# some thoughts on stainless track



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

First, I run the trains on remote control and track power--fixed DC to the rails, remote receivers in the locos. I have a mix of roughly 50/50 stainless and brass. Clamps on all joints. Modest sized railwasy of maybe 200 feet



I've never found cleaning track to be that big a deal, but bought the stainless because of the may comments about how much less cleaning it took. My experience so far suggests that it's not worth the extra money, at least not where I am. I keep finding that track cleaning requirements change a lot with the seasons--some seasons I barely need to do anything, some seasons I need to run a cleaning car every so often. Last Fall, I could see a clear difference with the stainless--the trains ran better on stainless, unless the track cleaner was at at work. Right now, I can't see any difference, except that maybe the stainless was a little bit worse during the spring pollen season.


Maybe if I was running DCC on the track the difference would be more pronounced? Maybe it's just local variations?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You are a lucky guy Mike. Some people live where the oxidation on brass is minimal. 

Local climate is the whole key. 

I am at the opposite extreme I guess, 1 mile from the ocean and I had to clean the oxide off every 24 hours. 

In general, SS is a big boon to track power, you never have to remove any oxide. 

I think DCC makes the oxidized track problem less pronounced because of the constant high voltage, it can "burn through" oxidation a bit easier. 

Regards, Greg


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## TheLordsServant (Jul 7, 2008)

I definitely agree that in our area, I think stainless would be extremely beneficial. The problem is that brass has a bad tendency to oxidize quickly in our climate. Therefore, weekly track cleaning is definitely necessary. In fact, for some of the pickier engines (I.E. Small pickup footprint), we have to clean the track twice a week. So, local climate definitely has an effect on the benefits of stainless. If you don't have any problems with the brass track oxidizing, then, no, I would think that you would be fine with brass. You are definitely a lucky guy.


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## White Deer RR (May 15, 2009)

I purchased stainless steel track mainly because I'm in the Pacific NW, and I figured at the time the winter rains would do a number on brass. I don't know how true that is but I can tell you that uncoated copper lawn ornaments turn green before your eyes here as you open the box. ;-) If nothing else both the track and ties have survived three years on the ground in pretty darn good condition, so I'll give Aristocraft credit on the stainless track.


I do have to clean the stainless, most likely because I'm using a small locomotive (Aristo 0-4-0) and for whatever reason (pollen, pollution, mineral deposits from irrigation water, composition of locomotive wheels, whatever) black stuff is created. I've had metal wheels on my two Sierra coaches for several weeks now, letting the train run evenings when we are in the back yard, so I can't imagine there's any plastic residue left from the stock wheels. I've cleaned the locomotive and coach wheels a few times and they definitely get black stuff on them. 


I thought about switching to brass, but while I have a relatively small investment in my tiny oval, I've come to like how it looks. Plus it's all ballasted and working fine. So today when I ordered a box of two foot straights to do a small expansion (that will increase the linear feet of track from around 30 to around 80 if some track I already have on hand will all fit) I stuck with the stainless steel. I may regret that someday if I ever find myself ordering boxes of really long track, or maybe not if it holds up well.


And I ordered a track cleaning car. Since I only have the two coaches, I went ahead and got the Aristocraft ATSF caboose cleaning car that matches my road name, and because the black stuff I'm cleaning off now comes off rather easily, so I figure I can attach Scotch Brite pads or something after the "eraser" is used up. We'll see. If the cleaning car comes with plastic wheels luckily I had previously purchased some extra metal wheels, definitely not putting plastic wheels on anything!


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

I have had all stainless track for 6 years now, and have never had any problems with oxidation. One winter I went away for a month. I came back, and it snowed. I cleaned the limbs off the track and put down a plow and pushed the snow. No trains had ran for over a month. We have a club member who goes away for three months in the winter. He has brass track. Two months later now since returning, he is still having problems getting his trains to run. So as long as you are keeping the tracks clean, maybe there is no difference, but don't leave for any long periods of time. 
Paul


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The aristo track cleaner comes with metal wheels. You'll be glad you got it. When the "eraser" pad wears in one direction, you can turn it perpendicular and wear it out that way


I like the way stainless looks too. 


That's what's so odd--my stainless track took more cleaning, in the spring, than the brass. This makes no sense to me, but there it is. Now it doesn't--now it seems to be about the same as the brass. I would still say for most people most of the time stainless is a good idea.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

The oxide is conductive, unlike brass, but tree sap, dog pee, smashed ants and whatever else gets on your rails is still non-conductive. The only place I ever had to clean my stainless was where I slopped water on it filling up the stream.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

you can clean your AC track cleaning pad with some goof off. wipes all the crud right off no need to rotate the pad. Later RJD


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,

My experience has been that brass track will oxidize very fast and I would have to spend the first half hour to 45 minutes cleaning track. Every time. Stainless steel track doesn't require me to clean it for oxidation purposes. But there is dirt and carbon that has to be cleared every so often. Since I don't run that frequently, I tend to have to run the track cleaning car, but that is nothing compared to getting the brass track in condition for running. That said, I have noticed a big difference in the oxidation between aristo and LGB track. The LGB track turns black, just about. The aristo track turns about one shade of brown lighter. 

The pollen this spring was awful!! For some reason, I have areas of my railroad (under some hemlock trees) that seem to have electrical problems, in general. 

That said, I never seem to need to run the track cleaning car during snow plowing...


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## gdancer (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm at 9,000 feet in the Colorado Rocky Mtns....far, far away from any humidity (aside from the customary afternoon shower) and had a heckuva problem with some kind of black stuff on my stainless when I first started; had to clean just about every other day. Thought at first it was plastic wheels; maybe it was. Don't know because about the same time I read a Garden Ry article suggesting that DCC, because of high voltage, would minimize "dirt" problems on rails. So, I did several things about the same time: 1) put all metal wheels on rolling stock; 2) changed to DCC; 3) moved the voltage of my DCC up to almost 20 volts (est) (I'm running three sound locomotives simultaneously); 4) bought an AC track cleaner, and possibly the most important, 5) quit using my Bachman Annie with its pot metal cast drivers!. I only railroad in the summer (June to Sept) and close down the RR all winter. During that dead time, deer, elk, etc come throughy and c___ all over everything, but carefully avoid actually stepping on the track. When I arrive in June, after sweeping the leaves and c___ off the track I run my LGB Mogul with a trailing AC track cleaner around the layout. The Mogul never stops!!!! The track cleaning car may be superfluous, but it doesn'hurt. I'll not have to clean again for several weeks or more...and then only as a precaution before I show off the layout to friends.







I truly believe the most important step was to buy my first LGB locomotive that has machined (rather than cast) drivers. I now run three LGB locomotives with no--repeat none, niente, nada, zero--track cleaning problems. A working hypothesis: some metal in the cast BAchman Annie drivers reacted to the stainless steel causing a minute electrical spark that laid down a black substance on the stainless and that the more one operated, the greater the buildup.


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Posted By gdancer on 06/16/2009 4:40 PM
I'm at 9,000 feet in the Colorado Rocky Mtns....far, far away from any humidity (aside from the customary afternoon shower) and had a heckuva problem with some kind of black stuff on my stainless when I first started; had to clean just about every other day. Thought at first it was plastic wheels; maybe it was. Don't know because about the same time I read a Garden Ry article suggesting that DCC, because of high voltage, would minimize "dirt" problems on rails. So, I did several things about the same time: 1) put all metal wheels on rolling stock; 2) changed to DCC; 3) moved the voltage of my DCC up to almost 20 volts (est) (I'm running three sound locomotives simultaneously); 4) bought an AC track cleaner, and possibly the most important, 5) quit using my Bachman Annie with its pot metal cast drivers!. I only railroad in the summer (June to Sept) and close down the RR all winter. During that dead time, deer, elk, etc come throughy and c___ all over everything, but carefully avoid actually stepping on the track. When I arrive in June, after sweeping the leaves and c___ off the track I run my LGB Mogul with a trailing AC track cleaner around the layout. The Mogul never stops!!!! The track cleaning car may be superfluous, but it doesn'hurt. I'll not have to clean again for several weeks or more...and then only as a precaution before I show off the layout to friends.







I truly believe the most important step was to buy my first LGB locomotive that has machined (rather than cast) drivers. I now run three LGB locomotives with no--repeat none, niente, nada, zero--track cleaning problems. A working hypothesis: some metal in the cast BAchman Annie drivers reacted to the stainless steel causing a minute electrical spark that laid down a black substance on the stainless and that the more one operated, the greater the buildup.








Very valid and good. Thank you. 

As it applies to success re SS or Brass... 


I think that and this reinforces other comments that location, location, location says everything as to performance. In my area 2000' above sea level and dry... 9,000' according to gdancer and yes or no.... something else... 


Sea level and salt corrosion risk. Sea level. 


500' and in a high density urban area with much urban atmospheric pollution ( acidic or otherwise) says: 


Pick a track material, location then the and associated maintenance poison attached to this location. 

Liberate ourselves here. There is no perfect track material. 


Enjoy what we have purchased and have. There is no winning argument. 




My 2 cents. 


gg


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

And people wonder why I use batteries


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 06/17/2009 6:53 AM
And people wonder why I use batteries









No, they don't


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By lownote on 06/17/2009 7:30 AM
Posted By Torby on 06/17/2009 6:53 AM
And people wonder why I use batteries









No, they don't 





*I cant beleive im going to agree with what Mikie said...........*


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## Nohandles (Jan 2, 2009)

I've had brass rail out for 11 years now and it sat for 8 years until I took it up last fall. It had a great patina on the sided and looks like rusted rail. When I put it back down this year it took only and old mop and coarse Scotch Brit pads to clean it up for running. Then I ran the LGB track cleaning engine around trice and it was fine. I find with the bass here in Northern Ohio needs a light cleaning once a week. I guess it all depends where you live.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

ha ha ha.... people have stopped wondering about you Tom, they know now! 

all in good fun. 

Seriously, people are always asking what to use on track power. The "safe" answer is stainless steel. It will always work (yeah, the 3 people in the world that had problems will chime in here). 

Brass may work depending on where you live and your pain threshold for removing oxidation. If you need to save the $$, then the advice is try a small loop "in situ" for a couple of months and see how it goes. 

Greg


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Ut oh. If people have stopped wondering about me, I'm in big trouble


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I didn't say that--just stopped wondering why you use batteries


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## GG (Jan 1, 2009)

Posted By Torby on 06/17/2009 6:53 AM
And people wonder why I use batteries













I think batteries fall into the same poison trap as brass and SS do. 

Regardless of choice, there are pros and cons.


I will stick with Brass (so far so good) and aside from my DCS and DCC I will have battery locos with time. ( really think that battery would be great for snow clearing on New Years day, while I cook the turkey on the BBQ @ -20C)









gg


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## sldozier (Apr 5, 2009)

lownote, I noticed you're in Arlington, Va, I'm in Virginia Beach and oxidation is very much an issue for me! I started buying Aristo brass track and quickly came to the realization that track cleaning (although not that big a deal, I have an Aristo track cleaning car) was going to be a necessary evil, so I switched and started buying stainless steel. I'm about 65/35 stainless/brass. I have seen a layout locally, running steam only, never cleans his track and it has become a lovely shade of dark rusty brown. I guess it depends on your preference! I have gone different directions depending on my mood, I like the prototypical look of stainless steel, but I've also been drawn to the look of brass, both when it's clean and shiny and when it's weathered and oxidized! I'm a DC to the rails guy, just starting out!


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