Chuffinell Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 N-S or steel track? Views welcome, will help me make the decision for a new project in OO, using DCC, Code 100, steam outline, main line, plus some slow-speed shunting in a colliery yard. In partic' views on which is the best for conductivity and which is best for keeping clean and/or attracting dirt, plus anything else you may want to add. Thanks in advance Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Personally having tried steel and nickel silver I prefer phosphor bronze rail. Gordon A Bristol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Despite its name, nickel silver is a copper alloy which has better conductivity than the iron in steel. While nickel silver will tarnish, steel will rust. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d600 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 N-S or steel track? Views welcome, will help me make the decision for a new project in OO, using DCC, Code 100, steam outline, main line, plus some slow-speed shunting in a colliery yard. In partic' views on which is the best for conductivity and which is best for keeping clean and/or attracting dirt, plus anything else you may want to add. Thanks in advance Phil Hi it would have to be nickle silver steel track rusts and i remember years ago having problems with it,if you want ready made track id say go for peco nickle silver with electro frog points nice slow running. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike knowles Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I'm about to start ripping up the handbuilt steel track on my P4 layout and relay with nickel silver because of rusting problems with the steel rail. Nuff said! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Despite its name, nickel silver is a copper alloy which has better conductivity than the iron in steel. While nickel silver will tarnish, steel will rust. Cheers David Things could vary a bit down under, but If you have a model railway in the UK in conditions where steel rail will rust, then think about the harm that those conditions are doing to you. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 What you don't say is whether you are thinking about hand-built track or an off-the-shelf product. I suspect the latter as you mention code 100. If so, there is little reason to use anything other than nickel silver. On the other hand, if it is hand built track, then there is a debate to be had. Yes, steel may rust but, as Bernard has hinted, it does depend very much on how you treat it and where the layout is kept. Either way, conductivity should not be an issue if you attach sufficient dropper wires to your track. Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Despite its name, nickel silver is a copper alloy which has better conductivity than the iron in steel. While nickel silver will tarnish, steel will rust. I must be doing something wrong then because my steel rail isn't rusting. I use steel for engine rods and valve gear and steel rail because I prefer the colour, i.e. only steel looks like steel. I have a Dean's Good loco with steel rods built in 1984, no rusting apparent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
george stein Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Just remember: "Rust never sleeps." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Steel. Just for the colour, every other objection is manageable. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Despite its name, nickel silver is a copper alloy which has better conductivity than the iron in steel. Alloys often have quite different properties, including conductivity, than their constituents. In this case if you look up the conductivity of the metals concerned (Google for it) you will find that mild steel has a higher conductivity than nickel silver. But as others have said its unimportant for our use, what is important is that Nickel Silver quickly develops a surface coating that is a very poor conductor and the rail needs a lot of cleaning. Older sections of my layout with Nickel Silver rail need 3 or 4 times as much cleaning as the newer sections which are steel. and some of my steel rail has done 30 years now without rusting. Regards Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted February 17, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 17, 2012 C&L sell "Hi Ni" nickel silver rail, which looks much closer to steel than standard n/s rail, and without the rust problem. Solders easier than steel too Usual disclaimers etc. HTH Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Nickel Silver pros :- 1. The tarnishing is conductive so less cleaning is required. 2. Does not rust. 3. Easily available. 4. Bends more easily without kinking. Steel pros :- 1. Better traction (with steel wheels and better still with 'Magnadhesion') so less need for traction tyres. 2. Nice colour. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 C&L sell "Hi Ni" nickel silver rail, which looks much closer to steel than standard n/s rail, and without the rust problem. Solders easier than steel too ... Judge for yourselves. To my eyes, the HiNi at the bottom looks nothing like the steel (also from C&L) in the centre and the chemically blackened steel at the top requires very little extra work to look even closer to the real thing. Note, neither of the steel rails are rusty and the blackening will prevent any rusting in all but the harshest environments Nick edit: ps, chemically blackened nickel silver has quite a nice brownish colour but I don't have any to hand. Before anyone asks, the tops of the blackened rail can be polished to get the shiny contact surface. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Steel pros :- 2. Nice colour. ITYM - the right colour! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Nickel Silver pros :-1. The tarnishing is conductive so less cleaning is required. That is the opposite of my experience. Regards Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Cram Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 When we exhibited Hawnby which had nickel silver rail we used to have major problems with crud building up on the rai; and then transferring to the wheels of the rollinfg stock. Many an hour spent cleaning track and wheels which was no fun at all. Not the same problem at all with streel rail which has been down 20 years and in a variety of environments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.