railway near you (and the UK has plenty of those) particularly one where the track was intact rather than relaid by enthusiasts and get a few pix of the servicing areas, as a guide for yourself.

The tube trains you are referring to would have a fair bit of grease from the wheel bearings, electric motor bearings, gear mesh etc as well as the residue from brake shoes, particularly if they were of the Ferodo variety. 

The residue in the stabling tracks would reflect the effect of airborne dust etc mixing with whatever particulates coming off those mechanics and settling in those tracks when the train has stopped for any length of time. The movement of the train itself  would create a pressure area slightly higher than atmospheric and keeping the particulate mixture of dirt and oil airborne until the train stopped.

One thing I would suggest to do is to hint more at the presence of oil, grease, dust and dirt rather than a full on scale model… no point in making your layout look depressingly gungy!!

Cheers

Trevor

Hi Trevor.   Thank you for your reply. As always you have come up with the goods, you have a wealth of model Railway experience where I am a Modelling Novice.   Best wishes Kevin 

Exactly what Brian says.  I used a tube of black acrylic to create exactly what you describe.  Squeeze the paint carefully from the tube (too much is - well - too much!) onto the required area and allow it to dry.  Job done.  It shines in the way oily grime often does.  In my case the paint was Josonja's but any decent water-based acrylic will do.

Hi Rick. Thank you for your reply. I wasn’t certain if it was laying there would it be covered in all sorts of grime, and not be so shiny.   Best wishes Kevin