Brass Rail

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am getting back into this hoby after 8 or 9 yrs Sooo I still have my old layout and realy would like to use it but all brass track from the 1980’s OK how much of a job is it going to be to tear it out and put the new stuff in on a 6x4 layout

Am also going to expand to a12x14 foot area but plan to keep the ovel intact and add a yard with a loop at the far end hence the replacing brass just looks sort of ??? with 2 colors of rail and is also a heck of a job keeping the brass clean

tks in advance

Howard

PS This old layout is all sectional track and done from a Atlas book of track plans for Custom Line so I know the switches are differant but the track did they ever make a cusom Line track?

YES reuing this track would be a mess as was used when I got itTks

Howard

2

Since you only have a small layout, rip out the brass and replace it with new nickel-silver. You will be much happier with the results and have a better running system.

Ron K.

3

The color is not the real issue.

  1. Weigh the effort to replace with the effort to clean. There are some great layouts that never did replace the brass. They just keep it clean.

  2. For new area, I like Nickle silver. Besides reusing track is difficult at best.

I would keep the brass where I did not have to disturb it, and use NS on all new construction.

4

Howard,

My layout is a combination of brass and nickel silver. Although it works OK, it is a challenge to keep clean. As I upgrade the track to nickel silver, I find a remarkable difference. Don’t be afraid to use the brass, but use nickel silver if you can.

Dave