Track painting with Neolube

[Scottl]

After doing some experiments with Blacken-it yesterday to weather track prior to installation on a bridge, I'm sold.  It leaves a dark color with a subtle rusty patina on ME track (I have not tried Atlas yet).  Neolube has lots of applications (and I want some...) but it is black (so it needs further paint treatment), and the risk getting it on ties, ballast or making a mess is not trivial.

[Chris1274]

Blacken-It seems to have been discontinued.

[Scottl]

Too bad, but I'm not surprised.  My bottle dates from a 2012 purchase and claims to be a solution of selenic acid and copper chloride-carbonate.  Just the kind of thing you want in houses with kids (not).  There are other brands out there.

[chicken45]

Pretty sure this is how Tasha Yar died

FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mmagliaro]

Most blackening chemicals are Selenium Dioxide or a variant thereof.

Scott, if you are looking for more of a rust color, or a any sort of brownish patina, Neolube is not for you.
It will make the track more of a weathered gray or what I think of as "weathered steel".

Jax Chemicals makes a wide variety of really good metal blackeners.   Don't confuse them with other
"Jax" companies.  There is more than one on the net.

I have used this:
http://www.jaxchemicals.com/jaxshop/shopexd.asp?id=41

It is still a blackener, but perhaps will have more of a bronze overtone you are looking for.

Check around their web page.  They make a lot of "blackeners" and "darkeners".  Unfortunately,
the stuff only comes in pint bottle for $15 each, and it's not cheap for them to ship it either (same issues --- hazardous chemicals).

I've only ever tried the one "darkener" I mentioned above.