Can my exiting manual Bachmann turnouts be used outside mated to brass track? I know my hollow steel rail B’mann track will rust, but my turnouts use what appears to be stainless rail (non-magnetic). What say the experts? Huh?
I have never heard of bachmann making anything of stainless steel, track included.
On mls you conjectured that it was nickel plated brass… never heard of that either…
Maybe it is aluminum?
Someone will know.
But do you think they can be used outside?
Joe,
Post a picture.
If it is non-magnetic, and not hollow, I would think the rail would be OK.
Just to be safe, I would paint the ties for UV protection.
Ralph
It depends on what the rails are really made of… so far all I know of is the tin plated steel, and I expect they have brass ones now.
The tin-plated steel is unacceptable for outdoor use.
Greg
Dumb question, is this G scale?
Greg
I own about fifteen of these switches and had them all outside all summer in a switching layout in my breezeway where the rain blew in occasionally and rusted some of the B’mann track but I don’t care too much about that… The rusty track looks better than the stuff that stayed dry, and I just cleaned off the top, and eventually hung some tarps behind the pike to keep out the rain…
The switches are fine.
There’s a guy in Winnipeg who sets up an outdoor trolley layout for Christmas, year after year using these switches and he leaves the layout set up all winter and has no problems.
I just finished rewiring one of these switches for a special application at a wye. Briefly, this job involved taking it apart and cutting and incorporating gaps in the stock rails, removing the jumpers at the frog, adding a DPDT switch thrown simultaneously with the points, and running wires under the rails to various points in the rails. Cutting, drilling, tapping… 'Nuff said.
I was particularly interested in examining those stock rails that I cut. They are castings in base metal - zamac we used to call it - mostly zinc, I think - or white metal is another name for it. The old Mantua boilers and frames were made of this stuff - these rails are nickel-plated.
As for the switch throw mechanism - it’s hardly a mechanism at all. There’s nothing to rust in there. It’s just a plastic throw rod with a pimple that gets shifted between two dimples and the elasticity of the plastic parts pops it all into place.
I agree with Ralph about protecting the ties. My switching layout was under an ultraviolet-protecting roof made of polycarbonate, so UV was no problem in this circumstance. As I understand it, any cheap paint will do the job.
At one point I wondered about mating them to brass myself, or to stainless, even. First, based on my experience with zamac and brass locomotives, I’d say there’d be little or no electrolytic problem.
I guess you’d have to saw off the tabs at the end of the rails to fit them into rail joiners. They would no longer mate with B’mann track if you did this, but I guess you’ve figured all that out by now…
Over the past two or three years I bought my switches for 20-25 bucks apiece. The price seems to have gone up to near $40 lately. OUCH! I could use a few more of 'em… but not desperately enough to pay that price.
Cheers!
I looked some up on ebay… yes, white metal… cannot believe they are SS…
So John, all the rails are cast? Interesting… that would be consistent with “white metal”, Zamac, etc.
Greg
Yup, all rails cast, Greg. points, stock, closure and frog…
I use the B’mann track for portable setups, shows, etc… it’s nice and lightweight.
BTW, Thanks for the tip about the wire-fed welder… In the morning I’m off to buy it. In the backyard I use brass rail and switches, BTW…, and some stainless, which is how THAT whole subject arose…
Thank you gentlemen. I will heed your advice and paint the ties and then use them on my proposed outside layout this spring. BTW, I had previously filed one of the points to get a better fit, and under the nickel plating it was brass colored. Possibly parts of the turnout rails are brass, and parts are white metal. In either case, it seems they will not rust outdoors.
That is really weird, one part of their site states nickel silver… but I’d guess you are right, not steel…
Greg
That’s what I wanted to know. Thank you.
BTW, how have the ties (sleepers) been holding up to UV light?
Joe Zullo said:
That’s what I wanted to know. Thank you. BTW, how have the ties (sleepers) been holding up to UV light?
I wouldn’t trust them in U.V., Joe. All my outdoor B’mann track is under a polycarbonate overhang where it’s fully U.V. protected. That plastic doesn’t look or feel like the stuff LGB used. LGB’s plastic was the same stuff developed to make plastic waterpipes in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. I’m not making this up, BTW.; I looked into it a couple years ago…
So, what can you do now? Parrafin protects cotton tents and fiberglass canoes from U.V. I believe a coat of outdoor Latex will also protect, esp if the pigment is earth-based.
BTW, I’ve developed a technique for making straight track (sort of) from B’mann curves…
John Le Forestier said:
Joe Zullo said:
That’s what I wanted to know. Thank you. BTW, how have the ties (sleepers) been holding up to UV light?I wouldn’t trust them in U.V., Joe. All my outdoor B’mann track is under a polycarbonate overhang where it’s fully U.V. protected. That plastic doesn’t look or feel like the stuff LGB used. LGB’s plastic was the same stuff developed to make plastic waterpipes in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. I’m not making this up, BTW.; I looked into it a couple years ago…
So, what can you do now? Parrafin protects cotton tents and fiberglass canoes from U.V. I believe a coat of outdoor Latex will also protect, esp if the pigment is earth-based.
BTW, I’ve developed a technique for making straight track (sort of) from B’mann curves…
Thanks for the tips John. I won’t be putting them outdoors until the spring, but I will be protecting the plastic ties.
You wrote: BTW, I’ve developed a technique for making straight track (sort of) from B’mann curves…
Sure, stick this tid bit in your post and then just leave us hanging!
I have had both the bachman hallow stuff and turn outs outside here near Syracuse NY for 5-6 years now.
I’m battery power so there’s no need to clean the track from the hallow stuff.
The switches have not rusted whatsoever, I’d take pictures but there’s a foot of snow over the rails right now
Mark,
That’s good to know. How have the ties held up? any UV damage?
I haven’t noticed any deterioration in the ties whatsoever
My track is well ballasted and only the top part of the ties are exposed, I use polymeric sand as ballast, which is sand with a glue added that adapts to moisture and allows flexibility with the weather. Using this product the ties probably get a bit of extra strength from the ballast as it is basically glued to it.