When did Atlas switch from brass to Nickel-Silver for n-scale track? I'm toying with switching back to N from HO (space issue) buy my N track dates back to my teen years (1975-1980). Kinda hard to tell.
- posted
17 years ago
When did Atlas switch from brass to Nickel-Silver for n-scale track? I'm toying with switching back to N from HO (space issue) buy my N track dates back to my teen years (1975-1980). Kinda hard to tell.
I don't think they offered brass N gauge track. AFAIK, N track from all manufacturers has always been n/s.
Are you saying you can't tell whether the track you have is brass or n/s? Some n/s track is yellowish, but not the deep golden yellow of brass, and it doesn't tarnish the way brass does. If in doubt, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in half a glass of water, add white vinegar to make a full glass, and dip the track in it. If it's brass, the tarnish will come off, and you will see the bright yellow of brass, sometimes with a coppery tone.
HTH.
Don't waste the vinegar. All N guage track is nickle silver with the possible exception of the Revell/Rapido sectional stuff. IIRC, it was a steel alloy of some sort, but not brass.
fl@liner
I saw some brass N scale track once in a picture, but I was in N back in the middle 60's and I've never seen any in person, it's always NS or that weird steel stuff someone made.
BDK
Eggerbahn track was also steel, but that was HOe 9mm gauge.
The weird steel stuff was by Arnold-Rapido. It had the railhead as a slightly rounded _^_ which they touted as self-cleaning. The really weird stuff was by Ibertren (Spain) which was three rail, or for export 2 rail with the center rail not fitted. There was also Treble-O Lone Star (UK) with 9.5mm gauge.
And for those who don't remember when PIKO (East Germany) was into N scale (in the 70s), their track was made from tin-plated sheet steel shaped like inverted "U". It was hollow.
And then there was some early MINITRIX track. Standard code 80 profile but made from some sort of stainless steel alloy. It was very shiny and magnetic. I still have some of both types hanging around.
And yes, Rapido was blackened steel and same inverted "U" profile liek PIKO (but solid).
I don't ever recall seeing brass N scale track. Peteski
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