Aussie Fred Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 I have a stack of Lima steel track which I was going to dump, but a mate of a mate was looking to make up a "layout", all he wants is a simple track that he can watch a train go round and round (to calm him, I believe) so I thought to give it to him. However I do not have a steel power track so was thinking of giving him a Hornby R8206 (nickel silver) to join his power to. I assume they are compatible.I am also giving him one of my spare DC controllers and a couple of old locos and wagons/carriages - I am now all DCC except for my tram.Just checking their compatibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ73 Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 Yep on my layout I have a mixture of Steel Track & Nickle Silver - it's not perfect but it will do!!! 🙂🚂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ73 Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 I have 3 loops & I've just quickly ran round all 3 loops with a magnet (& that is how you can tell if it is either Steel (that is when it sticks!!!) or nickel silver (& that is when is doesn't stick!!!)) & It looks like I would say about 90 to 95% is Nickel Silver & the remaining % is Steel!!! 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Fred Posted December 4, 2022 Author Share Posted December 4, 2022 Thanks JJ, will now do my good deed for the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ73 Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 No Problemo 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian-345748 Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I can see the advantage of steel track for older loco's where the motor was simpler but the large magnets involved helped adhesion. The downside is that it needs far more cleaning (especially if you live by the coast) and once rusted is useless.However I am trying to ascertain if the different metals conduct electricity differently. Is N/S more conductive than steel? Can anyone give me a comparison? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rana Temporia Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 N/S is a better conductor than steel but the main voltage loss is usually around bad joints. If you mix steel and N/S you might notice that you have to clean the steel parts more often and it may rust if damaged. Older locos with magnadhession will have more pulling power on the steel track. Other than that it’s up to you, I currently mix but one day will replace all my steel track. The exception being my Playcraft/Jouef track which is all steel apart from some very old brass sections. I use PECO settrack points which I think have always been N/S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-Henny Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Given the cross sectional area of the rails, you would need hundreds of metres of track to get any significant difference in resistance. That said, Nickle and particularly the Silver in NS rails is a better conductor and thus lower resistance. As @RT says, the significant factor is not the rail itself, but the joints and the level of corrosion. Rust on steel is a poor conductor of electricity, as are dirty / corroded / loose track joiners. If the steel rail condition is clean and shiny and the track joints perfectly clean and physically tight then the steel track is just as good as NS track in an average sized layout. The advantage of NS being it doesn't rust and usually stays clean and shiny for longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rog RJ Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Despite its name, nickel silver does NOT have any silver in it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_silver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-Henny Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I stand corrected, but the link content says 60% copper which is an equally good conductor of electricity, perhaps even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Man Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 Despite its name, nickel silver does NOT have any silver in it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_silver WHAT! I want my money back. joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyctus1707822364 Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 As an aside, all nickel silver is not created equal. Some time ago during my DB modelling period ( when generally European made models ran like a Swiss watch - not so some other popular brands) I mixed Profi track with Peco flex track and a loco moving from Peco to Profi would visibly slow down, only a little, but slow down they did. The only explanation seemed to be that the German nickel silver was less conductive than the stuff from Seaton. So, was the metal mix different ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJ73 Posted December 17, 2022 Share Posted December 17, 2022 Thank you Rog - I too did not know that - Every day is a school day!!! - According to Wiki - it says 'The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc.[5] Nickel silver does not contain the element silver. It is named for its silvery appearance, which can make it attractive as a cheaper and more durable substitute. " Interesting!!! 🤔🚂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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