# Aristo SS track owners



## RIrail (May 5, 2008)

Hi all, 
I recently had the opportunity to purchase Aristocraft stainless steel track (yes @ Ridge Road, too bad about them closing). I would like to know your experiences with the following: 

1. cleaning (scotchbrite work or just brush off debris) 

2. durability (withstand being stepped on, UV sunlight, cold winters, heavy snow) 

3. any signs of rust (on rail or rail connectors) 

4. rail clamps used (type brass, SS, plated, brand) 

5. any build up of non conducting grime from arcing, plating from metal wheels or mother nature 

6. are you happy you spent the extra $$$ to go with stainless steel? 

Thanks you for your participation 

Steve


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve, 

I've been using stainless for 7 years outside. 

1. cleaning (scotchbrite work or just brush off debris) 
I bought an aristo track cleaning car for debris removal. I put some smoke fluid on the pad and just run it around a few times. Normally, this cleans up anything on the track that might cause a problem. 


2. durability (withstand being stepped on, UV sunlight, cold winters, heavy snow) 
My 3 year old steps on the track fairly often, seems OK. The key is to have a good base. I have notices some kinks where I ran over the track with the wheelbarrow carrying 500 lb loads of stone. 


3. any signs of rust (on rail or rail connectors) 
Nope. 

4. rail clamps used (type brass, SS, plated, brand) 
I used some hillman rail clamps. I've been planning to try the aristo clamps as I feel the way they work should give a better electrical connection. Otherwise, I just use the aristo track screws. 

5. any build up of non conducting grime from arcing, plating from metal wheels or mother nature 
I use the track cleaning car mentioned above to combat this. 

6. are you happy you spent the extra $$$ to go with stainless steel? 
Every time I use my railroad, I am happy that I spent the money. I capitalized on the rrs sale, too.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

AND another thank you to Mark for giving me a heads upabout RRS sale on track. If they had more I'd have bought more. As it was I placed 3 separate orders last December with them. I also have another brand of SS track but to date I've not really used any of my hoarded track for anything more than a temporary layout here and there for the Cub Scouts or at the holidays. 

Stepping on with either brand has not been an issue. Cleaning in my lmiited capacity has not been required yet. No signs of rust on either brand. I plan to use as many railclamps as I can afford when I do set up a permanent layout. Otherise I may be relying on the OEM connectors for both brands. So far I thik the most "buildup" has been from running my ruby on it and that wipes off basically with a clean rag. 

The other brand I have is from A-line or TDV and is currently marketed by H&R trains in Florida. It is about the same price as Aristocraft currently. I cannot speak to the current UV resistance of the ties though as the track I have is old stock. I can say that Aristocraft tie strips work on it though. The big diifference is that the connectors are spot weld onto the rails not just crimped on and they are placed opposite LGB & Aristocrafts standard. Not a big deal they can be removed pretty easily with a screwdriver and pliers. 

TO date I have no experience with Train-lLi's track products other than I purchased a rail bender from him some time back that I hope to use soon! IF you can figure out the search function there are a few nice tidbits of information that Axel has posted about his findings on Stainless vs Brass vs Aluminum vs Nickel. 

Greg Elmassion has a nice website with a ton of this information catalogged as well. Check it out. 

Chas 


As to regrets. I cannot say I have any? Of course I've rarely paid full price for the track I have myself.


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I have about half stainless steel on my pike, and I have to say that most of the time I don't see a very big difference. I'm not sure why it is: it must depend very much on local conditions. Maybe a slight advantage to stainless, but not a big difference


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I have all SS after dealing with brass it is very nice not to have to clean the track per sa. During the spring when the sap from the trees starts then I meed to clean the track. After that condition is gone I rarely need to clean the track. 
I have steped on mine with no ill effect. It is very durable. Later RJD


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## RIrail (May 5, 2008)

Thank you Mark, Chas, Lownote and RJD for your responses. Mark I appreciate the details, are the clamps that you use brass or SS? RJD I know you have had your SS rail for awhile, is your SS rail still rust free and what type of clamps do you use? 
Lownote what do you use for clamps? I use to always read your posts about your experiences but then they got fewer and fewer, I guess one can get burnt out posting but I wanted to let you know I appreciated them. 
Some of the reasons I have asked these questions is for fifteen +years I collected brass track until I finally had enough to start a layout. Sure enough as I started ground breaking stainless steel track came out. Wow no cleaning due to oxidation, durable but expensive. 
I wanted to go DCC though the rail with pc control and was worried about constant track cleaning. The few "local" G scale enthusiasts around said the Rhode Island area was good for two things, growing rocks and battery power. 
I figured I would never be able to afford SS. Then Ridge Road had its sale (sad about the reason). I made the difficult decision (financially) to replace all my never yet laid brass with stainless steel thinking that this is the best you can get, do it right the first time, spend more now and enjoy it more later. 
I plan on laying track when the two feet of snow melts which probably won't be until May at this point. I have brass Hillman rail clamps and thought I could use them on the SS but have recently read some info that the Hillmans brass will not fit the SS! Then I read a post of someone starting to experience rust! 
So this poll is an attempt to gather some history on stainless steel track. What has worked for others? What do I need for clamps? Did I make the right decision to go stainless steel? That last question only time and myself can determine. 
Hopefully I'll get some more responses. 

Thanks 
Steve


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By RIrail on 13 Feb 2011 09:18 PM 
Hi all, 
I recently had the opportunity to purchase Aristocraft stainless steel track (yes @ Ridge Road, too bad about them closing). I would like to know your experiences with the following: 

1. cleaning (scotchbrite work or just brush off debris) 
>>>> I use scotchbrite, since squished ants and other organic debris can occur. If I did not have 3.4% grades, I would probably never even do this. 

2. durability (withstand being stepped on, UV sunlight, cold winters, heavy snow) 
>>> strong, stronger than anything else, what happens depends on how heavy you are, and what your roadbed is. UV? Well Aristo is famous for having "batches" of track that rot quickly. Just some isolated batches, but I spray with armorall every 6 months, makes a huge difference, keeps the ties black and flexible. Cold winters and heavy snow do not exist in San Diego. 

3. any signs of rust (on rail or rail connectors) 
>>> Yep, some surface rust in some places sometimes, does not pit the track. Also, if you get an iron-rich fertilizer on the rails you can stain them like rust. 

4. rail clamps used (type brass, SS, plated, brand) 
>>> I only use Split Jaw SS clamps. Brass hillmans worked ok, but bras oxidizes. The stock SS joiners were crap, did not align rails well, poor conductivity. 

5. any build up of non conducting grime from arcing, plating from metal wheels or mother nature 
>>> I get carbon buildup after a while and that, combined with humidity and dead plankton(I live near the ocean) can make a greasy black deposit, easily wiped off in one pass with a "Swiffer"... again would not do this except for 3.4% grades, and long trains. 

6. are you happy you spent the extra $$$ to go with stainless steel? 
>>> **** yes, every time I run trains.. On lap around the layout with a sweeper car for leaves and the Bridgemasters "scotchbrite" car and I am good to go. 

Thanks you for your participation 

Steve


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## RIrail (May 5, 2008)

Hi Greg, good info. I was hoping to hear from you. Do you think the surface rust is just that or do you think over time it might penetrate the rail? 

thanks 
Steve


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Has not penetrated the rail in 9 years... I'd say you are safe. Now, realize that Aristo is low cost track, so you will find the occasional flawed piece, but I've never had to take a section out of service. 

I forgot to mention, if you ties do have a problem, they will send you new tie strips for free. You have to take apart the old track and put the old rails in your new ties, but at least there is a lifetime warranty. 

Regards, Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Steve: 

I have a complete mix of clamps--some Hillmann brass, some split jaw in brass and some in stainless, some aristo clamps and some of the SanVal clamps, which are the ugliest but very solid. I even still have a few joints with the old Aristo tiny screw joints. Hillman brass will fit aristo stainless in my experience. I use antisieze compound from the auto parts store in all the joints. 

I really don't know why I don't see a big difference with stainless, but I don't. I was very surprised. 

There's no reason to regret stainless, in my opinion. At worst it will be the same as brass, and for most people it seems to be much better. It's harder to cit and harder to bend, but it's also more durable. If you paint the sides it look much more like steel rail. 

As to clamps, I think the split jaws are the most solid. But I like the convenience of the clamps that tighten from the top, like the ones Train-li sells 

Good luck! 

PS also I simply have never understood the hype about track cleaning. Once I got reliable joints, track cleaning became mostly a minor chore, just running a track cleaning car around. I like the bridge masters car, with a green scotchbrite pad on it. I find clearing the track of sticks, leaves, debris much more of a chore than actual rail cleaning. Some seasons I need to clean the rail more than others, and every now and then I have to work a little to clean the tracks in my car barn, which doesn't get regular track cleaner traffic. Other than that it's kind of a non-issue


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Steve, 

I have both brass and stainless clamps. I have about 12 rail clamps for my railroad. Mostly, I use them where I feed power to the track. The teeny aristo screws and fish plates have served me well, but where I have switches and other complicated track work, I would prefer to have the aristo clamps. A friend uses them, and I like the way the screw heads rub against the rail head. It would seem that the mechanical rubbing of that screw against the toe of the rail would help the electrical connection as well. I have noticed that I get dirt in the Hillman rail clamps, even when tight. Not really sure how that happens. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. WHen I measure the voltage along my railroad, I get very consistent values. 

On the other hand, what Mike says is also true. Cleaning the track does not take all that much time. And that is really a matter of personal preference. For me, it was a 30-45 minute chore that I simply didn't have the time for. And now with 2 small kids, I really don't have the time to clean off 500 feet of track to run a train. However, I am planning to build a layout using 4' diameter curves for my son later this year using the brass track I have on hand. I am planning to use the aristo rail clamps to set that up, so that should cut down on my electrical 'challenges' I had in the past using LGB slip joiners.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I agree with lownote, I spend more time getting 6" leaves and junk off my rails than cleaning the rails themselves. 

I make one lap with the sweeper and scotchbrite, checking the operation of switches as I walk one circuit of the track (all switches are remote controlled). 

It certainly is no more than a battery powered person has to do, you have to at least inspect the mainline to see if anything is on the tracks. 

Regards, Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

RIrail: I use a mixture of brass and SS rail clamps all spit jaw. Have had good results using both. I to run the track cleaning car when I operate the track broom to remove debris. Might as well no harm and you kill two birds with one stone. As mentioned once I get by spring the track cleaning car sits. I have notice very slight areas of surface rust but nothing to be concerned about. Seeing how we had a unusual bad winter I did not run trains for a month but went right out with out cleaning track and ran trains all day. Later RJD


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## post oak and otter lake (Dec 27, 2007)

1. cleaning: 2 passes of Aristo Track cleaning car works for me, sometimes a nylon scrubbee to get the Little Critter moving 

2. durability: mine is on a raised platform 

3. any signs of rust: yes, not much 

4. rail clamps used: Aristo type brass both styles 

5. any build up of non conducting grime: none noticed. Conductivity will be less of a concern as the locomotive rooster becomes all battery. 

6. are you happy you spent the extra $$$ to go with stainless steel? NO, I bought 5 switches at the Las Vegas NGR convention with plans to convert my track to SS as I expanded, then the price shot up out of range. My expansion was completed in brass with 4 SS switches [I sold my wye to a fellow club member. 


Roger 
Chief Engineer 
Post Oak & Otter Lake RailRoad 
Caddo Mills, TX


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I would like to know your experiences with the following: 

1. cleaning (scotchbrite work or just brush off debris) 

Usually just brush off debris. This layout is too new to know what the long term results will be. 



2. durability (withstand being stepped on, UV sunlight, cold winters, heavy snow) 

Has held up well but no one steps on it, our winters are not that bad, and not much snow. 



3. any signs of rust (on rail or rail connectors) 

Slight rust (very infrequent) on rails. Much more common where rails were cut because non-stainless metal was transferred to ends of SS rails from cutting wheel. Easily removed with Scotch-Brite. 



4. rail clamps used (type brass, SS, plated, brand) 

I only use (Aristo-Craft plated) clamps on turnouts and connecting cut sections (cost saving). I was recently very lucky that I did not use more clamps in that the layout with the SS track is on carpet over wood decking and plywood when (last week) very heavy winds (possibly a tornado) ripped up about half of the carpet and track of the new layout extension. At first glance the new SS track looked twisted like pretzels but because I had used the factory SS joiners instead of clamps everywhere but on turnouts, it was the SS joiners that had twisted rather than the track (which would probably have been twisted beyond use if all track had been connected with clamps). I was able to simply straighten the track and replace a few joiners and everything was back running fine in an hour or less. Granted this is a rare and extreme situation but since it was MY situation I ended up VERY HAPPY that I had not used more clamps. 

Whether others should use all clamps or not (or which clamps), I leave up to them to decide. 



5. any build up of non conducting grime from arcing, plating from metal wheels or mother nature 

Mainly I get crud from trees dropping onto the layout. Surprisingly I found that cleaning the brand new SS track when I first installed it improved conductivity significantly. Perhaps there is a coating of some kind as it arrives new in the box. I don't know. 



6. are you happy you spent the extra $$$ to go with stainless steel? 


Yes. This layout is the one most likely to be used by visitors so I wanted it to be ready to run 24/7/365 with little or no track preparation. My main concern was that my granddaughters often lose interest in running trains if it takes any time to get the trains running when they come to visit. 

I have other layouts with brass and with SS/Nickel Plated. I will leave the others as they are and I will find some other use for the brass track and turnouts that were on this layout before I replaced them with SS. 

The fact is that I still have to get rid of the crud from the trees either seasonally or after any high winds or storms. 


Jerry


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Its a swell product..............


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

1. cleaning (scotchbrite work or just brush off debris) 
First a visual inspection and an old paintbrush to clear flangeways, mine floats in ballast. If I see crud, the Aristo track cleaner car gets pushed around. 

2. durability (withstand being stepped on, UV sunlight, cold winters, heavy snow) 
180 pounds and I'll walk on nicely ballasted track. the ties fade on the track faster than on the wide R switches. 

3. any signs of rust (on rail or rail connectors) 
Iron in my dirt gets splashed on and I get surface rust stains. Nothing in the screw on joiners. 

4. rail clamps used (type brass, SS, plated, brand) 
Only when I have to... I like the AC joiners and I can line up the railheads better with them than clamps on the foots. Some had to be reshaped with wrenches, I like the 'fishplate' effect. I torq the screws tight. 

5. any build up of non conducting grime from arcing, plating from metal wheels or mother nature 
Some bad Aristo drivers left black arcing crude, replaced the drivers. Bird poop, but poop happens! 

6. are you happy you spent the extra $$$ to go with stainless steel? 
yes I'm happy, that I got most of it before the price shot up. 

Happy Rails, 
John


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey John, try spraying a fine mist of Armorall type stuff on the ties, and let it soak in. I have kept my ties nice and black and flexible this way. 

Greg


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm curious to know how much extra wear (if any) has occurred on your locomotive wheels because of the hard S.S. vs say brass track? 

Keith


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## Daydoo (Jan 6, 2010)

My mainline is all Aristo SS track, mostly underneath trees. One of my main cleaning tools is an electric leaf blower. It quickly removes leaves, twigs, etc that accumulate. My ballast is decomposed granite, which locks up tight enough that a gentle touch with the blower doesn't blow it away. After a quick once over with the blower, I go over the rails with a tool that allows me to wipe off the rail surface. It is a little "Y" shape piece of plywood with a long handle attached to the bottom of the "Y". The tops of the "Y" have little grooves in them to match the rails, and there are little terry cloth rags held tightly in place with rubber bands. The tool can be quickly pushed down the track, and it follows the track without any effort. The whole process goes quickly, and I get great conductivity every time. 

Daydoo


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## White Deer RR (May 15, 2009)

My experience with Aristo SS track is similar to what has already been mentioned--some black "arcing" crud, easily cleaned with Aristo track cleaning car using with green Scotch-Brite. Why, it was the folks on this forum who taught me that! So thanks again. 

I've found a very carefully controlled minute amount of WD-40 works well for me, one or perhaps two small sprays on each rail. Any more than that and I will get slippage on my little uphill grade. 

I have a very short garden rr by most standards, perhaps 70 linear feet, so the black crud probably builds up faster because the little 0-4-0 is going over the same spot more often than would be the case on a bigger layout. When all else fails, it's time to clean the loco wheels. ;-) 

I have rolled very heavy items, usually my yard waste bin or wheelbarrow, over the tracks with absolutely no problem at all. New visitors instinctively step over the "grade crossing" at the end of a sidewalk leading into the backyard, so I enjoy then stepping on it to gauge their reaction. 

I don't regret buying the stainless steel track, the ties are all fine as well. Personally I keep some Split Jaw SS clamps on hand, as every so often an Aristo joiner will wiggle loose, causing loss of conductivity., so when that happens, that joint gets replaced with clamps. I'd wager more of the Aristo joiners could have been saved if I carefully took them off, cleaned them out and replaced them, but by the time I do that, I'm just going to throw on a clamp. Just my preference. 

Dreams of a bigger layout live on, but aluminum and battery power are under consideration. I'm sometimes tempted to just go ahead and try aluminum track with track power, and see if I can make it work. Famous last words? ;-) Wind up spending all summer attaching little teensy wires to little teensy screws? Go back to playing golf? Who knows...Best wishes to all!


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By Cougar Rock Rail on 17 May 2011 12:09 PM 
I'm curious to know how much extra wear (if any) has occurred on your locomotive wheels because of the hard S.S. vs say brass track? 

Keith 



No Extra wear that i can see yet Keith...............


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 17 May 2011 11:58 AM 
Hey John, try spraying a fine mist of Armorall type stuff on the ties, and let it soak in. I have kept my ties nice and black and flexible this way. 

Greg 


uh oh... a different quotation format ... no toolbar 

Anyway, the faded ties are still flexible and I can still flip the spikes back in place. 
But since my little short line will only last as long as the ore, we don't need no stinkin' creosote, how do I make the switches fade too? 

John


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Ouch, you want them to fade? That normally means stuff starts falling apart. 

Are they fading to white or gray? Mine get white "edges", and left alone, the little "spikes" just break off if pulled on. 

Maybe yours are aging differently? 

Greg


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Fade.... Kinda looks like Floquil's Weathered black, not as black as black and not as grey as grey. 
No white edges, I suspect it's because I live in Dry Heat, whereas you have coastal humidity that may get into the plastic. 
I have a pocket knife with a short stubby curved 'blade' (not sharp) that I can slip under the spike and lilft over the foot. Haven't lost a head yet.... 

Only freshly creosoted ties are black, the rest quickly pick up road grime and become dark brown more than black. 

Didya ever notice there is no wood graining on the switch ties? Appears to be a different plastic formula too. They stay blacker! 

John


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Keith, 

I do not notice any extra wear on the wheels due to the different materials, either.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, I noticed that, and also, on Aristo switches, the plastic throwbar is made of a different plastic, that is not UV resistant, and if you expose the very end (like using different switch motors), it often cracks. To their credit, Aristo will send you new ones free when this happens, but Lewis stated it is not UV resistant on his forum... weird. 

Greg


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

On one of the topics someone had mentioned that they had been told by a dealer that Aristo-Craft was dropping stainless steel track. I suspect that particular dealer may have been simply lowering the cost of his inventory by dropping some items.

I found that hard to believe but just to be sure I asked Scot Polk about the future of stainless steel, aluminum and brass track at the NGRC during his presentation about Aristo's plans for the future.

Scot said that Aristo-Craft has more track currently being shipped and that Aristo-Craft intends to continue their support for and production of brass, stainless steel and aluminum track. Scot also mentioned that they intend to continue with their annual track sales.

Jerry


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

I agree with Mark and Greg. My 600 ft of SS track has been down for 8 years now. I used Hillman Rail clamps at every joint, and have had no conductivity problems. I go away for two months in the winter, and when I come home I remove the large tree limbs, and blow it off with a cordless leaf blower and run trains. I clean it with a scotchbrite pad attached to an Aristo track cleaning car once a year, whether it needs it or not.
Paul


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