Bachmann EZ Track Upgrade How-to

 In my previous post I promised to show you how I did the upgrades to my EZ track.  For this project I am working with the steel track in black plastic.  This will work exactly the same with the nickel-silver track in grey.

To start with you need some EZ track.  You could also apply this technique with some of the other track and roadbed products out there but I've not tried any of those.

You will need to remove the track from the plastic roadbed.  I have mostly the older style of EX track which is just glued to the roadbed.  For this you gently pry the track off the roadbed.  I found this to be easier when you start in the middle of the track rather than then ends as there seems to be less glue in the middle.  The newer EZ track has some tabs on the bottom of the track to help hold it in place.  These should come apart in the same way.

For this project you will need some sort of dark brown spray-paint.  I like the Krylon camo dark brown.  This is nice and flat.  Next you need some type of stone effects paint.  For this I used Rustoleum American Accents.  This is a grey speckle paint. You need some painter's tape and maybe some mineral spirits for cleaning rails (I actually did not need this as I taped the rails).  Not pictured is some acrylic burnt umber paint and super glue.

Once you have separated the track and the roadbed you need to tape off the ends of the roadbed.  You want to make sure that the tabs and flat surfaces don't get any of the texture paint on them or the track sections will not go back together.

When you spray the stone effects paint it will go on blotchy and that is OK.  Do light coats and focus mostly on the sides of the roadbed.  I found it took 2 coats with a couple hours drying time between coats to get the best results.  I let the section dry over night before removing the tape.  Once fully dry the paint feels a little flakey so I gave it a coat of dull coat to help seal it.  

While waiting on the roadbe d to dry you can prep the track sections.  You could just paint these sections as is and is a rag and some mineral spirits to clean the tops of the rails before the paint dries.  Where I live paint dries FAST so I opted for taping the rails. Cut your painter's tape in thin strips and apply to the top of the rails. Fold the edges of the tape down and press tightly to the sides of the rails.  This is not too important as you will paint the side by hand later on. Make sure to wrap the tape around the ends of the rails as this is where the electrical contacts are.  

The painted track with the tape removed will look something like this.  I did not apply any dull coat to the track sections but you could before you remove the tape.  If you are using another brand of track you might skip this step if the plastic is already brown.

After everything has dried glue the track section back to the roadbed.  I used regular super glue and just put a drop on the ends of the ties and one in the middle of the ties.  You don't need to glue at each tie but I did most of them (maybe 3/4).  At this point you could call this done and it would look so much better but I did a little bit more.

This was the first project I used my Lance Mindheim India ink washes.  I used the #2 as it is the darkest.  TO be honest, it did not work too well so I used a combination of watered down acrylic black paint and the wash.  I did the acrylic first and then once it was mostly dry I dropped on the wash.  That worked pretty well.

Just do the wash on the top of the roadbed and mostly between the rails.  This just adds a realistic grime to the track.  If you wanted to do a wash on the sides use the color that is closest to your ground color to tie things in.  Don't for get to paint the sides of your rails with the Burnt Umber paint.

This is all there is to it.  I used some sandpaper to clean the tops of the rails and then rolled them by rubbing a metal washer over the rail tops to polish them.  This technique works for straight sections and curved sections in any size.  For the grey roadbed I would black prime the roadbed first and then do the texture paint.  This will keep the look consistent. The nice thing about this technique is that it improves the look of the track without the more permanent ballasting options.  You can still take this apart easily and reconfigure as needed while preserving the look.

Upgrading the Appearance of Bachmann E-Z Track

 When I made the decision to jump back into the model railroad hobby I was very interested in the various track and plastic roadbed products. The most common, and probably the most accessible, is the Bachmann EZ track system.  All of these types of track are pretty cool and seem to be a great place to start for new hobbyists.  As neat as they are they do have some drawbacks.

I have, over the last couple of months, purchased a pretty large collection of EZ track.  Most of it is the steel track with the black plastic roadbed.  Visually this stuff is pretty boring stuff. 

Plain black plastic track and roadbed is pretty boring and lacks much detail.

The roadbed does have a little texture but not much.

Looks a whole lot like a toy train which is really how it is marketed.

Sad

I spend many hours digging through YouTube videos looking for cool ideas on how to upgrade the appearance of the track. To be honest there is not really much useful information and much of what is there is how-to's on ballasting the track. Most of the ballasted EZ track I've seen is not really much of a visual upgrade.  But then I found John's Trains on YouTube.  He has a really nice HO layout but he was gifted a Bachmann starter set that includes EZ track.  We wanted to use the entire set but, like me, did not like to the look of the track.  He documented how he upgraded the track and the results are really great! I adapted his approach and here is the results I got.

This looks a lot better!  It actually looks like ballast.

Painted track and ties look very authentic.  I did some washes down the center of the track but you can't really see this in these pictures.

This looks more like a model and less like a toy but it still has its flexibility and portability.  It is still EZ track.

In my next post I will show you how I did this and the materials required.  I am also working on a post for EZ track turnouts, which are little more challenging to do.  Finally I will do a little diorama showing the final results and how this might look on a layout.  I hope this technique will make EZ track more of a viable basis for a 'serious' model railroad.

Three GP38-2 Models

 

The EMD GP38-2 is my favorite locomotive and will play a prominent role in any model railroad project I do.  My love of this locomotive is due mostly to the fact that it was the most common locomotive in switching service in west Phoenix during the late eighties and early nineties.  I spent many happy hours watching these units work.  With my return to the hobby I find myself the owner of three very different versions of this locomotive so I thought it might be interesting to see how things have changed.

Athearn Blue Box GP38-2

This is the one of the oldest models in my collection and it really is a classic that was in production for many years, even decades.  I purchased mine in the early/mid 1990s from An Affair With Trains here in Phoenix.  It was a second hand model and I have no idea how old it actually is. 

This model looks pretty much the same as it did when I got with the exception of the fuel tank.  This model was produced only with the short fuel tank which is not correct for Southern Pacific units. I swap out the chassis with the one for the GP40-2 which has the correct size tank.

This model is really lacking in any sort of railroad specific details such as light packages or snow plows as well as other simple details like hoses and grab irons.  This is really typical of models from 30+ years ago and is the reason companies like Details West and Details Associates got started.  Another deatil that you might notice on these models is the cab walls are extremely thick which is an issue resolved with more after market parts such as a Cannon cab.

Back in the day the metal handrails that came with these models looked pretty good.  If you wanted better there were other metal options available from the after market.  Now these look really clunky and dated.  Much of the detail on this model is really not bad.  When I got into the hobby this was the standard.  They were affordable, reliable and available.  There were tones of parts both from Athearn and the after market to allow you to model just about anything wanted.  They were not the best running or the best detail but they certainly weren't the worst.

I'm not sure what the future holds for this model.  Nostalgia makes me want to detail it and use it.  Practicality says it is not really worth the effort.  It is currently not running and would need significant details as well as upgrade to DCC.  This one will likely go back in the deadline.

Life-Like Proto 2000 GP38-2 Limited Edition

I purchased this model just a couple weeks ago off of eBay and I likely paid a little too much for it but I don't feel bad about that.  This is a gold box, limited edition model but I really have no idea what that really means.

Back in the early 90s these were considered a high-end model and were pretty well thought of.  Back then I could not afford to even look at these.  I am not sure when this actual model was released but I feel like it is an early 2000s release.  Right away it is very easy to see that the detail on this model is far superior to the old Athearn model above.

This model includes very finely detailed handrails, grab irons, and lift rings.  It has brake hoses and detailed fans.  The cab walls are much thinner and there are even wiper blades.  It does have the correct brake wheel on the short hood but it is otherwise missing road specific details. The lack of SP lights, a/c unit, and the short fuel tank are really unfortunate considering things like the fuel tank and the AC are easy enough to do.

This model included a package of additional parts like the snow plows, but these are mostly incorrect or not used on SP units.  As I mentioned, I purchased this unit off eBay and it appears to be basically new.  There was no evidence it had ever been run or even out of the package.  Sadly, it does not currently run too well.  I am hoping it just needs some break-in time which I hope to be able to do soon.  I have ordered the Proto 2000 specific decoder from Digitrax that is supposed to be a direct fit to the model.  I also ordered the Sound Bug decoder to piggy-back on the main decoder.  I have high hopes for this locomotive.  I will do a little bit of detailing at some point.  I would like to find the correct fuel tank as that is an easy fix. I have the correct snow plow so that will get added.  The SP lights will be a little trickier so that will be down the road a bit.

Athearn Genesis SP GP38-2

This model is really one of the jewels of my collection.  My friend Tim donated this one to me and it really one of the main reasons for my return to the hobby.  It is truly stunning!

I am not an expert on SP locomotives by any means but to my eye this thing is close to perfect.  It certainly checks off all the major items that make this an SP unit.  I am sure the real experts have found plenty to critique, but frankly, I don't care.  I love this model.  I am not sure how old this one is but I guess it is a 2000-teens release.  I am pretty sure it was neve been run until I put it on my test rack.  It did have a couple of minor issues right from the box but those have been easy to fix.

The extra details on this model are amazing.  Not only does it have the SP lights it also has the correct SP snow plow and even the correct L window for the engineer.  If has grab irons, lift rings, A/C unit, hoses, and a detailed cab.  There is is basically nothing left to add.

This model runs as smooth as you could want straight from the box.  It is a DC unit and I will be upgrading to DCC.  I am surprised at how little useful information there is for decoders that are a direct fit for this model.  It seems that most require some soldering or modification which seems strange to me.  I must be missing something.

I really do love all three of these models, warts and all.  Having said that, it is hard for me to justify the work it takes to get and old blue box locomotive up to modern standards and I say that as a person that considers himself to be a modeler.  I hope to have some track to run these on soon.

The Big Move

 

Photo Credit - Travis Handschug from Having some fun with desert modeling | Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine (model-railroad-hobbyist.com)

The last several months has been dominated by my impending move to the new house.  The peak of these preparations coincided with my renewed interest in model railroading.  This really presented me with some serious frustration as I was not able to actually do anything other than dream and buy stuff.  Sadly, this is really a return to my previous arm-chair approach to the hobby and not the new start I was hoping for.  The good news is we closed on the new house and have completed the move.  The installation of my internet connection last night (after a 3 week delay) marks the end of the move and the beginning of living in the new place.

The last couple of weeks I have made some good progress in getting my home office/hobby space setup and I have even been able to build a few freight car kits.  This has really helped my mindset as I am actually doing something related to the hobby.  My purchases, as I already mentioned, continue during this transitional period and I think I have done pretty good with keeping the focus on the items I really need.  The problem is, as often happens with hobbies, I may have over done it a little.  After a couple of eBay locomotive purchases went south my friend Tim offered up a deal on several locomotives from his collection.  These are all like new Athearn units and are either RTR or Genesis models.  I bought six 6-axle locomotives, which is WAY more than I need but they are damn cool.  I now have more road power than switcher power!

One big struggle I have had is it is easier to make plans than it is to execute them, especially when life interferes. This move has kept me in limbo and things I felt pretty sure about a month or more ago I am no less certain of.  My imagination moves faster than reality. What I need to do now is get my mind, and plans, back in line with what I can accomplish and back in line with what I had previously blogged about.

Stay tuned for some actual hobby content and examples of my own work.  Things are now moving in the right direction.