Identifying Old Rail

[Attuvian]

I've got about 80 feet of used Code 100 flex that I snatched up years ago.  Maybe 25 or 30 years ago, before I took a two decade hiatus from the hobby.  Can't recall the source, but it may have been bins at an LHS or two.

About half has stapled fiberboard ties, the rest of the sticks are Atlas and a virtually identical "Made in Austria" item with black plastic ties.  All but one stick is unpainted.  One of them is very obviously brass.  The rest are uniformly lighter, virtually identical to other nickle silver stuff that I have - except for its grubbiness.  Can I be confident that the used stuff is NS?  I'm thinking of saving a few bucks and using the best of it for semi-hidden staging and tunnel runs on my new layout (which otherwise will be Code 83).

Thanks,

John 

[rrinker]

 The fiber tie stuff is almost certainly brass. That's some OLD track there. Problem with that is with any modern technique of 'wetting' ballast and applying dilute white glue to secure it will cause the fiber to curl up and alter the gauge. 

 The "made in Austria" is most likely Atlas/Roco - and that would be code 83. The first Atlas Code 83 was made for them by Roco, it was the later (and current) stuff that they started making for themselves. That would definitely be NS.

                                 --Randy

 

[Attuvian]

rrinker

 The fiber tie stuff is almost certainly brass. That's some OLD track there. Problem with that is with any modern technique of 'wetting' ballast and applying dilute white glue to secure it will cause the fiber to curl up and alter the gauge. 

 The "made in Austria" is most likely Atlas/Roco - and that would be code 83. The first Atlas Code 83 was made for them by Roco, it was the later (and current) stuff that they started making for themselves. That would definitely be NS.

                                 --Randy

Thanks, Randy.

Upon closer inspection, all the track made in Austia says Atlas and is cast with the number 168, the part number for their Code 100 NS.  But some of the sticks with plastic ties say "GT - Italy".  Gran Tourismo it certainly is not.  Whereas the Atlas/Rocco is super-flex, with under-tie gaps every other tie on alternating sides, the Italian stuff has gaps every other tie on one side only and is at least (and perhaps fittingly) al dente, if not exactly stiff.  The Italian has tie widths of .116" and rail height around .103".  The Atlas has tie widths of .135 and runs just less than .101 in height on my micrometer.  Except for that one piece of obvious brass, unpainted rail color is the same for all, including the fiber-tied stuff.

We're probably splitting hairs anyway, at least from a practical standpoint anyway: I'm inclined to chuck it all.  As giving away my age.  My closest LHS has some pretty marginal stuff in their bargain closet, but I doubt they'd take this collection. 

John

  

[DSchmitt]

Acording to posters on another forum GT track was sold in th US by Model Power. They say it is good nickle silver track but stiff   

It is also discussed here and appears to be liked by those who have used it.       http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/184953.aspx

 

 

[SouthPenn]

What I would be concerned with are the dimensions of the rail. When I switched from code 100 to code 83 I bought Atlas. As I progress I bought more Atlas and got a surprise. Not only were the ties different dimensions, so were the rail.

Since then I've used MicroEngineering, Walthers (Shinohara), and Atlas. Each one has different dimensions for the rail, even though they are all code 83. And the Peco switches are slightly different than all the rest. 

I keep a small amount of different rail connectors on hand to try to get the best possible fit. It's a pain in the rump. 

Using rail from different decades and different makers could be a nightmare trying to achieve smooth, good running track.

[maxman]

SouthPenn

What I would be concerned with are the dimensions of the rail. When I switched from code 100 to code 83 I bought Atlas. As I progress I bought more Atlas and got a surprise. Not only were the ties different dimensions, so were the rail. Since then I've used MicroEngineering, Walthers (Shinohara), and Atlas. Each one has different dimensions for the rail, even though they are all code 83.

I'm not sure what you mean by all the code 83 rail having "different" dimensions.  By defiinition, code 83 rail should be 0.083 inches high.  That would be the rail itself, not including the ties.

So far as the Atlas code 100 and code 83 having different height rail, well, yes, code 100 is 0.100 high, and code 83 would be 0.083 high, so there should be a difference.  Regarding the Atlas ties, Atlas in their infinite wisdom had made the code 83 ties taller than the code 100 ties.  So if you butted a piece of code 83 to a code 100, the tops of the rail would be even without any step from one to the other.  At least it was this way the last time I checked.  Maybe they have changed this.

[zstripe]

I also don't believe the fiber tie rail will swell up when using ballast (any type) cement. My whole layout in the 50's was Atlas code 100 hand layed with Atlas fiber tie strip and nevr had any problems with it........it just did not have any type detail to it. It was very hard to stick a spike in it without a pre-drilled hole. The Atlas fiber tie strips for laying Your own track had the spike holes already in it. Came in boxes of 25ft. rolls....track came in 99ft. bundles.

A 1959 photo....I was 17 yrs. old then:

If you click on the photos you will get a larger view.......then look at the Ulrich truck going up the hill.....and see if you can make out what's in it? Two Athearn Hi-F motors, commonly referred to as rubber band drive motors.

Take Care! 

Frank

[BroadwayLion]

Strip the ties off of the older rails, especiall the brass, you can use that stuff for guard rails or other wayside projects.

(Or you can put it in a box and send it to the LION, and him will make guard rails for his elevated subway lines.

 

ROAR

[Attuvian]

BroadwayLion

Strip the ties off of the older rails, especiall the brass, you can use that stuff for guard rails or other wayside projects.

(Or you can put it in a box and send it to the LION, and him will make guard rails for his elevated subway lines.

 

ROAR

 

If LION is truly inclined, him can send Attuvian a message and them can maybe work something out.

Attuvian

Meow

[SouthPenn]

maxman

 

SouthPenn

What I would be concerned with are the dimensions of the rail. When I switched from code 100 to code 83 I bought Atlas. As I progress I bought more Atlas and got a surprise. Not only were the ties different dimensions, so were the rail. Since then I've used MicroEngineering, Walthers (Shinohara), and Atlas. Each one has different dimensions for the rail, even though they are all code 83.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by all the code 83 rail having "different" dimensions.  By defiinition, code 83 rail should be 0.083 inches high.  That would be the rail itself, not including the ties.

So far as the Atlas code 100 and code 83 having different height rail, well, yes, code 100 is 0.100 high, and code 83 would be 0.083 high, so there should be a difference.  Regarding the Atlas ties, Atlas in their infinite wisdom had made the code 83 ties taller than the code 100 ties.  So if you butted a piece of code 83 to a code 100, the tops of the rail would be even without any step from one to the other.  At least it was this way the last time I checked.  Maybe they have changed this. 

 

Yes, the rail height is 0.083. But the tie thickness makes getting the rail joints to be smooth a pain. Also, the bottom of the rail ( foot? ) are different widths and thickness. Sometimes this makes finding a coupler that works right almost impossible. 

["JaBear"]

Attuvian

We're probably splitting hairs anyway, at least from a practical standpoint anyway

Yes, and fine hairs at that!!!!

Attuvian

I'm inclined to chuck it all.