HO steel rail flextrack


I don't think there is flex with steel rail...There is separate steel rail you can hand lay if you can find it..
Nickel silver conducts fine...Only brass is a headache that way...
I have a bunch of steel Flex Track> I'll go out to my shed & see how many pieces I have.
 
Does anyone know a source of steel-rail flextrack?

Not seeking brass or nickel silver. I know steel rail doesn't conduct electric power worth a hoot. This is purely for the "silvery glint" appearance; conductivity doesn't matter in this application.View attachment 139078
I just checked what I have & there's 21 pieces & most of it is new. 3 ft flex. 2 pcs. are real rusty & one has a bunch of ties missing out of the middle. Do you still want it? 7-2-23
 

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Apparently that's steel code 40, advertised for "T"scale use: 1/450. At a length of just 500mm, it's certainly not cheap, but it might be available in larger quantities which could cut the cost. Never hurts to ask.

Now here's the grey area, IMO, and not for your static model purposes, but more generally, for actual MRRing use on a layout or module. Does it...could it...conduct electricity to locomotives better (or just better enough) than does N/S? Enough so that it might substantially improve electrical conductivity so that...I'm dreaming I know...so that you might not have to clean track at all? Or much at all? Wouldn't that be nice?

It's not my money, but if I did try it myself, I'd also try some of the common lubricants we use just to see if they made it even better. Wahl's hair clipper oil, etc.

One other thing to keep in mind: "Like metals" wear both more quickly than do one soft metal vs. one harder metal, in which case the softer metal wears more easily. If I had to choose, I'd go for the softer metal--N/S for example--on locomotive or (other) wheels, rather than the other way round. It's gonna be much easier to replace some locomotive wheels than it is to replace 1000' of track.

So why even bother trying it? 'Cause it's fun to see what works and what doesn't particularly when thinking outside the box. At least IMO.
 



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