Paint the track
Before ballasting, I usually paint the track with a brown-gray color.
I found a fifteen-year-old bottle of Polly Scale Railroad Tie Brown that I had used on my previous SP Coast Line layout to paint the track.
The paint had aged very well, so I was able to use it and airbrush it over all the tracks.
I masked the areas where the points hinge and where they touch the stock rails.
Afterwards, I used a fine paintbrush to carefully paint the masked sections, making sure the paint did not interfere with electrical contact.
A painted track makes a huge difference in the final appearance of a layout. Even a light coat of color immediately tones down the unrealistic shine of the raw plastic ties and the bright nickel-silver rails.
The Atlas code 55 ties, in particular, have a uniform brownish tone that looks toy-like until blended with a more natural brown-gray wash. Painting before ballasting gives the scene a visual foundation. Rails, ties, and ballast will later merge into a single, believable texture.
Once weathered and ballasted, the track will no longer stand out as a manufactured part, but rather blend seamlessly into the landscape, enhancing the realism of the entire scene.