how long will Bachmann g scale track last outside

[gringolandia]

I have heard that my track will NOT hold up in outside use....is that true

[ABC]

I don't know exactly how long it'll last, but it is for indoor use only, so I'd guess not very long if it is exposed to the elements.

[gringolandia]

Thanks for your reply...I am now the proud owner of hundreds of feet of semi-worthless track. What would you suggest as a replacement? My weather is tropical with rain only from June to September.....I cannot cover the track and actually don't want to cover it...thanks

[NarrowMinded]

List it on ebay lots of folks want to expand their Holiday train set.

NM

[Jim Banner]

Your indoor-only track is not worthless.  It is popular for making indoor large scale railroads.  Check out the prices on eBay.

Outdoors people usually use track with brass or stainless steel rail.  Unfortunately, when the US is at war, the price of copper and brass get quite high so brass rail has become expensive.  Stainless steel rail always has been expensive.  That leaves nickel-silver rail and aluminum rail.  Nickel-silver is even more expensive than brass or stainless steel.  But aluminum is quite low cost.

Most people shun aluminum rail because the surface oxidizes quickly, particularly when electrical arcing occurs in the presence of oxygen, as found in air.  But some of us have learned the secret of using aluminum rail and use it quite successfully.  In one word, that secret is oil.  Oil is used inside many electrical devices where contacts would otherwise tend to arc when they open.  The oil suppresses the arcing.  When locomotive pickup wheels roll over a bit of dirt on the rails, they lose contact, creating a little arc.  And with oxygen available, the arc makes patches on black oxide on the surface of the rail.  This black "dirt" builds up, causing more interruptions of the power, more arcing, more ... well, you get the idea.  A very thin layer of oil on the tops of the rails suppresses the arcing, helping to keep the rails clean.

Not surprisingly, too much oil interferes with traction.  But if the layer of oil is thin enough, there is still metal to metal contact between the wheels and rails and no traction is lost.  There are many "conductive oils" sold a hobby shops including Labelle 108, Conducta-Lube, and others.  Other light weight, non-oxidizing oil will work too.  A classic is Wahl Hair Clipper oil which has been used by model railroaders for at least 50 years.  A couple that do not work are 3-in-1 oil (too heavy) and WD-40 (not a lubricating oil.)

Much of the large scale rail used outdoors is code 332.  This means the rails are .332 inches high.  Aluminum rail is also available in code 250 which is 1/4" high.  This is closer to scale size and is a bit cheaper as well.  I used code 250 aluminum rail extensively on my outdoor layout and regularly walk on it, push a wheel barrow over it, and drive a garden tractor over it.  In the past ten years, the only damage it sustained was caused by dropping a head sized rock on it.  Aluminum track is available from Aristo-Craft Trains.  See their catalogue at:
http://aristocraft.com/catalog/index.html

I used code 250 aluminum rail and 1/2" spikes made by Mico Engineering and available from Caboose Hobbies:
http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/index_brief.php

Micro Engineering aluminum rail is harder than most and stands up better out in the garden.  I spiked this rail to cedar ties glued to a baseboard as per this article:
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/construction/lsbuild/lstrack.html

Jim