Steel Track

[Graham Radish]

Does anyone know of anywhere where i can buy new steel track in OO gauge?

 

Im doing a small 80s shunting yard with 2 gronks and various wagons, would much prefer the proper colour of steel over nickel for this project.

 

Cheers.

[Kiwi]

DccConcepts

 

https://www.dccconcepts.com/product/rail-bullhead-4mm-scale-stainless-steel-l960mm-10-pack/

[Barclay]

C & L supply flexitrack, rail, and ready made crossings for their point kits, in steel as well as N/S but I'm not aware of ready made steel points.

 

https://www.clfinescale.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2020 by Barclay

[Il Grifone]

I would avoid it.

It collects crud, has poor contact compared to nickel silver and is difficult to solder. It also tends to rust, unless it's stainless steel which is even more difficult to solder

[Dagworth]

There’s a huge pile of it here that I’m ripping out of Ravensclyffe’s fiddle yard to be replaced with nickel-silver. One of the worst mistakes I made on the layout was using steel track on the off-scene sections for economy. 
 

Andi

[Grovenor]

On the other hand, for 50 years now I have used steel for preference both for colour and needing less cleaning that nickel silver. Some of the track in current use is 50 years old and running just fine. The steel rail is easy to work with building points. I would not go for the stainless on solderability grounds.

[Re6/6]

5 minutes ago, Grovenor said:

On the other hand, for 50 years now I have used steel for preference both for colour and needing less cleaning that nickel silver. Some of the track in current use is 50 years old and running just fine. The steel rail is easy to work with building points. I would not go for the stainless on solderability grounds.

 

I on the contrary have found  the use of steel rail disastrous living here on the coast. I'm sure that it would be fine in a nice warm, dry and ventilated environment The planned renovation of an acquired P4 layout by DRAG didn't end well. We had to scrap it due to the steel rail corroding so badly. Our winter climate can be very damp and salt-laden.

 

Regarding stainless rail, I can concur with you Keith about solderability. This can be made a little easier using the 'special' flux supplied for the rail.

 

 

My main complaint with stainless rail is that it's very soft and the slightest wrong bend cannot be rectified. I have around 20m of the stuff that we bought for use on the Ouse Viaduct to save cleaning. An expensive mistake! 

[Mark Forrest]

1 hour ago, Grovenor said:

On the other hand, for 50 years now I have used steel for preference both for colour and needing less cleaning that nickel silver. Some of the track in current use is 50 years old and running just fine. The steel rail is easy to work with building points. I would not go for the stainless on solderability grounds.

I have nowhere near 50 years of experience, but my findings comparing steel and nickel silver are very similar.

 

My layout has steel rail on the scenic section, but in the fiddle yard I used up some leftover nickel silver.  At the first exhibition I took it to I found myself checking the wiring for faults as there seemed to be a dead section at the entrance to the fiddle yard.  On further investigation it turned out to be an accumulation of dirt on the nickel silver rail whereas the steel rail seemed to be reasonably clean.  The next layout will be steel throughout (although I do find soldering steel requires a little more care and preparation).

[Graham Radish]

I cut my teeth on steel rail back in 1986 with the Hornby flying scotsman set, you can make the sides of the rails rust naturally like in real life with oxidation, the colour is so much better just like the real thing, as it will only be a small end2end shunting layout keeping it clean will be very easy, servisol super10 ensures excellent electrical contact its only £6 a can and lasts ages. that old Hornby ran brilliant if i remember right.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

I gave up on steel in the early/mid 70's I had a loft layout,  rust after a while was a problem, made even worst by the fact that it was ballasted, in the end I gave up and replaced the rail in-situ by sliding the rails out one by one, a big job that I wouldn't want to repeat, never looked back, best place for steel rails is in a scrap wagon.

 

manna

[d00m]

C&L do Hi Ni which has higher nicklesilver content, it looks more like steel...

 

[Pete the Elaner]

I have never understood why manufacturers use a brass-coloured alloy of Nickel Silver for rail.

5, 10, 20 & 50p coins are all Nickel Silver. If that particular alloy was expensive, it wouldn't be used.

 

As for steel rail, are you serious? Steel rusts, which is tough to clean off unless you do it very regularly. I was told by a manufacturer once with disdain "well you shouldn't leave the layout somewhere damp". Don't most of us use water-based products to fix ballast & scenery?

A naturally rusted steel model rail looks nothing like a model of a rusted steel rail either.

[Il Grifone]

12 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

I have never understood why manufacturers use a brass-coloured alloy of Nickel Silver for rail.

5, 10, 20 & 50p coins are all Nickel Silver. If that particular alloy was expensive, it wouldn't be used.

 

As for steel rail, are you serious? Steel rusts, which is tough to clean off unless you do it very regularly. I was told by a manufacturer once with disdain "well you shouldn't leave the layout somewhere damp". Don't most of us use water-based products to fix ballast & scenery?

A naturally rusted steel model rail looks nothing like a model of a rusted steel rail either.

 

The atoms and molecules are still full size and don't scale down.

 

I have boxes of old Trix and Tri-ang track, which is unusable due to the steel rail. Contemporary Dublo track (3 rail is nickel plated brass, 2 rail nickel silver*) is always OK (unless physically damaged of course).

 

* Korean War period track is steel and goes with the Trix and Tri-ang..

[Kylestrome]

On 17/06/2020 at 12:39, Il Grifone said:

I would avoid it.

It collects crud, has poor contact compared to nickel silver and is difficult to solder. It also tends to rust, unless it's stainless steel which is even more difficult to solder

 

I'm surprised by the totally opposing views on steel vs nickel silver rails.

 

I must be extremely lucky with my steel track (P4 constructed from separate components). It has been down now for nearly 20 years and has never given me any trouble. Early on I had the occasional small rust spot but, once I'd got a good polish on the running surfaces it has never returned. I run DCC sound-equipped locos which run faultlessly despite the fact that I rarely clean the tracks. I have some nickel silver RTR track in the fiddle yard which does need extra cleaning.

 

Summers can be humid here but I am some distance from the sea, which I guess must help.

 

David

 

PS. Apologies to the OP for the tread drift.

Edited June 20, 2020 by Kylestrome

[Graham Radish]

Track maintenance is a part of the hobby, to me steel is no problem especially on a small diorama, i am aware that they make aluminium rail as well, simply solder to the rail joiners.