I don't know if the advantages or disadvantages of brass, nickle silver, or steel alloy track are really going to show themselves by running a train now and then on 3 foot sections.
All three types of track have been over the years been given very extensive and thorough opportunities to show their attributes in fair comparisons on large and well maintained model railroads in all sorts of conditions.
Dave Nelson
I can see people rationalizing not replacing brass track that was already installed or because they got it cheap.
I can't see where there's an argument that brass track is better at conductivity, is easier to maintain, or looks as realistic as N-S. Brass corrodes so that it doesn't conduct electricity as well, while N-S's corrosion is limited and conductive. Brass isn't available in code 83 or 70, which many modellers prefer for a more realistic profile.
Now if you're just arguing about your right to use brass, go for it. But as others have noted, the market has spoken. Brass is cheap, because most consumers realize N-S's superior performance is worth the extra cost. The brass track market is flooded with used track, which does make it a good value, until you factor in the elbow grease required to maintain it.
Me, I just prefer to spend my time building models, rather than cleaning track or putting up with the irritations of brass.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
If you want the best track, perform the following test:
1- Obtain a 3 foot section of each type.
2- Clean both with the same bright-boy cleaning block.
3- Run the same loco back and forth on each three times.
4- Store both in the same place in the same orientation with the rails up for six months.
5- After that time, perform step number 3 and then decide which track is best.
No cheating. No track dusting or cleaning with ANYTHING. Just hook up the power and run the loco. You should clean the loco wheels before you start, and between each track test.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
wjstix eaglescout: It is like the what is best? Ford or Chevy? Well...yes it would be like that if say 99.9% of people bought Fords and 1/10th of 1% drove Chevys, and every car magazine and TV show pointed out that Chevys were known to have serious faults that made them difficult to keep running properly.
eaglescout: It is like the what is best? Ford or Chevy?
It is like the what is best? Ford or Chevy?
Well...yes it would be like that if say 99.9% of people bought Fords and 1/10th of 1% drove Chevys, and every car magazine and TV show pointed out that Chevys were known to have serious faults that made them difficult to keep running properly.
And you ignore the imports being better than both.
But hey I thought this was a model trains forum - why are we talking about cars and trucks?
Most of us use what we're comfortable with. We don't change until it's not available or something is demonstrated to be better - at least for us.
In the case of brass, nickel silver and steel all 3 can work, but availability of brass and steel is way down with a few exceptions (mostly large scale and 3 rail O gauge). So for practical purposes the market place has largely settled on nickel silver.
Enjoy
Paul
If you are a die-hard brass user, happy with it, and ecstatic that the hobby assigns little value to it. Why on earth would you want to ruin this perception so that the used market for this track goes through the roof?
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
megh...
I use both...yards in brass, mainline in nickle silver...both work fine by me.
Some people get wrapped around the axle all too easily about things like this...
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
eaglescout It is like the what is best? Ford or Chevy?
Thanks for reminding me I need to break out the CMX car and clean my track this weekend....
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Then there's steel track. Hey, the real thing uses steel.....
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I had to chuckle when a comment was made on the "Buying Track" thread on brass track still being a good alternative to nickel track. Then the inevitable anti-brass comments started. This argument has played out at least a couple of times since I started on this forum a year or so ago.
It is like the what is best? Ford or Chevy? You will never convince me that nickel is better and I will never convince you that brass is fine to use. So, those new folks trying to make the decision can either look up the old threads on "brass track" or we can relist all the pros and cons of each type.