TIPS & TECHNIQUES
Lets talk about paint.
    We often have many things to paint in our garden train world, and each application requires a different type of paint. I will deal mostly with outdoor applications in this article, since environment plays a very special part in paint selection, and most of us have outdoor train layouts.
    My rolling stock does not stay outside. The sun and rain have very adverse effects on locomotives (especially their electronics) and cars. Even manufacturer applied paint does not hold up well in the long run in our Florida sun.  Paint on rolling stock will fade or change color over time when left outside. Since I am a "modeler" I tend to be very particular about how I paint my trains. I like the "scale" paint that is available from companies like Floquil or Model Flex. The pigment of this paint is finely ground so that it does not hide details when used. It works extremely well with an airbrush, and is excellent for weathering.  Unfortunately, it does poorly in the sun and weather, and thus my need to bring in all my rolling stock. These paints dry flat, so you need to use Testor's Glosscoat to give them a gloss finish for proper decaling. Testors Dullcoat or Floquil Flat will bring back the flat finish and protect your decals.
    "Rattle can" paint works well on rolling stock or where large areas are to be covered.  Many garden railroaders use it to paint their freight cars. Krylon is a brand of this paint that is most frequently used. This paint is also affected by sun fade and weather, but I have found a UV protective spray in the paint department at Michaels which is quite effective in limiting the fading effect of sun. This is a flat finish spray that is used to protect artwork that is exposed to the outdoors, and it seems to work well in our model environment. Care must be taken with any of these spray paints so that the nozzle does not clog during storage.  You always want a nice even spray, not a series of splats. I always keep my paint nozzles in a jar of paint thinner to keep the nozzles clean and clear.  By the way, this paint is also excellent for painting concrete scenery like mountains and of course, roads.
    Wooden structures that are left outside should be primed and painted with an "outdoor" type house paint. I have had my best results with exterior paint that I have bought at Home Depot or Lowes.  Look in the paint department at the returns table. Sometimes you can find some real bargains there in small containers.  This paint is meant for outdoor weather exposure. Over time color may fade, but not as quickly as the above mentioned model and spray paints.
    While many of our plastic model buildings are already colored, I like to repaint and re-letter mine so that they do not look like everyone else's. These plastic building colors do change over time and fading will occur, but using the UV protectant spray will slow the effect down. 
    The same criteria for paint selection also goes for choosing stains which we use on trestles, station platforms, ties, or retaining walls. Always use an exterior grade stain and you can't go wrong. It may fade and weather over time, but it was manufactured to be outside and will help preserve your wooden structures.
    Remember, any time you paint, do so in a well ventilated area.  This is especially true of spray paints and air brush painting.
LETS TALK ABOUT PAINT
 
These buildings were re-painted with Krylon paint. All were sprayed with UV Protectant spray.