I have some steel track that came in a box of stuff, FREE. Would like to cut it into scale rail lengths for loads, stacks of rail in maintenance areas, even some bent pieces in scrap loads. What is the best way to cut it? Dremel or razor saw come to mind. I hesitate to use rail nippers as I think the steel could damage them.
Thank you for your thoughts,
Richard
Dremel will cut. Razor saw may or may not cut. I’ve use diagonal cutting pliers (dikes) but then the ends need to be cleaned up with a file. DON’T use your Xuron tool unless it’s already notched from cutting piano wire…
I do NOT recommend using an oxygen-lance acetylene torch for steel rail smaller than 12#/yd. Even then, a rail saw is safer and less likely to leave a messy cut.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with steel rail in places where wheels don’t roll)
A number of years ago I bought a pair of piano wire cutters that works very good on up to about 18 gauge steel. I think I bought them at Harbor Freight about 15 years ago, I’ve been looking for a second pair but they do not have a listing for them now.
I finally bought a pair of high leverage side cutting pliers made for cutting stainless steel wire from Home Depot.
Knipex 02 08 200
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
When was there all steel track, or is the OP talking about O-gauge?
I wasted some money on tru-steel turnouts 30+ years ago. They were so bad I tossed them, as I didn’t dislike anyone enough to give them away.
Dave
I think it is Bachmann track with the black roadbed that is steel. What I got was from before pre-ballasted track was made. Easy to tell if it is steel, a magnet will pick it up.
Never have heard much good about it.
Thanks for the comments. May see about getting one of the more specialized cutters. If there were only a big box hardware store within reasonable distance.
Have fun,
Richard
I have some recollection that Tyco experimented with steel rail track years ago.
A Dremel tool using NOT the usual ceramic discs but the reinforced discs works so well with music wire that I am sure it would work with steel rail up to Code 100. Any pliers-like cutter I would be leary of chipping and ruining the cutting surface.
Dave Nelson
When I joined the Pittsburgh Model Railroad Club in 1965 there was some fiber tie steel rail flex track on the layout. It looked just like the fiber tie brass rail track that Atlas sold at the time. The steel rail could be easily cut with a Dremel tool.
Mark Vinski
Yeah, a Dremel cut-off disc or a hacksaw blade with fine teeth will do the job easily - don’t waste money on specialised cutters for such a minor job, especially if the work will damage the tool.
Wayne
you could just whach it off with any quality side cutter if you have a bench grinder to dress it up.
A little history:
During the hostile phase of the Korean War Atlas used steel rail because they couldn’t get brass. That’s the origin of that fiber-tie stuff.
More recently, some Bachmann sectional track on fake black plastic ballast was made with steel rail. That was the source of the steel I use in various scenic applications - train set ruins scored cheap by my yard sale addicted sister.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
For scrap loads etc as the OP is planning steel track is fine I eould think.
Bachmann is the only one still selling steel track. Shame on them. I saw it a couple of days ago at Hobby Lobby.
Hats off to OP though, it does give me some ideas for loading a MOW car or something like that. [Y]
Probably not too relevant to the OP, but back when I was in high school (so the early 1980s) I was at Trainland on Long Island, planning on buying some flex track. The clerk mentioned they had Nickel Silver, Brass, and Steel (which I guess I was cheaper). I queries about the steel track as up to that time I had never heard of it, and the clerk responded “Well, Steel rusts”. With that in mind, I passed on the steel track, but it does show steel track was commerically available at that time as regular flext track sections, without the built in ballast/roadbed stuff.
At one time I believe TruScale offered stainless steel code 100 rail. I still have a sample piece in my toolbox.
Mark