Color on '50s two-rail highway fence

[OldEastRR]

This runs along the top of a retaining wall along a highway on my layout and I'm wondering what color it should be. There's no sidewalk next to it, and the wall rises a foot or so above the roadway. I'm thinking more about visual appeal than actual safety colors but thought I'd ask. Basically to remind drivers there's a drop-off and not really meant as a guard rail. (Tho it'd keep drunks from falling onto the tracks)

Here it is:

[nkalanaga]

I don't know that there was a standard.  Like today, many were unpainted galvanized steel, some were yellow, some were white, and there were probably at least a few in just about any color one can imagine.

For what looks like a local street, I'd either use silver-gray or white, possibly with rust.

[peteski]

"This runs along the top of a retaining wall along a highway on my layout and I'm wondering what color it should be. There's no sidewalk next to it, and the wall rises a foot or so above the roadway."

I'm confused. All I see is a stone retaining wall. There is no"highway fence" anywhere in that picture.  Or you are asking about something which will be added later?  If that's the case if you wrote "It will run along the top of a retaining wall" would have been clearer to dense anal people like me. 

If there is a metal fence to be added then it might be bare galvanized steel.

[OldEastRR]

Yes, the fence will run along the top of that wall. Galvanized steel .... hmm, paint it silver?

[peteski]

Yes, the fence will run along the top of that wall. Galvanized steel .... hmm, paint it silver?

Galvanized steel is more like dull gray. I guess maybe gray primer color with maybe some silver mixed in.  Go to a hardware store and check the color of galvanized nails.  Guardrails are also usually galvanized, so you can chek those for color.

[Dave V]

Galvanized steel is more like dull gray. I guess maybe gray primer color with maybe some silver mixed in.  Go to a hardware store and check the color of galvanized nails.  Guardrails are also usually galvanized, so you can chek those for color.

Yes, this. Galvanized steel starts out with much less sheen than stainless and quickly dulls when exposed to the elements.

[OldEastRR]

Yes, dull galvanized steel sounds good. The roadway is light gray and the stone wall is light gray so I want the fence color to stand out from both. I'll try the silver/gray paint method. thanks.

[Lemosteam]

Rustoleum makes a true galvanized paint for repairing fences and the like.  I use it all the time, like on my layout swingset.  I decanted some too into a clean tamiya paint bottle for brush on use, but the spray bomb works good.

[peteski]

Rustoleum makes a true galvanized paint for repairing fences and the like.  I use it all the time, like on my layout swingset.  I decanted some too into a clean tamiya paint bottle for brush on use, but the spray bomb works good.

I used it for a real-life application. I recall it being rather thick. It works for you without hiding details on small N scale items? Also, that paint has a fairly bright silvery appearance. Good for fresh metal, but exposed to elements Zinc gets dull rather quickly.

[Lemosteam]

Depends on how heavy you apply it. Multiple very light coats are best and it is not shiny or silvery at all:

[peteski]

Yeah, those do look like galvanized steel and paint does not look too hick.

[Chris333]

Mix it with a little bit of white.

[thomasjmdavis]

If you are still running any coal-fired steam, the track side of that wall will likely need a coat of soot.  Even diesels or oil burning steam will leave a wall that close to the tracks with a fair amount of dark weathering.  So any minor inaccuracy in paint color will be easy to hide.

[OldEastRR]

If you are still running any coal-fired steam, the track side of that wall will likely need a coat of soot.  Even diesels or oil burning steam will leave a wall that close to the tracks with a fair amount of dark weathering.  So any minor inaccuracy in paint color will be easy to hide.

The wall parallels the old main through town that had lots of steam back in the day, but now it's just a remnant there to serve the town industries w/ deisels (and terminating RDC traffic). Some soot is a good idea.

[OldEastRR]

Thanks for the help on getting this railing done. Turns out it looks weathered and used, the perfect condition.  Plus took a little bashing here and there. The overall view:



Closer look:



I have to set the wall in permanently and blend its base with the scenery. The wall even tilts outward slightly at the top, like its starting to fall over. Old age!