# What to do with old track?



## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Thanks to TJ from another thread, I now have what I believe to be "garbage" track.

Is there any salvaging this track, or should I round file it?

Thanks in advance.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Which track?
O or HO?


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh sorry, it's HO. I was swapping out track because the loco would stop and not make it around the track.

thanks to TJ I was able to isolate some track and replace it.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Oh in that case I cut it up and use it for loads on my maintenance train and in the maintenance yards!
Some unscrupulous people would tell you to Ebay it.
From the one pick it looks like your track might be steel and not nickel silver or even brass, that stuff is really bad!


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Steel? really?

I didn't know there was steel in HO. Is there a way for me to tell?

I do have brass (lots of it actually) should I switch the tracks to brass?

The steel sounds like I could just use it for shelf storage perhaps?

I thought of ebaying it, then thought better of it since that's where I got it anyway and wouldn't want to pass the "garbage" along to anyone else and cause them the same problems I'm having.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Take a magnet to it if it sticks it's steel.


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

NIMT.COM said:


> Take a magnet to it if it sticks it's steel.


Doh 

I need to start using my friggin brain.


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Yep, just tested a bunch of it - steel.

But I do have some Brass I can use.


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

NIMT.COM said:


> Take a magnet to it if it sticks it's steel.


 Great advice, Sean.

JZ


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

Thanks JZ,

Learning slowly - all in all what I bought was still a pretty good deal since most of the track was brass and I got a few other items and rolling stock I didn't have.

Doing this on a budget is very time consuming.

I just have to be more careful as I move forward.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

But wait there is track that look close to that and it's nickle silver, That's what you want, It's just the color of it that gave it away for me. Brass track is fine it just requires that you constantly keep it clean it tarnishes really quick. Get a track cleaning car and everything will be fine don't forget to clean your loco wheels too!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Sidenote ...

I know you guys aren't talking about EZ track and the like, but FYI ... Bachmann steel EZ track has a black roadbed, and the EZ nickel silver has a grey roadbad, so there, it's easy to tell the two apart.

Back to the initial question ... what makes you think the track is "bad"? I know you had conductivity problems with certain sections (via your other thread), but what, specifically, could be wrong? There's not much that's going to go wrong on track, as long as the rail tops are kept clean, and the sidwalls of the rail ends in way of rail joiners are reasonably bright and tarnish-free. Are you sure the track is really "bad"?

TJ


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## novice (Feb 2, 2011)

I have some of that ez ns I got with another set I bought - the dewitt - I love this little train set. I also have some Lifelike [sic] that came with the 3rd set I have.

I only use the ez stuff to layout the dimensions since its real "ez" to lay track quickly LOL


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