AMS track is supposed to be “UV Resistant”. My RR is in MA, so we’re not getting harsh high altitude sun 12 hours a day. Yet, most of my track that has been down for a couple of years is fading, and getting brittle.
Newer ties on the left:
And track that is brittle.
None of this track has been down for more than three years, yet, by my estimation, about 75% of it looks like this.
Suggestions?
Build a giant UV dome over the railroad?
I had the same issues with the Aristo track I used on my old railroad (which is why I tried to use mostly LGB track on my new one).
Most people had suggested to me to use the Krylon matte clear UV spray on the new Aristo sections to help from fading…I am only a few months in so it is hard to tell if it will make a difference.
Bob will AMS replace the ties?
Richard
Richard Beverly said:
Bob will AMS replace the ties?
Richard
Havent heard. I have an email into them…
This is good timing for me. I need to find the best for the buck. Thanks for sharing.
All,
I have been using Micro Enginering tie strip for serveral years without problems. there very early tie strip was know to have problems but the plastic formula was corrected. same relative climate as Bob.
AL P.
I use the Sunset Valley Ties and am on my 3rd year, I have had no fading what-so-ever.
Bob,
I have bought 3 different batches of AMS track, one in 2005, 2008, and 2010 and am having similar problems with all 3 batches. The fading and crumbling is not consistent but varies in all 3 bunches much like your pictures.
Rick
I spray my track with an Armorall-type liquid every 6 months… helps a lot… I get more sun than you do and it brings the gray back to black.
I have AMS code 250 on my railroad as well. Has been down for about 6 years now. The ties are faded but brittle doesn’t seem to be an issue. Was able to remove them from several sections of track in order to straighten the rail after the elk had a dance party on my railroad last winter.
Ron
Greg Elmassian said:
I spray my track with an Armorall-type liquid every 6 months… helps a lot… I get more sun than you do and it brings the gray back to black.
I should probably try this on the new Aristo sections I bought to see if it helps with the fading.
That is odd. I had noticed the same thing over at Ken’s.
I put this out in May 2006…
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/thejoat/Track/IMG_1254.JPG)
It gets afternoon sun.
This section went out in August 2006. It gets a bit of afternoon sun.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/thejoat/Track/IMG_1255.JPG)
While neither section looks brand new, I’m quite please with how they have held up. That’s why I was so surprised to see the deterioration that you guys are facing.
One that is common in products from China is random changes in plastic forumulation, much to the dismay of the ultimate vendor and customer.
This is very common with Aristo track where several batches had no UV resistant additive added to the plastic, where the ties would just decompose while other, much older ties were fine in the same location in the same layout.
Since the UV “stabilizer” is colorless, you cannot inspect the ties and know if it’s there or not. That’s (in my opinion) why Aristo has a lifetime guarantee on the ties.
Unless a chemical analysis is done on the manufacturing runs, no one will know until years later.
Perhaps the same variations in formulation occurred here.
Greg
Bruce Chandler said:
That is odd. I had noticed the same thing over at Ken’s.
Mine just seems to be fading. It doesn’t appear brittle. Just looks strange when you change something and have shiny new ties next to faded brown ties.
Now the brass track is another story. In 2 places I’ve had the track completely break in half over the winter, usually on a curve.
Hmm, really Ken. That is something I hadn’t thought could happen. Should I worry about my Brass track? It can get pretty cold around here.
Well, I wouldn’t worry about it. It only happened twice and it was an easy enough fix by sliding a joiner across the piece. Both spots have been realigned so there’s not that tight a curve there, but there wasn’t a tight curve there to begin with. It needed realigning for the K to fit…
Mine are fading proportionally to how much sun they receive, but I haven’t noticed them getting any more “brittle” than the new ties. The rail pops out of the tie plates if there’s too much expansion/contraction, but that happens on old and new ties alike. That’s just the design of the detail that holds the rail in place near as I can tell. I can slide the ties back on the rails, and the ties hold just fine.
Personally, I like the weathered look of the ties after a few seasons. New, shiny, plastic ties don’t look remotely realistic. What I need to do is have a steam-up every day for a month so my ties get a nice coating of steam oil and grunge on them like the ties on the live steam track at the Colorado RR museum. (I did liberate a full “grunge can” recently; once I re-ballast, I’m going to coat the track with it in front of my stations to see what happens.)
Later,
K
A coat of paint on the ties does wonders for protecting them from the ravages of the sun. Even the really cheap stuff at $2.95 per rattle can forms a nice barrier.
I just got a case of grey concrete colored ties from Train-Li. I want to see how they’ll hold up. The profile they use looked like I should order the concrete colored ones. I figure they might look the part. They fit right on the Aristo rail. Maybe I’ll spray a couple and compare which last longer.
I’ve had very good results with Llagas Creek. They do fade a bit over time in sunny areas but are holding up quite well. The oldest have been down 8 years and the earliest from PHS Rail for over 9 years. I do initially paint them when I “rust” the rails Of course we probably don’t get as severe or prolonged sun as you.
