Nickle silver rail color


PowrCab said:
Selector and others,
I've stated that a full sized club here in L.A. has all hand laid steel rail and is my sworn testimony that they have little to no problems with it....
Yes, it will rust. But what little I've seen there is not during a 'prepped' open house, but on an off night visit here and there over decades..
They own the entire house right in a suburban neighborhood with crossbucks on the lawn...with only a screen door to enter in the warm weather..
From there you're essentially in what was the living room (and still is, but with assorted members sittin' around smilin' and waving you in.)..
From there you go thru and step down a few stairs into the layout room where all this glorious steel rail, trains, and scenery fan out in front of you !
I'll watch guys run from up in what used to be analog cab controlling in 6-7 small booths above..They've gone all DCC now. Cabs might stay....
Sometimes I've brought my own power and ran it there..usually starting at lower yard down on floor with separate roll-out giant panel (to accommodate narrow aisle way)..Very cool !! When someone goes behind you you merely roll 'er in a few inches, then back it out...
Any road (as Ringo would say) I say this only give you a feel for the grand size of the layout and room, and that with all of it it is non-problematic, great looking, steel rail.
Look, we know it rusts... But the amount, if train room is kept dry, is near zilch....
As I might have said, if there were decent priced steel flex I'd go to it in a heart beat.. Especially with the growing popularity of 'shelf/around the walls' layouts where sanding a little rust here and there (if at all) would be a cinch, to boot...
Modelers pushed and pushed for knuckle couplers after decades of the goofy stuff..and got em'. Then we wanted and pushed for independence-of- loco control other than via analog blocks, and we go it...We got the very problematic brass finally replaced with NS rail offered...
There are a great many very serious modelers out there who still want even more realistic commercial track..
To me, at least, a return to steel rail would be the answer to that, as, again, plastic (delryn) ties would end the nuisance of the old metal spike against steel, the way most rust took hold back then; that, and with the likelihood the separate wood ties or Tru-Scale wood roadbed holding moisture enough to ignite the problem, if you will..
A 'sea change' like this could/would be a boon to the hobby; getting the real, gray, burnished-shiny-atop, not amber, not orange, blue-gray steel rail, same as the 1:1 boys !!
Anyone agree, disagree ? Either way, curious to what you think....
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I received this earlier today, think it is relevant to what we were discussing about steel rails.

**NEW PRODUCT** Legacy Flat-Bottomed Track

mailchi.mp
 
Our British friends do suffer with incorrect rail spacing for their "Double O" scale. I can see why they would want to make it appear more prototypical but their tie (sleeper) spacing that "looks better" for OO is too wide for us in HO. Give me a minute and I'll find another nit to pick.
 
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Dan Lawler said:
Our British friends do suffer with incorrect rail spacing for their "Double O" scale. I can see why they would want to make it appear more prototypical but their tie spacing that "looks better" for OO is too wide for us in HO. Give me a minute and I'll find another nit to pick.
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I was referring to the way they are making the rails themselves, the ties, they've been wrong from year dot.
 
I wish one of the major manufacturers of HO track would produce code 100 and code 83 flextrack with that steel(ish) rail. I think if they play with the metallurgy they can get it flexible enough. If I'm really dreamin' I could stand to see the sides of the rails pre-painted too.
 
Dan Lawler said:
I wish one of the major manufacturers of HO track would produce code 100 and code 83 flextrack with that steel(ish) rail. I think if they play with the metallurgy they can get it flexible enough. If I'm really dreamin' I could stand to see the sides of the rails pre-painted too.
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Dan, you know Rome wasn't built in a day right?
 
I've used n/s track, flex and otherwise, for years without problem. Matter of fact, I'm still using brass rail track in some yards and for a couple of double-slip switches (left over from when I was a kid!). I live in a dry climate area, and don't experience much problem with corrosion, dirt, etc. on either. When I do need to clean the rails I use Wahl's Clipper oil, sparingly. It is conductive and doesn't pick up crud. My n/s rail does not look coppery, only my copper rails. You want steel rails, go ahead. Get a pipe bender and hand lay them. Whatever floats your boat.
 
PowrCab said:
Selector and others,
I've stated that a full sized club here in L.A. has all hand laid steel rail and is my sworn testimony that they have little to no problems with it....
Yes, it will rust. But what little I've seen there is not during a 'prepped' open house, but on an off night visit here and there over decades..
They own the entire house right in a suburban neighborhood with crossbucks on the lawn...with only a screen door to enter in the warm weather..
From there you're essentially in what was the living room (and still is, but with assorted members sittin' around smilin' and waving you in.)..
From there you go thru and step down a few stairs into the layout room where all this glorious steel rail, trains, and scenery fan out in front of you !
I'll watch guys run from up in what used to be analog cab controlling in 6-7 small booths above..They've gone all DCC now. Cabs might stay....
Sometimes I've brought my own power and ran it there..usually starting at lower yard down on floor with separate roll-out giant panel (to accommodate narrow aisle way)..Very cool !! When someone goes behind you you merely roll 'er in a few inches, then back it out...
Any road (as Ringo would say) I say this only give you a feel for the grand size of the layout and room, and that with all of it it is non-problematic, great looking, steel rail.
Look, we know it rusts... But the amount, if train room is kept dry, is near zilch....
As I might have said, if there were decent priced steel flex I'd go to it in a heart beat.. Especially with the growing popularity of 'shelf/around the walls' layouts where sanding a little rust here and there (if at all) would be a cinch, to boot...
Modelers pushed and pushed for knuckle couplers after decades of the goofy stuff..and got em'. Then we wanted and pushed for independence-of- loco control other than via analog blocks, and we go it...We got the very problematic brass finally replaced with NS rail offered...
There are a great many very serious modelers out there who still want even more realistic commercial track..
To me, at least, a return to steel rail would be the answer to that, as, again, plastic (delryn) ties would end the nuisance of the old metal spike against steel, the way most rust took hold back then; that, and with the likelihood the separate wood ties or Tru-Scale wood roadbed holding moisture enough to ignite the problem, if you will..
A 'sea change' like this could/would be a boon to the hobby; getting the real, gray, burnished-shiny-atop, not amber, not orange, blue-gray steel rail, same as the 1:1 boys !!
Anyone agree, disagree ? Either way, curious to what you think....
Click to expand...
Prototype rail rusts. I wonder if there is a chemical process that would speed up putting a thin coat of real rust on steel HO rail. There must be an industrial process that would then polish the rail tops. Once laid I think metal wheel trucks would keep them polished. I would consider flextrack made with plastic ties and that kind of rail to be a premium product, and would be willing to pay more for it.
 
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I started using ME weathered track. It's a little darker than normal but a lot easier then painting the nickel silver. You will have to fine sand the acid solution of the top of the rail if you want a shiny rail top. Here's a photo of the rail at a soldered rail joint. George

ME_Rail_12.jpg
 
Smudge617 said:
Micro Engineering, a type of very fine proto typical track rail made by Walthers.
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It's made by Micro Engineering not Walthers. The trouble is they may be going out of business. Some vendors still have the track in stock but not many. They also sell the acid solution if you want to weather your own track. It's on the dark side but it does look good. I recently bought 36 sections to finish up my build back better layout project. George
 
NYC_George said:
It's made by Micro Engineering not Walthers. The trouble is they may be going out of business. Some vendors still have the track in stock but not many. They also sell the acid solution if you want to weather your own track. It's on the dark side but it does look good. I recently bought 36 sections to finish up my build back better layout project. George
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Sorry, my bad 🙃
 
NYC_George said:
It's made by Micro Engineering not Walthers. The trouble is they may be going out of business. Some vendors still have the track in stock but not many. They also sell the acid solution if you want to weather your own track. It's on the dark side but it does look good. I recently bought 36 sections to finish up my build back better layout project. George
Click to expand...
Oh! Is that why Alcomotive, can't find any #5e ladders, you got 'em. 🤣
 
NYC_George said:
It's made by Micro Engineering not Walthers. The trouble is they may be going out of business. Some vendors still have the track in stock but not many. They also sell the acid solution if you want to weather your own track. It's on the dark side but it does look good. I recently bought 36 sections to finish up my build back better layout project. George
Click to expand...
Is this just rail or a track assembly with ties?
 
I did notice the other day I do have some N/S track fading to a dull shine, looks to be in between brass and N/S in appearance…
 
Central Valley has rail stock and turnout kits. They tend to be for those who want more realism and are meant for the smaller tire profiles such as those found on Proto 87 rolling stock.

Micro Engineering is highly regarded by many in the hobby. It's just that their plain flex track is finnicky to get into a nice constant curve, and their weathered variety is very difficult to manage. Their turnouts, of which I am using five in their #5 yard ladder system, are very nice.
 
Selector said:
Central Valley has rail stock and turnout kits. They tend to be for those who want more realism and are meant for the smaller tire profiles such as those found on Proto 87 rolling stock.

Micro Engineering is highly regarded by many in the hobby. It's just that their plain flex track is finnicky to get into a nice constant curve, and their weathered variety is very difficult to manage. Their turnouts, of which I am using five in their #5 yard ladder system, are very nice.
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Alcomotive is looking for the ME Ladder Track Code 83 #5e Last Ladder - LH, but bugger if he or I can find one anywhere, I've checked all the UK suppliers, and I'm now looking in the rest of Europe for one, code 83 #5's I can find, but not the #5e???
 
Selector said:
Central Valley has rail stock and turnout kits. They tend to be for those who want more realism and are meant for the smaller tire profiles such as those found on Proto 87 rolling stock.

Micro Engineering is highly regarded by many in the hobby. It's just that their plain flex track is finnicky to get into a nice constant curve, and their weathered variety is very difficult to manage. Their turnouts, of which I am using five in their #5 yard ladder system, are very nice.
Click to expand...
Your right Crandell very finnicky but you get the hang of it after a couple tries.
 
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