My first large layout after the small 4x8 I had in My bedroom was built in My Parents basement. Three level single track mainline with handlaid Brass code 100 on fiber ties, laid on Tru-Scale plain milled roadbed. I learned not to use any abrasive cleaner at all when cleaning. I only used Brasso on a soft cotton old tee shirt/socks to clean the rails. Apply to remove black oxidation and then buff when dry to a gold shine. Lasted abot 6 months and longer. Just about every old school Veteran will know about Brasso and what it was used for.
Couple of old photos from 1959, with an old Brownie:
Photos may be clicked on for larger view.
Time sure flies, when Your having fun.
Take Care!
Frank
My first HO scale layout was a 4'x8', with Atlas brass rail on fibre ties.
The problem with brass rails was that it didn't take long to oxidise, which then required cleaning the track using very fine sandpaper, wrapped around a piece of 2"x2" to remove the oxidation. Another option was to use a cloth, doused with Perchlorethylene (or another more dangerous liquid...the name of which now escapes me).
For locomotives and rolling stock, many also used brass wheels...on rolling stock , it wasn't much of an issue, but on locomotives, yup, they needed to be cleaned regularily too.
I was very thankful when nickel silver appeared on-scene...the only time I needed to clean it was after ballasting, as the diluted white glue often migrated to the rail tops.
Wayne
dknelson I have very old Atlas fibre tie track where the rails are clearly brass Code 100. I also recall when Atlas briefly had flex track with plastic ties but it was 2 ft long rather than the standard 3 ft. In common wit h the fibre tie track it could not really be called "flex" -- it was curvable but not easily curvable. And I also have some vague recollection that very very briefly Atlas offered their Code 100 plastic tie flex track 3 ft with brown ties as an alternative to black. Going way back not all "Code 100" seemed to be the same height although it should have been. There were slight variations. Dave Nelson
I have very old Atlas fibre tie track where the rails are clearly brass Code 100. I also recall when Atlas briefly had flex track with plastic ties but it was 2 ft long rather than the standard 3 ft. In common wit
h the fibre tie track it could not really be called "flex" -- it was curvable but not easily curvable.
And I also have some vague recollection that very very briefly Atlas offered their Code 100 plastic tie flex track 3 ft with brown ties as an alternative to black.
Going way back not all "Code 100" seemed to be the same height although it should have been. There were slight variations.
Dave Nelson
Yes, for just a few years there was brown code 100 flex, but the code 83 has never been black.
Sheldon
wvgca i still have fiber ties with steel rail , new in the box ...does that make me a certified old fart ?
i still have fiber ties with steel rail , new in the box ...does that make me a certified old fart ?
Well possibly. I still have some Tru-Scale track and Athearn and Varney metal freight cars.
Sherldon
BigDaddy Thanks Sheldon for clarifying the dates. Going back 60 years there was fiber ties and steel? track. It didn't look like today's nickel silver. Brass track still shows up at train shows. It never looked authentic, but cannot be mistaken for nickel silver.
Thanks Sheldon for clarifying the dates. Going back 60 years there was fiber ties and steel? track. It didn't look like today's nickel silver.
Brass track still shows up at train shows. It never looked authentic, but cannot be mistaken for nickel silver.
Yes, fiber ties with steel, then fiber ties with plastic.
Snap track showed up very early 50's, but Custom Line turnout kits were still fiber ties with brass rail for a while.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Hello All,
Thank you for the clarification.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
jjdamnit Hello All, No matter the Code, the material the rails are made from should be of greater concern. "Transition" track pieces are made to go from one to the other when needed. Brass has been superceeded by Nickle-Silver, which is available in more than just Code 83 or 100. For reliable operation, no matter the code, I would eschew the older brass in favor of more modern materials. Your previous post was in regards to a bridge span, is this query referencing that project or simply general knowledge? Hope this helps.
No matter the Code, the material the rails are made from should be of greater concern.
"Transition" track pieces are made to go from one to the other when needed.
Brass has been superceeded by Nickle-Silver, which is available in more than just Code 83 or 100.
For reliable operation, no matter the code, I would eschew the older brass in favor of more modern materials.
Your previous post was in regards to a bridge span, is this query referencing that project or simply general knowledge?
This is just general knowledge for my own benefit concerning my layout.
I wasn't sure when commercailly available code 83 showed up. All of what I have is black plastic ties.
Thanks for the responses
"Transition" track pieces are made to go from one track size to the other when needed.
Your previous post was in regards to a bridge span...
Micro Engineering HO 85' Deck Girder Bridge panels
Is this query referencing that project or something else?
No, Atlas code 83 has been around for 30 or so years. It may say on the back side of the ties which code it is. It may very well be code 100 however.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
If it has black plastic ties, it is code 100.
Atlas code 83 has always had brown ties.
Walthers introduced their first code 83 products in 1986.
Atlas sold ROCO code 83 from Austria starting in 1991 and introduced their own code 83 products about 1995.
When did Code 83 appear? I was active in the late 80's and I don't remember commercially available 83 but I could be wrong.
would be easiest to just mesure .. the metal part of the track / rail should be 0.100 inches high for code 100 .. whether brass or nickel silver
Not sure of the Atlas brand code personally, but all the flex track I had 50 years was brass and Code 100.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Would it be safe to assume that Atlas flex track from 30 or so years ago would have been code 100?