trainman129It won't work on stainless track: stainless is non magnetic.
Magnetraction works on GarGraves Stainless.
Rob
If gargaves has a flat surafce on the top of the rail and can be attracted to a magnet it should work better.
You can improve the magnetic properties of Gargraves by doing what Lionel did with FasTrack, aka use steel straps to tie the outside rails together (I've done this, it works). The main poles on magnetraction magnets run across the rails. If you can place a feromagnetic piece of metal across the ties the induced field will be much higher than if the ties are isolated. You can induce magnetic effects at a distance but the greater the distance the lower the effect. You also don't need direct contact like you would for an elecrtical circuit. A thin piece of paper or plastic that will stop electric current from flowing will have no more effect on a magnetic field than the same air gap distance.
When it comes to classifying stainless steel as having magnetic properties, there is not a simple yes and no answer. Instead, the proper response would be to state that it depends. Here is some information about stainless steel that will help to identify situations in which this alloy exhibits magnetic properties, and when it does not.
It is important to understand that stainless steel is not a pure magnetic metal. In fact, stainless steel is really a collective name for a steel alloy that is mixed with other metals in order to give it the properties that make the metal compound so desirable. For instance, the typical stainless steel contains just over ten percent of chromium.
In fact, it is the presence of the chromium that provides stainless steel with the ability to repel permanent stains and keep looking fresh and clean over long periods of time. The chromium essentially creates a protective layer on the alloy that prevents rusting and makes the metal resistant to any real damage. Any scratches to the surface are simply filled in by this protective layer, making it possible to prevent corrosion to occur. It is the introduction of chromium into the mix that we refer to as stainless steel that makes it possible for the alloy to exhibit magnetic properties.
It is important to note that other metals may be introduced into the steel compound as well as the chromium. One of these metals is nickel. Essentially, the addition of nickel to the stainless steel compound helps to strengthen the protective qualities of the chromium. Generally referred to as a 300 series, stainless steel that contains nickel is not magnetic at all. The reason is that the presence of the nickel alters the physical structure of the stainless steel and removes or inhibits any magnetic qualities.
However, magnetic stainless steel does exist. The 400 series, which contains steel and chromium, but without the presence of nickel, does in fact exhibit magnetic qualities. While the degree of magnetic attraction may vary, it is not unusual for items made with the 400 series stainless steel to provide enough attraction to interact with magnets, and in some cases to allow small metal items to adhere to the stainless steel surface. However, magnetic stainless steel in consumer products does not tend to carry a strong magnetic charge, so there are not any practical home uses involving magnetic attraction.
http://www.wisegeek.com/is-stainless-steel-magnetic.htm
On a side note...I have a bunch of handguns made out of stainless steel. ALL of them are STRONGLY magnetic. Dep
Virginian Railroad
Or how little nickel.
But Magne-Traction does work on GarGraves SS.
The fact that stainless steel contains iron does not imply that it is magnetic. There are various stainless-steel alloys. They all contain significant chromium, which is what keeps them from rusting (by forming a surface film much like that on aluminum). Most of them also contain substantial nickel, which alters the crystal structure to a non-magnetic form. The magnetic property is completely absent, not simply reduced in proportion to the (substantial) amount of iron remaining in the alloy.
So the magnetic properties of stainless-steel track have more to do with how much nickel they contain rather than how much iron.
Bob Nelson
Stainless Steel is, of course ferrous and is therefore is attracted by magnets(different alloys have different amounts of iron). Magne-Traction does in fact work on GarGraves SS track, just not as well as on other types of track.
The reason Magne-Traction does not work as well on regular 101/Phantom GarGraves as it does on O-27 has little to nothing to do with any "return loop" for the magnetism. Instead, it is for the same reason it works better on "O" than it does on O-27... iron content. There is a lot more steel under the wheels.
Same reason for FasTrack. Not as much steel... in total. FasTrack loves to rust, though!
It won't work on stainless track: stainless is non magnetic.
Also I have heard that it don't work at all or very poorly on gar graves stainless I believe it was
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Yes, but. But it works LESS on FasTrack "Accessory Activator Sections and Extentions" for the same reason mentioned above.
Jon
Deputy,
10-04!Kay.
Ralph
Train-O Deputy, Yes. Ralph
Yes.
Thanks Ralph!
On a related note...does magnetraction work at all on Lionel Fastrak?
More importantly, Tubular Track offers a "return" for the Magnetic flux via the metal ties.
I'm sure this topic must have come up in the past but I was wondering if magnetraction worked better on tubular than Gargraves track and theories as to why. Seems like magnetration came in a few different forms over the years, so maybe that plays into the answer as well? My guess is the tubular track gives better traction due to more metal for the magnets to be attracted to? Has anyone conducted a pulling contest on the two track types with the same locomotive to see what track gave a longer train that could be pulled? My layout is currently down or I'd run this test myself.
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