Nickel-silver or steel?

[RSR Engineer]

In the course of stocking up on track for the new layout, I have acquired 2nd-hand a quantity of Peco Streamline code 100 treated steel. I had originally intended to use this for dead-end carriage sidings or the like but suddenly remembered reading that steel has a higher coefficient of friction than nickel-silver. I wonder if other members can confirm this? Certainly TriAng used steel rails, even before offering their Magnadhesion concept. Also, does anyone have experience with the steel stuff, especially as regards keeping it clean? My main reason for asking is an idea to use steel rails for the uphill gradients to bring to bear as much as possible of the tractive effort of locos without traction tyres. In Europe this is only a problem with small locos that need all their wheels to pick up current but British locos seem to be produced tyreless on principle. I would be interested to hear other members' views.

Regards and many thanks,
Artur

[Mike Parkes]

Seen / had enough rusty steel track never to use it again - the only major advantage it had was when Triang Hornby locos had motor magnets strong enough to increase traction. DCC concepts make a magnetic system for use with any track to improve haulage up grade and with any make of loco - Power Base https://www.dccconcepts.com/product-cat ... powerbase/

[Mountain Goat]

I will say that when I was younger, I did used to pull some heavy trains with steel track. I had a little GWR 0-4-0 number 101 and it pulled 10 coaches on steel track. Yes, it was wheelspinning like mad, but it did pull it and at speed! Now these days most of my track is nickel silver and I would say that the same locomotive would only manage about six bogie coaches in the same way. (Wheels spinning in the same way).

While magnahesion makes a big difference in pulling power (The GWR 101 doesn't have magnahesion). Locos I have had that had magnahesion could pull an extra two coaches up a steep incline.

Having said that, though using steel track does seem to make a difference in adhesion, and it also looks quite a bit more realistic to have a shiney steel rail surface, I will say though that when I converted over to use nickel silver track it was sheer bliss. I didn't need to remove a thin layer of rust each time I wanted to run my trains. This was such a luxury as my layout at the time sometimes was exposed to a little dampness as it was in a garage.

[Steve M]

You will spend all your time cleaning track rather than running trains.

[yelrow]

Well now, I have and use a lot of this track, both on DC and DCC, Only came about as I have so many ovals of 9 x5, 11, in all, 6 DC and 5 DCC, When I was short, I used what I had, It is fair to say, it has remained rust free, and no bad running, Ofcourse, in an ideal world, I would use all Berger quality, but.........

[Maz066]

In the course of stocking up on track for the new layout, I have acquired 2nd-hand a quantity of Peco Streamline code 100 treated steel.

What is "treated" steel? Stainless?

[Ron S]

I have used C&L steel rail without any problems
http://www.finescale.org.uk/index.php?r ... ct_id=3293

also available in Code 75 bullhead

in fact it solders very well and I clean it no more than nickle-silver

It was recommended to me by Richard Johnson of DCC Concepts when their main base was Perth, Australia

[RSR Engineer]

Thank you for your feedback, gentlemen.

Well, Maz, yours is a good question. "Treated" is what Peco calls it. It looks galvanised but whether it's really zinc-plated I can't tell. Could ask Peco, I suppose. Yes. I think I'll do that.

On the topic of rust, my railway room is living room quality, i.e. central heating, insulated and no dampness. I'll lay in a few experimental tracks and see what happens.

Cheers,
Artur

[Mountain Goat]

In the course of stocking up on track for the new layout, I have acquired 2nd-hand a quantity of Peco Streamline code 100 treated steel.

What is "treated" steel? Stainless?

Not stainless steel. A friend of mine managed to buy secondhand lengths of stainless steel 00 gauge track. It won't take solder though.
Treated steel has a thin coating on it which tends not to last that long if one uses a track cleaning rubber. Due to budget, when I first changed to nickel silver, old steel track was used for sidings. It was an ideal mix.

[LC&DR]

In the past I have used steel rail (Triang, Peco, Wrenn, Lima, Jouef) but the ever present issue of corrosion makes this less desirable than brass or nickel silver. (Aluminium and stainless steel rail are used in the larger gauges but the problem of soldering to it has already been mentioned)

The difference between nickel silver and steel so far as adhesion is concerned is negligible in my experience, unless you are using Magnadhesion.

The coating used on the steel varied, one method was 'Sheradising' which meant coating with zinc but tin was also used.