Stainless Steel Track

[Buck]

I am putting in a new railroad in Middle Tennessee. I just relocated and had a very long running rail line in Ca.  I wanted to find out if anyone is using stainless steel track with rail clamps and if that application has been suitable for track power for an area that gets considerable more rain that what I used to get.  I don't want to put it in, if I could have power problems down the road.  In the past, I used brass track and soldered the joints, so I was hoping to avoid that for this railroad.

 

 

[Snoq. Pass RR]

From what I hear, Stainless Steel is one of the worst track options for track power.  If you want Stainless Steel then go with onboard battery system, such as RCS or similar.  If you want track power then go with Brass track, such as LGB, USA, Aristo, or similar.

[Anonymous]

my understanding is similar - track power is best with brass - tho if you have a lot maybe some cleaning car attatchments would be a good investment.
I have used nickel silver outside (Peco  manufactured) and it worked well , better than brass for oxidising  and good conductivity . I used soldered jumper leads on mine

[Capt Bob Johnson]

I went with 20' stainless from the get go and don't regret one minute of it.   I'm not cleaning on a daily basis like some of my brass track neighbors are.   I've had no conductivity problems in 5 years now.

I started using the @#$%$#%^$% little screws that aristo packages with the track to affix the joiners, and then got some SJ clamps for cuts or damaged track ends & joiners.   I now remove factory joiners before even going out to layout and using joiners exclusively!

Several club members who scoffed at me paying that 20% extra over brass and who said it would never work have now started using stainless for additions and relocations on thier layouts.    The club was doing a demo layout and didn't have enough track so I lent them a couple of boxes of 10' diameter curve and some straights, and they marveled when they saw the trains pick up speed when they got on the stainless track.   The club is now buying stainless to replace it's brass.

Don't worry about rain.   We left stainless up at a garden center where it got sprinkled twice a day for some 2 months, and while the brass had to be cleaned every week or so, the stainless ran the entire period without cleaning.

If you are only going to run battery, then I'd consider brass cause you won't care about conductivity and tarnish and dirt and stuff.

[two tone]

Go for LGB brass track, I live in England and in the four years my garden track as been down I have not had to fix a bad connection, and I have altered my layout over the years. Alright I have to clean the track if I`ve not used it for a month or more but with a good track cleaner atteched to your rolling stock cleaning is a thing of the past all my joints are fish plates when I move any thing I always use graphite grease this makes good connections   Hope this helps

[RR Redneck]

Naw, Aristo Craft is just as good and less expensive. I live in Texas and in the time that my family's hugh layout has been on the ground, we aint seen nothin but the routine maintenance woes.

[jhsimpson62]

While in Pennsylvania, I installed brass track which worked great but needed cleaned on a regular basis. Now in South Carolina I am using stainless and its great. Its been out for almost a year and have yet to clean it. Every once in a while I go around and make sure the little screws are secures tightly in the joiners. My vote goes for stainless. Jack

[EMPIRE II LINE]

I am putting in a new railroad in Middle Tennessee. I just relocated and had a very long running rail line in Ca.  I wanted to find out if anyone is using stainless steel track with rail clamps and if that application has been suitable for track power for an area that gets considerable more rain that what I used to get.  I don't want to put it in, if I could have power problems down the road.  In the past, I used brass track and soldered the joints, so I was hoping to avoid that for this railroad.

 

Well Buck, let me tell you, I formerly had a 2000 foot plus brass layout here in central Florida, you know "Hurricane Alley" and "Lightning Capital" of the world, and I would never use brass again, as well as an 850 foot plus brass layout formerly in Akron, Ohio for two years, lots of moisture there TOO.... I run track power, Bridgewerks power systems, always have run track power myself for about 15 years now, with LOCO-LINC receivers in my engines, only problem is if you operate the MTH digital command system also, as I do, it will take some figuring out to get a good signal through out your system. I use all ARISTO stainless and SPLIT JAWS rail clamps, atleast 1500 foot of track so far, with ladder storage yards and an extended Dog Bone track configuration. So yes with alot of moisture, stainless is the best way to go, the LGB track cleaning engine is pretty much a yard relic for me now, and I love to run long Charlie Row passenger trains 18 cars at a time, as well as 40 and 50 car freights, can't use no batteries to power that, don't make 'em big enough !!!!   I do the Great Northern, call it "THE EMPIRE II LINE"   Byron F. Custer        Go For It !!!!   

[Camaro1967]

I don't understand why anyone would tell you that stainlesss was only good for battery power, and no good for track power.  That is just not true.  As a colleague of Capt Bob Johnson above I too have only stainless track. I use a Bridgeworks transformer, with Aristo Train Engineer control.  I also use Hillman railclamps at every joint.  Just to provide a little of measurement data. My large loop has only one power feed at the bottom end, there I measured 18.3 volts with a train running.  150 feet out at the far end of the loop, the voltage was 17.9.  An Aristo Mikado or SD45 shows no signs of any significant drop in voltage anywhere along the way.  Finally, I never have to clean the track on a regular, ie. weekly, basis llike the brass people do.  Two winters ago, I went away for two months. I came home, took the limbs off the track, swept the small stuff away, and was running trains. No Problem. 
Paul

[CB&Q3007]

WOW what a mixed review of which type of track is best!!!!

This reminds me of the great oil debate (real vs synthetic) over on the tractor board I am on.  Never a clear winner there.

So this seems to be more of a clean vs no clean track system thing then which is best.  Or did I miss something here??  I am glad I have not invested too much in track yet.  I have mostly brass (LGB Aristo) right now, but will be needing a lot more before I am done.

[RR Redneck]

Synthetic is the better oil, but back on topic, I have never had any conductivity problems (or anyone in my family on) on the family line and it is rather large, and recently redone completely with SS.

[Anonymous]

Hi Buck, I'm SRS 4501.  I too live in middle TN and planning my own garden RR with construction to start in the Spring.  Looks like you got more than you bargined for on what track is best.  As I haven't invested in track yet would be interested to hear what route you take.

If your willing, maybe we could meet sometime and compare notes.  Have you visited the Nashville Garden RR Socities display at 100 Oaks Mall yet?  If not you need to go.  They are open on week-ends and it is free to the public. 

Good luck on your project and would love to know how its going.