What 3 rail trach will stand up to the weather? Not after scale, tinplate look is fine.
Check out this link:
http://web.mac.com/hankb/iWeb/wrr/Home.html
He used gargraves, I believe Atlas steel would as well but it has been discontinued so if you plan on using it you had best buy-up all you can for repair/replacement/add-ons.
Atlas steel would rust unless it is stainless or if it were treated (electroplating). Atlas makes nickle silver track that would work, but since you want the tinplate look, the only tubular track that would stand up outdoors, I’m thinking, would be the stainless steel gargraves stuff. Their balsa ties would need to be stained once a year at least. If you aren’t “green,” you could brush used motor oil on the ties or just spray it on the roadbed once a year; that too would work.
The other option would be to go to Lowe’s or homeddepot and get corner bead in the drywall section. Using tinsnips and duckbill pliers, you can cut and bend your own tubular rails from the corner bead, which is galvanized steel (bring a magnet). You can then insert these rails into Lionel type metal ties. The ties will rust but should still hold the rails in place for a good number of years. I heard they sometimes make corner bead out of aluminum, which also might work well, but I’m guessing the galvanized steel would be more conductive. Incidentally, I did an experiment about 2 months ago, leaving these homemade rails outside (see photo for comparison of Lionel tube and my homemade tube from corner bead). I salted the rails, added vinegar, left them in sun, rain, etc. NOT a sign of rust, so they are definitely weather proof.
Aluminum itself is 3 or 4 times as conductive as iron or steel, but forms a non-conductive oxide coating. Zinc (the surface of galvanized steel) also forms an oxide coating; but I believe it is conductive.
The ties on Gargraves track are not balsa !! I think they’re spruce or something else, & stained .
Thanks, John
Thanks, Bob. I’ve got an expensive multimeter and was gonna run tests (that’s why never updated on my experiment), but sadly the multimeter went on the fritz (2nd in a row). I never have any luck with electronics and I admire you, John and others who are conversant with this stuff.
John, OK, spruce? Interesting! Same principle applies. This may seem counterintuitive, but based on experience of many outdoor RRers, softwoods like spruce are much better than hardwoods b/c they readily absorb stains and oils and far outlast hardwoods, which rot from the inside out.
I have a bunch of gargraves s/s with plastic ties. should be perfect