My LGB ties have baked in our desert sun for 15 years and they are like new! I took them up to use in the indoor layout and they will have their second life.
I figure our lack of rain actually helps the ties and rail.
In case my experience, here in Ottawa, is of interest…
We have track/ties of just about every make, out on the railroad, except B’mann.
I can add “Rail Craft/Micro-Engineering” to the mix.
I have yet to have any of them fail, and we have never treated any of them with paint, wax or anything.
Possibly the biggest influence on the lasting abilities of the ties around here, is that all of out track is nailed securely to SOLID wood roadbed, raised or in the ground.
We experience all four seasons, with temperature ranges from -40C to +40C…full sun, and shade. Snow, rain and ice…
We started laying track, back in 1983 (LGB)…progressing to Railcraft, Aristo, Kalamazoo, and even a length or two of Pico (Not Piko)
Fred Mills
In rehabbing my railroad this past spring, I was kind of surprised at the number of ties that looked good, but failed as soon as I started adjusting the track. I have Aristo stainless track with the Aristo USA style ties. My railroad is in mostly partial shade, and does tend to stay damp most of the time. Back when the track was laid in 2002, the ties were painted, but the paint has worn away over the years.
I was cutting out the broken ties, and a few more on the same tie strip would fail, but a few were still good. So I have a mix of new and old ties all along my railroad. Most of the ties that are in service are originals. All told I think I probably replaced maybe 10 or 11 feet of ties, a few at a time, along the nearly 160 feet of track that I have.
You can buy iron oxide in garden centers and depending on the type it will turn anything to a yellowy rust color, or rust color there is even a black iron oxide that turns a dark blue tint . Pretty cheap and Wal-Mart sells it