Are sleepers painted?

Most sleepers sold are imitation timber treated to look like sleepers
Might have creosote in them. Horrible stuff

BrownFinger wrote: »

Yea my mate paid 1000s to some fella to install sleepers ,cut with a chain saw and laid vertically to make beds.
Couldn't believe it when I went to see it. Just modern sawn timber posts.
He was absolutely robbed,I'd say they won't last pissing time.

It was certainly a bad idea to cut any timber into short lengths and lay vertically, with the end-grain buried in soil, because (a), the soil harbours organisms which will naturally rot the timber ,and (b), rot enters timber mostly through the end grain.
Genuine railway sleepers will have been prepared for their original use by soaking for a long period in creosote, similarly to traditional wooden telegraph poles. Creosote is now banned as it is carcinogenic, so modern timbers which are represented as "railway sleepers" will have been vacuum-infused with modern wood preservatives similarly to fence posts and other sawn timber sold for outdoor use. They generally seem to be intended for a ten year usage cycle.

Treated timber like this will not initially accept paint, but needs to be weathered for about six months first.