I'm about to set up my first outdoor layout using Aristo track, and was told by someone that if I remove the rails and spray the plastic with paint (not sure what kind), the track will stand up to sun and weather much longer. I'm in SoCal, by the way. Is this worth doing and if so, what kind of paint would be best? TIA.
- Magnusfarce
Yes, exterior paint is UV resistant, and will protect the plastic ties (which are supposedly UV resistant, too.) Use spray cans. Any exterior or rust-proofing brand will do nicely.
But you need not remove the rails - just wipe off the top and inside edges when done (best done before the paint dries.) You can make this part of the job easier by wiping the tops of the rails with an oily rag first. Use several flat (not gloss) colours - dark browns, black, dark greys - and spray randomly with each colour, not waiting for the coats to dry. the subtle variations will make both rail and ties look more realistic. When you join the rials with railjoiners, scrape the paint off where the rail joiners contact the rail base. Cosmetic emery boards are good for this, they are small, can be cut to handy shapes, and are cheap. There are found near nail polish and such in the cosmetics aisle.
HTH&GL
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