Painted track?

I painted the sides of my Gargraves flextrack rust brown but I have never heard of painting the entire rail. But of course i am obsolete. The Gargraves Phantom Rail has a blackened center rail but that is all.

David, the rails can be painted. Electrical contact mostly comes from the top of the rail. Guys that airbrush their track go back later with a pad and remove the paint from the top of the rails.........Paul

After painting the paint is removed from the railhead with an abrasive block.  As long as the tops of the rails are clean, trains run fine.

I'm not sure, but maybe Tinman cleans the railhead before sale as well.

If you read the process the tin man uses you will see that the tops and curved edges where the flanges ride are shiny bright.  This gives you the conducting surface.

The original Gilbert American Flyer S Gauge track was black in 1946.

Thanks for the clarifying info. I suspected top edges weren’t painted over, but they looked so much like they were that I had to ask. Additionally, is it only the “third rail” that has to have paint removed (aside from wear and tear from regular use?) That’s the electric connection right?

David B. Carlsen posted:

Few people, including me, enjoy Lionel 3-rail 027 track. Too late in life to convert to 027 2-rail.

Oh, I bet you will find a lot of people love 3-rail. And why would anyone interested in 27-inch curves care about the realism of two rails.

Most people using Lionel O-27 track instead of other track brands do so with pride. Even more use Lionel O gauge track with even more pride.

Those interested in more realistic 3-rail options prefer GarGraves, Atlas O and Ross.

 I see value in all those track brands, depending on what I set out to accomplish. 

David B. Carlsen posted:

Additionally, is it only the “third rail” that has to have paint removed (aside from wear and tear from regular use?) That’s the electric connection right?

Nope. The outside rails need to be clean as well . These are the ground for the locomotive and passenger cars.

If you turn your trains over you can see ground straps that wipe on the axles of passenger cars , cabooses, and other lighted cars. There are also ground straps on the trailing wheels of steam locomotives and on tender axles.

David B. Carlsen posted:

Thanks for the clarifying info. I suspected top edges weren’t painted over, but they looked so much like they were that I had to ask. Additionally, is it only the “third rail” that has to have paint removed (aside from wear and tear from regular use?) That’s the electric connection right?

No...electricity won't go in anywhere it can't get out. That's why there are 2 prongs on a cord plug... It's a current. (I have heard this question more often than one would imagine.)

Yesterday - did these (and some others, including 3 GG 072 switches, for my layout little addition).

Before:

After (nice crop of winter wheat has come up, huh? Stabilizing the soil after shop expansion) :

I will run a sanding block over the railheads. They're collectible (what isn't?) used curves off eBay - the sections are stamped "Curtis Ross 072" on the back. I'm rich.

Jim R. posted:

David B. Carlsen posted:

Few people, including me, enjoy Lionel 3-rail 027 track. Too late in life to convert to 027 2-rail.

Oh, I bet you will find a lot of people love 3-rail. And why would anyone interested in 27-inch curves care about the realism of two rails.

Most people using Lionel O-27 track instead of other track brands do so with pride. Even more use Lionel O gauge track with even more pride.

Those interested in more realistic 3-rail options prefer GarGraves, Atlas O and Ross.

 I see value in all those track brands, depending on what I set out to accomplish. 

Jim R. In retrospect I find my question/statement a bit more judgmental than perhaps it should have been. Your remarks were far more all encompassing, like perhaps mine should have been, and I gratefully stand corrected. In 1951 I was a little boy with the improved new littler scale of 027 vs O in our little house. The only thing that was big was my imagination. Besides the joy of playing with my Dad, now long since passed away, was the incredible coincidence of the steam engines looking like that ones that ran near my home in Des Plaines, IL, past the Plasticville buildings that truly looked like those in the town of Des Plaines. Yes, the RR station, bank, gas station, whistle house, motel, and especially ranch houses, and others really looked like where we lived. I have some historic supporting photos. Of course, at the time, I thought my Dad was a genius to find replicas of buildings in our town. Today in, 2019, I feel somewhat compelled completely for the nostalgic childhood memories to stick with what I started out with and has over time grown immensely. As you now know I began model railroading right smack dab in between O and HO. So my Dad says to me, “Too bad you weren’t born a couple of years later.”  To my response of, “Why?” he replied, “We could have gotten HO!” All best model railroading wishes, Dave

I painted all of my track sides with a paint brush and then before the paint dried I run the end of a piece of 2 by 4 pine lumber over the tops of the rail to remove the any paint.  I still use the end of a 2 by 4 to clean my track, it cleans the oil and dirt off the top of the rail and does not damage the rail like sand paper.