# Anyone use regular steel track in the past?



## Trainhound (Feb 17, 2009)

Hi, I made my own steel track using flat bar stock and groove ties. This worked well for an indoor railroad I had for years now I'm going outside and was wodering if I can use the same rail? I've read how many use aluminum but this track will be in an area where it might get stepped on, so I was wondering if I can make my own track and periodically spray the rails with something like wd40 maybe even make a MOW vehicle to do it for me. So what do you think, money is very tight but I'm addicted to this hobby.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi Trainhound,
This track in Portland is mostly indoors, but has a loop that runs outside.
It is all steel bar in slotted ties.
In the eighteen months or so since it was installed it has become quite rusted and pitted, not that us live steamers had a problem.
The trains are not bouncing around or anything like that, it is just cosmetic. 
I think that once the surface has rusted, then it doesn't get any worse, and also a going over with sand paper each year should bring back the shine.
Not sure what you can put 'on it' to stop the rust. Anything oily or slippery is probably not what our trains need for traction!
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

Depends on where you are and what profile. 
If just flat barstock, and you use some type of on-board power, probably good. 
If you have a proper rail profile, and anywhere near the coast, not good. 
Many years ago it was available, I still have a few bits used as guard rails on bridges, but near the coast the web would literally rust away.


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## Trainhound (Feb 17, 2009)

I live in Victorville in the California High Desert which is normally very dry, just not this week.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I've had tinplate rails outside for 5 years and they all rusted but as the person above said, they stopped at that point and didn't rust anymore or pit. You can observe the same on real RR tracks. I've seen some from the 1930s that had a layer of rust, but the rails are still there.I think good drainage might be key (use crusher fines)


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## Trainhound (Feb 17, 2009)

I think I'm just going to go for it. I'll just keep good drainage and a good maintenance schedule. In the past I did use groovy track out doors in a small test loop using galvanized bar stock and it and the ties survived being directly laid on dirt for 4.5 years till I moved to the high desert. I just dont care to use it due to the dangers of welding galvanized steel.


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## Dansgscale (Jan 9, 2010)

Glad to hear that there won't be an issue with using steel rail outdoors. I am in the process of assembling my roadbed out of Sintra and PVC and hand laying steel rail on hand cut cedar ties. Also hand making my own turnouts out of steel rail as well. All this will be install in my garden after the first of the year here in Houston. I'm over 50 miles from the coat, but we do get a lot of humidity. Drainage won't be a problem as all the track will be installed in raised flowerbeds. When done, I hope to have about 300 feet of track. 

Dan


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

I didn't say it wasn't a problem. 
It isn't if you use barstock. 
Use small (250 or 215) profiled rail near the coast, the web will rot away.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dansgscale on 07 Oct 2010 04:33 PM 
Glad to hear that there won't be an issue with using steel rail outdoors. I am in the process of assembling my roadbed out of Sintra and PVC and hand laying steel rail on hand cut cedar ties. Also hand making my own turnouts out of steel rail as well. All this will be install in my garden after the first of the year here in Houston. I'm over 50 miles from the coat, but we do get a lot of humidity. Drainage won't be a problem as all the track will be installed in raised flowerbeds. When done, I hope to have about 300 feet of track. 

Dan 

REAL RRs use steel track outdoors and it seems to work fairly well for them...


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## Curmudgeon (Jan 11, 2008)

And REAL railroads don't have web thicknesses measured in thousandths of an inch, either. 

Llagas used to sell steel rail, gave up when the webs started rusting out. 

Geez.


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Real railroads also use rail that is of different alloy and is tempered to help withstand the wear. This tempering also aids in corrosion resistance. Any steel rail I have ever seen in the model world has been mild steel which will deteriorate relatively quickly in thinner sections. 

There is an alloy of steel commonly known as CorTen which is for using in high temperature applications and is real cool because the first layer of 'rust' becomes the protective coating (usually a dark orangish color). 

Bob C.


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## fsfazekas (Feb 19, 2008)

Hey guys, 

Its been quite a number of years but there was a story in GR about "The Gopher Canyon Line" in San Diego (I think). These folks used steel rail initially... and I think small profile (215 or 250) as they wanted to stick to 1:32 as much as possible. Anyway, the end result was that their rail just rusted away...to the point of being unusable. They did not mention the web in particular but...I have every reason to think thats a logical weakness. Sure steel like a ship hull can resist rust due to its mass.. but you can burn steel wool with 9V battery... and our rail is more like? 

Anyway, the folks that owned the GCL I mentioned above finally concluded that, "Friends don't let friends lay steel rail..." 

Whichever way you decide to go, good luck!


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Here's a section of tubular rusty track that's been outside for 4 or 5 years. I filled the insides of the tubes with wire and adhesive so that when you walk on the track, the tubes don't squash. 

My understanding is that Peter Jones, RIP, also used similar track. 

If you are at all ansey about rusting away warnings, I'd suggest setting up a test track. You'd have to wait for several years, but that way you'd know. There are probably many types of ferrous metals used, and climatic and soil conditions, too many variables to predict. There seems to be strong opinions both ways on steel, even from some who've never used it themselves but only heard stories from others.  

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## Trainhound (Feb 17, 2009)

I think if you use 1/8 thick Barstock the rail wil last a long time, but if you use thin sheet metal bent into the profile of a rail then you might be looking for trouble.


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