Anybody still use brass track?

[Anonymous]

Hello,
I will be starting on a Ho scale latout soon. I had a 4x8 back in the 70`s sometime, so will be using the track from that, since it is all like new still, plus aditional pieces i have picked up on Ebay, and no doubt get more. The track will be brass, mostly Atlas. I havn`t been able to find anyplace other than ebay to buy brass track, since its no longer made. I plan on building at least a 4'x12' layout and use Digitrax Zepher DCC . Smart thing would be buy all new nickel silver, but had so much of the brass and bought more. Was just wondering if any of you folks still use brass or everyone switch to the "latest greatest thing"[;)] Thanks for any thoughts,

Gregg

[jwar]

As You..I returned to model railroading from the 70s. Being that I wanted to get up and running I used all my brass turnouts, 17 in all. However due to the brass tarnishing quicker then nickle silver track I went with NS for the main and used some old brass where I could easealy replace it. I still have about six or so brass turnouts in an unfinished yard and will change them out to pecos as I get to it.

You may want to go to NS track as soon as possable as your going with DCC, from what I have heard here DCC does not like dirty track and brass could be a head ache for you. I use Maas for cleaning NS and Brasso for the few brass turnouts I still have.

Dont get me wrong here, Im not the type of person that says " do it his way" but if you cant afford the NS for now, what the heck go for it to get up and running.

By the way..Welcome to the forum...lots af great talent here and best of all, loads of fantastic people. Enjoy your return to the hobbie....Take care John

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by OhioGregg
Atlas. I havn`t been able to find anyplace other than ebay to buy brass track, since its no longer made. I plan on building at least a 4'x12' layout and use Digitrax Zepher DCC . Smart thing would be buy all new nickel silver, but had so much of the brass and bought more. Was just wondering if any of you folks still use brass or everyone switch to the "latest greatest thing"[;)]

I've been using nickel-silver track since around 1965, so I don't think it qualifies as the latest greatest thing. The reason the industry has moved in the nickel-silver direction is because of the electrical conduction through oxidation issue. It is supposedly much easier to keep clean than brass. However if one reads all the threads on track cleaning issues, I am beginning to doubt it. I do think the newer “poli***he-rail” school of thought for clean track will work even better for the brass. Some also prefer how it looks, but most people paint it anyway…. A final FYI, nickel-silver is named so because of its color not its composition. It is really brass. You can mix them with no electrolysis issues.

But, to directly answer your question: Yes, still use it from time to time. My locomotive test loop and tracks are brass. A few modular units have brass track. As you notice it is getting harder and harder to find so I mix them often. I had been trying to collect enough to make one more complete layout with it and use all my reserves up, but will probably never have another small layout so have given up. So, I do have quite a collection of new Atlas brass track pieces. I was just thinking about putting them on ebay if you are interested. Or maybe the opposite perhaps you’ve changed your mind and would sell me what you have to add to mine and be enough to make a large layout???

I actually like the color the brass track ages to without painting it.

[Janafam]

To some people brass is a familiar product and they prefer it. I have found NS is more foregiving on DCC. Yes, it needs to be cleaned but I don't seem to see the grit buildup that I did on brass.

[Anonymous]

Gregg,

Welcome to the forum.

I don't want to step on any toes here but if you are returning to the hobby there have been some advances in the last 30 years. Nickel silver track is one of them. The reason you can't find brass track anymore is because it is obsolete!!!! Nickel silver is much better. When it oxidizes, the oxidation will conduct electricity. When brass oxidizes, it won't conduct electricity. Conductivity is the key to a railroad that operates well. When you ballast and paint the track, you will have enough issues in this area without adding to your problems by using brass track.

All track needs to be cleaned from time to time. Brass much more than nickel silver. There are all sorts of opinions on how to clean track but there is a pretty uniform consensus among modelers about the superiority of nickel silver.

When you consider how much time you will spend building a layout and how much you will invest in the hobby, to cheap out on the track makes no sense. By using brass you will be sentencing yourself to endless track cleaning and hours of frustration trying to reach awkward places and replacing/repairing scenery from constant cleaning.

Use the brass for displays etc.......

My two cents,

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Anybody still use brass track?

No, you want sone? Email me and I'll send you a bunch.

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

QUOTE: Anybody still use brass track?

No, you want sone? Email me and I'll send you a bunch.

Chip,
Where did you get brass track? I thought you just started a year ago with the hogwarts deal. Am I thinking of someone else?

[cacole]

Track cleaning and corrosion issues aside, the main reason that brass track fell out of favor is appearance -- real rail is not brass nor is it brass colored. Nickel silver looks more like steel and is thus more realistic.

Brass is still used extensively for G scale railroads today, but there are other alloys added to retard corrosion and give the brass a lighter tint than the old HO scale brass track.

[roadrat]

As long as you do regular track cleaning, I don't think you will have any problems but you definitly want to run a power buss with lots of feeders for the DCC.
I won't be using any brass on my new layout but I am going to build a small roundy/round for my son with some old brass stuff I have laying around.


bill

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Texas Zepher

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

QUOTE: Anybody still use brass track?

No, you want sone? Email me and I'll send you a bunch.

Chip,
Where did you get brass track? I thought you just started a year ago with the hogwarts deal. Am I thinking of someone else?

I got some frrom eBay in a "lot" and our club has way too much. No one wants it. They tried to give it to me, but I already new better.

[Paul W. Beverung]

I've got brass, nickel sliver and even some steel on my layout. The steel is in a yard and easy to get to to clean. At least when it rusts it looks good but is hard to keep clean. Thebrass is in varies locations and some of it is 50yrs old. I clean it at the same time as the nickel silver and find that it does just fine. I have dc controll so don't know about how it would work on DCC. My new layout will haf code 70 so it will be nickel silver.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the responses,

After reading all the responses, I have come to the conclusion that no matter what type you use, the main thing is to keep it clean! Even if it was made of gold! [:)] If I was starting fresh, I would use NS, but since I have so much brass allready and its still available second hand Im gonna stick with it. I will ballast the track, but not paint it. The looks of the brass is fine with me. I will make a lot of connections from a bus wire though. That seems to be a big priority that has changed since I was in this hobby breifly in the 70`s.
Thanks again for all the responses.
Gregg

[mrgstrain]

Still useing brass and dc. Also after being absent from the hobby for some time, after a work accident for therapy i started my layout about a year & a half ago. I have no prblems with keeping it clean or with oxidation, but my environment it well controled.

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

QUOTE: Anybody still use brass track?
No, you want sone? Email me and I'll send you a bunch.
Chip i might send you an e-mail

Larry

[Leon Silverman]

A co-worker of mine asked me how long nickel silver rail has been around and I told him at least 50 years since I used it to build my first layout in the late 50's. How long has code 70 and code 83 size rail been readily available in commercially manufactured track?

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Leon Silverman
How long has code 70 and code 83 size rail been readily available in commercially manufactured track?

Code 70 and 55 have been around as long as long as I can remember (early 1960's) from both Shinohara and Tru-Scale. Code 83 is a fairly new arrival. Seems like Atlas/Roco had some and Walthers introduced theirs in 1984? Then came the Rivarossi & straight Atlas, and finally Peco just last year. The first mention of it I can find of code-83 in the magazine index is 1985.

[Texas Zepher]

QUOTE: Originally posted by OhioGregg
I will ballast the track, but not paint it. The looks of the brass is fine with me.

I actually like the look of aged brass rail. NS always looked too shiny, which is why I paint.

QUOTE: I will make a lot of connections from a bus wire though. That seems to be a big priority that has changed since I was in this hobby breifly in the 70`s.

That was one of the big topics at a command control seminar I went to years ago. On their demo tracks they used old ratty brass track specifically to make a point that it actually conducts elecricity better than the nickel silver colored brass stuff. I can't imagine that it really makes that much difference until one starts getting 100's of feet from a feeder.

[Leon Silverman]

Thanks for the info, Tex.