Painting the center rail question

Don't paint the top as it may cause conductive problems, It will most likely wear off anyway.  Would be my guesses 

Micromark or someone had some conductive blackout....also some gun blueing might work.

GONDOLAWILLIE:

     Micro-Mark sells something called Neolube. It is suppose to blacken metal, lubricate and improve electrical conductivity. They show it darkening the drive wheels on a steam engine. I have never used it, but was tempted to try it for the same purpose you mention- darken center rail.

    John

Idea: paint all your track/switches (before you lay it) with Krylon or Rust-O-Leum dark brown flat camo spray paint. Get rid of the chrome track altogether. Most rusty rail is not "oxide orange", anyway - it's a dark brown/black.

After it's dry, use a foam sanding block to remove the paint from the rail tops.

It's how I got rid of the bright GarGraves rail on mine 20+ years ago; no problems.

I opted to paint my Gargraves and Ross switches.  Makes a big difference definitely worth the effort.

I paint the inside and outside facing webs of the neutral rails of the Gargraves Phantom track with an acrylic craft paint that I purchased from our local Hobby Lobby, the center(hot) rail has the rail head and web plated black the rail head is conductive, in general, do not paint rail heads unless you use a conducting paint. I follow the same method with the Gargraves and Ross switches and Gargraves uncoupling track, I find it much easier to pre-paint these items before assembly, also for the track feeders after soldering to the center rail inside or outside facing web I paint this soldered joint acrylic flat black, for the outside neutral rails same procedure, I paint the soldered joint the paint color used on the neutral rail webs. 

AMC Dave,  thanks for the photo using the Neo Lube on side-rods, looks great.