Can STEEL wire be soldered to Nickel Silver rail (or just nickel silver)

[Snowman]

IIRC we have a couple of current or former materials engineers, and maybe a couple of chemical engineers too. If you are out there, I hope you'll know.

I want to try soldering (or other) fine steel wire to un-weathered rail. To code 55 or even code 40, and, if possible, directly up tight under the inside web, right at the top edge. Location and mechanical alignment are things I can handle here--I just want to know if it can be done. Even with silver solder.

If I try this, I will almost certainly use resistance soldering, due to speed alone if nothing else, so if you can offer any advice or perspective there, I would appreciate it too.

Thanks for any replies.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I've done that with some track connections. Even though I had drop wires from each section of track going to the bus under the benchwork, I'll use that wire technique to help alignment as well as continuity. Just a single strand small gauge wire. I'll apply solder to the rail first then tin the wire. That makes for a quick solder of wire into the solder on the rail.

 

[Mixed Freight]

Well, you should be able to do it, even with regular solder. First, run a quick test by trying to pre-tin a piece of steel wire using regular rosin flux. If the wire is zinc plated (galvanized), or otherwise properly coated, it may tin very easily. If this is the case, then no further testing is necessary. Just go ahead and solder your steel wire to the rail as you normally would, pre-tinned or not, using rosin flux (and/or rosin-core solder, of course).

On the other hand, if the steel wire test piece will NOT tin when using rosin flux, then you will need to pre-tin the steel wire first, using acid flux on the wire at any area that gets soldered to the rail. Be sure and clean the acid flux residue off of the steel wire after tinning. Once that is done, then you can go ahead and solder the wire to the rail using rosin flux like normal. You can pre-tin the nickel silver rail too, or not - your choice. Either way, it should solder just fine from there on out.