So for my IDF M1 Sherman, it is going to be placed in the Desert on maneuvers in 1961. It has the all metal T54E1 all steel track. Usually I do my tracks with washes, rust, dirt and mud, etc.
When in the desert, running around with the sand and rocks, would the tracks be just the steel color, because the sand basically sand blasting the tracks? I have seen pictures of tanks in the desert having some rust……but museum pieces stationary?
Should the tracks be just steel color with dust?
I can tell you from first hand experience in the desert at Ft Bliss and M1 tanks, they were polished steel after even just a short time in the sand, but rusted right up again seemingly overnight, then nice and clean again after moving through the sand
If the tank has been standing idle all night, there will be a patina of rust on the steel tracks in the morning which will soon wear off once the tank is under way again.
If there is so much desert dust that it covers three dark colors, why is the red of the brake light still clearly visible?
Safety First!
Well, coffee first, safety is maybe second, or third 
Yes. Dusty bare scoured steel.
Lots of good B&W photos here aside from the color ones that I showed above
Funny……I just found that site for the first time earlier today.
I highly recommend following that blog. It is very much modeler oriented and he gets some pretty good research assembled into one article. One of his most recent was about Marine tanks on Tarawa. Very niche, but great stuff if it falls into your area(s) of interest.
The tracks and even the belly of the hull depending on the sand are often near polished during movement and after a nights non use they magically show rust.
It’s not really “magic”, it’s just condensation from the cool night air. The moisture then forms a thin layer of rust.
I was dead pan joking about the magic part.. 
becuase its important for them to keep the lights clean !
I like this picture……it shows very clearly the top of the tires black from the tracks…and the front of the tires dusty.
