Large Scale Central

REA Track Question

Track and Trestles
#1

Started evaluating all my track before using in my new garden railroad. Most of the track is almost 20 years old.

I started buying track with REA marked in the ties, This track and ties have held up well in Texas 100+ degrees heat, however the ties seem to be originally painted black and now the top of all ties are gray.

It would be a pain to remove the ties and repaint or replace these.

What is your opinion?

BTW, Also have Aristrocraft American ties (old type) that are falling apart and started replacing them with ME 332 ties, they look wonderful with the ME ties and not hard to replace.

#2

I think the ties are molded black …try some automotive tire dressing on them and see what it does.

#3

i had a few pieces of non-lgb track that had tie failure from long term exposure, simply replaced it with LGB tie stripes. i have spray painted a bunch of track with camo brown krylon which is pleasing to my eyes…others use ruddy brown primer.

#4

Dennis, if the ties seem intact, they should be ok. A spritz with Rustoleum’s Camo Brown will protect the ties from further UV degredation, as well as weather the rails. It doesn’t cost much, nor does it take much time. Also, it is pleasing to the eye.

#5

Most of my track is preowned and I have several pieces here and there that are grey and kinda stick out from the black aristo and brown LGB. Now I know why they are grey they must be REA.

#6

I spray my track with Armorall type stuff every 6 months, ties go back to black from gray.

No problems in about 9 years.

All black ties.

Greg

#7

I have noticed that my ties have faded alittle over the last two years. They are Aristo China.

#8

Wouldn’t that be Aristo plastic? China would be a little too brittle :smiley:

#9

Falcon 115

#10

A Falcon 115 is a boat(Yacht).

What am I missing?

#11

Don’t want to hijack this thread, but I’ve got about 200 feet of Aristocraft code 332 rail that used to be track. About seven months ago, a member of our club passed away suddenly, and his widow donated the track and some other equipment to our club and told us to find good homes for it.

The track is about 20 years old. The ties are beaten to death, many missing, crumbling or the cast on spikes broken off.

I need to repair the track before it can find good homes. If anyone has Aristo tie strips or a good alternative, reply to me.

TIA.