Disguising Unitrack

I've reached the point where I've finished tracklaying and can begin rebuilding scenery that I took out in order to update Zenith Yard. A big milestone has been disguising the Kato Unitrack,which has a main line look when laid fresh. The first thing I did was to lay some Scultamold mixed with texture paint to build up the ground surface between the tracks. The point of the color in the Sculptamold is so that any of it that peeks through the ground cover and ballast that I apply over it won't be white.

The two tracks to the left are Unitrack. The third track on the right is original to versin 1.0 of this layout. It is old Shinohara code 70 laid on cork roadbed with Woodland Scenics cinder ballast.

Once the Sculptamold was dry, I covered both it and the top of the Unitrack with Arizona Rock & Mineral N Scale Yard Mix. This is natural mineral material that can be sprayed with ordinary water with a little detergent added. Woodland Scenics ballast is ground walnut shells that will bunch up when sprayed with water. Then I drizzle white glue over the wetted ballast and do more spraying.

Finally I sprinkle the whole area with Woodland Scenics Burnt Grass extra fine turf and let everything dry. Then I clean the rail tops with a bright boy.

This leaves all the yard tracks back with the same general look and disguises the difference between thc code 70 flex track and the Unitrack. If I were building an all new layout, I think I'd strongly consider HO Unitrack, as it provides a solid and stable base, and it's possible to give it a more realistic appearance with paint and ballast.