Western Railroad Discussion > Painting the Rails

I see on the Colfax Rail Cam via YouTube. The Second main line track has been painted white.
When did the UP start painting the Rail? 

Is the BNSF or any other Rail Company going to paint their rails as well?

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/26 21:57 by GP25.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,6196325,6196325#msg-6196325
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,6198658,6198658#msg-6198658

Some info in the posts above. They came through Colfax a few weeks ago, and best as I can tell, they started the process sometime in late June or early July on Donner. Others might have a better time frame.

This is quite common in Europe as seen on my summer of 2024 trip.

Painting the rails white can lower the temperature of the steel something like 20 degrees F.  That reduction is enough to keep a track failure from happening.

Someone on one of the attached posts suggested that while painting the rails white would keep the rails cooler in the summer, it might allow them to be colder in the winter.  While it is fairly obvious that the white paint would keep the rails cooler in the summer what not be so obvious it that it will also keep the rails warmer during the winter nights which is when they would be coldest.  It is called "black body radiation".  A darker colored object will radiate more heat.  I have noticed that black cars or other surfaces will start to frost sooner than white surfaces.

Lakeside sub on BNSF is painted

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