Nickel Silver (Why or Why Not)
- Thread starter brubakes
- Start date
Actually, nickel silver is not a good conductor of electricity. The best is steel, followed by brass. The reason nickel silver has gained universal popularity is that it is more resistant to oxidation, which means the tracks have to be cleaned less often. Brass track oxidizes more quickly and steel rail will eventually develop a thin layer of rust, as will all steel object exposed to air. Both these can be cleaned off, it just has to be done more often. Next to steel track, nickel silver looks the most like real track and nickel siler is available in the greatest variety of sizes.
jdetray
Well-Known Member
Jim -
Is it correct to say that nickel silver is today's "normal" track? In other words, if the track material is not specified, it's most probably nickel silver.
- Jeff
P.S. - I was just looking at a chart listing the relative electrical conductivity of some common metals as follows.
Silver 106
Copper (annealed) 100
Aluminum 59
Brass 28
Steel 3-15 (it must depend on which alloy of steel we're talking about)
Nickel silver (18% silver) 5.3
Amazing how low nickel silver ranks! Its corrosion resistance trumps its conductivity.
Is it correct to say that nickel silver is today's "normal" track? In other words, if the track material is not specified, it's most probably nickel silver.
- Jeff
P.S. - I was just looking at a chart listing the relative electrical conductivity of some common metals as follows.
Silver 106
Copper (annealed) 100
Aluminum 59
Brass 28
Steel 3-15 (it must depend on which alloy of steel we're talking about)
Nickel silver (18% silver) 5.3
Amazing how low nickel silver ranks! Its corrosion resistance trumps its conductivity.
brubakes
Member
I was wondering the same thing. I was looking through my Walther's catalog and some manufactures list nickel silver specifically while others just don't offer it or don't make the distinction. Hmmm....
I am going to be buying a large amount of track and want to make sure I get whats best for my layout and my locomotives.
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IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
If you're not sure, you can always ask the vendor/mfgr before you buy. Atlas n/s track has served me well over the past 20 years since I re-entered the hobby; Peco, Micro Engineering, and Walthers/Shinohara brands are higher in quality but also in price. I stay away from Model Power and Bachmann.
Whatever you do, avoid brass track like the plague!
Whatever you do, avoid brass track like the plague!
kenw
5th Generation Texian
technically Nickel Silver corrodes, it is just that the corrosion happens to be conductive. Brass track forms Copper oxide which is not very conductive. (the green color on old brass is copper oxide, the zinc is in a much smaller % so the copper winds up being the major corrosion source)
The conductivity of the metal itself only affects voltage drop thru long distances of track without electrical feeds, and for the most part the differences are minor.
What we are interested in here in model railroading is the conductivity of the surface oxide layer. And that's why nickel silver, even as a lower conductive metal, wins.
btw, nickel silver does not have any silver in it. The silver color comes from Tin (Sn).
The conductivity of the metal itself only affects voltage drop thru long distances of track without electrical feeds, and for the most part the differences are minor.
What we are interested in here in model railroading is the conductivity of the surface oxide layer. And that's why nickel silver, even as a lower conductive metal, wins.
btw, nickel silver does not have any silver in it. The silver color comes from Tin (Sn).
brubakes
Member
What sets Peco, Micro Engineering, and Walthers/Shinohara track apart from Atlas? I have read in past posts that in terms of turnouts Peco and ME perform at a level out of the box that you have to tweak Atlas turouts.
KENW said it right and I guarantee I would not be back in the hobby if I had to use BRASS. (gives me nightmares thinking of all the cleaning I used to do.)
Brubakes: IMHO All those brands are good track. Atlas cost less per foot (so far) and their flextrack is probably the most common used. The other brands are somewhat more detailed and some a bit stronger built, but you will pay for this. Many opinions about this but if you are looking for good affordable track, I would recommend Atlas Flex Code 83.
Turnouts are another story. I mostly use Walther Shinohara, but they have become increasingly hard to get and their price has jumped considerably. Atlas #6's are excellent out of the box...I haven't anything good to say about their #4's.
Brubakes: IMHO All those brands are good track. Atlas cost less per foot (so far) and their flextrack is probably the most common used. The other brands are somewhat more detailed and some a bit stronger built, but you will pay for this. Many opinions about this but if you are looking for good affordable track, I would recommend Atlas Flex Code 83.
Turnouts are another story. I mostly use Walther Shinohara, but they have become increasingly hard to get and their price has jumped considerably. Atlas #6's are excellent out of the box...I haven't anything good to say about their #4's.
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Ken, thanks, I was about mention that nickel "silver" actually has no silver but uses tin. A much better explanation about oxidation also. Brubakes and JD, NS track has become the standard track now. As Rex said, cleaning brass track back in the old days, on big layouts, really was a nightmare. With the exception of Bachmann black roadbed steel track, I can't think of any company currently making anything but NS track. NS track also comes in the most variety in terms of rail size, switches, and special work.
Peco switches are generally the best performing, with Walthers/Shinohara a close second. I haven't used ME switches so I don't know much about them. As Rex said, the #6 and larger Atlas Customline switches are also good performers and, if I were buying something like 100 switches, I think I'd go for Atlas just because I don't want a second mortgage on the house.
I've used Atlas, ME, and Model power flex track. The ME track looks better but it can be harder to form into smooth curves. I've found Atlas and Model Power are about the same quality and have had no problems forming curves with either. Some other people have had problems with Model Power code 83 so try a couple pieces before you buy a large quantity. If you like it, it can be found on sale at a substantial savings over the other brands.
Peco switches are generally the best performing, with Walthers/Shinohara a close second. I haven't used ME switches so I don't know much about them. As Rex said, the #6 and larger Atlas Customline switches are also good performers and, if I were buying something like 100 switches, I think I'd go for Atlas just because I don't want a second mortgage on the house.
I've used Atlas, ME, and Model power flex track. The ME track looks better but it can be harder to form into smooth curves. I've found Atlas and Model Power are about the same quality and have had no problems forming curves with either. Some other people have had problems with Model Power code 83 so try a couple pieces before you buy a large quantity. If you like it, it can be found on sale at a substantial savings over the other brands.
ken_23434
Member
If it does not specify what the track is made from, 99% chance it will be nickle-silver. So, "normal" is nickle-silver.
The following is just to explain more about the track. I am guessing your next question...
The Code relates to the height of the rail. Code 83 is pretty close to being the correct height for a properly scaled mainline. The Atlas Code 83 has brown ties, so it will look a little better when you first lay it. Most people will weather the ties anyways, so that difference might not matter to you. If you will lay the track and not go back and weather it for quite a long time, the code 83 will look "better" than the code 100 (black ties). For me, the brown vs black ties is just a quick and easy way to know what code the track is when I am looking at it in the store. Code 100 is generally a little cheaper than the code 83.
Some people will use the more detailed brands of track in sections that will be seen easier. Staging lanes, or back sides of the layout where people will not be able to see the details, they will use the cheaper (less detailed) track. The same is sometimes done with code 83 track in areas expected to be seen easier and code 100 in out of sight areas. Special rail joiners (or special work) are needed to join code 83 to code 100 track.
The following is just to explain more about the track. I am guessing your next question...
The Code relates to the height of the rail. Code 83 is pretty close to being the correct height for a properly scaled mainline. The Atlas Code 83 has brown ties, so it will look a little better when you first lay it. Most people will weather the ties anyways, so that difference might not matter to you. If you will lay the track and not go back and weather it for quite a long time, the code 83 will look "better" than the code 100 (black ties). For me, the brown vs black ties is just a quick and easy way to know what code the track is when I am looking at it in the store. Code 100 is generally a little cheaper than the code 83.
Some people will use the more detailed brands of track in sections that will be seen easier. Staging lanes, or back sides of the layout where people will not be able to see the details, they will use the cheaper (less detailed) track. The same is sometimes done with code 83 track in areas expected to be seen easier and code 100 in out of sight areas. Special rail joiners (or special work) are needed to join code 83 to code 100 track.
kenw
5th Generation Texian
thanx, just passing it on.
25+ years in computer design and manufacturing, several years of that specializing in connectors that don't want to connect, hours late at night spent gazing thru scanning electron beam microscopes at cross sections of connectors, circuit boards and such taught me a lot about oxidation......it's basically why I solder everything...and if it can't be soldered, I use something that can be!
