gargraves phantom track with DCS

No Gargraves, but I have Atlas-O and have had no problems so far with the black center rail, but some folks have had problems I think, don't know the cause. 

 

I don't have a permanent layout yet either, only a small temp layout with only one track feed and no isolation anywhere on the center rail. But, the larger more permanent one should be starting in a week or so when the bench work arrives.

Just polish it off if it's an issue.

 

If I polish ( I'm Polish) it off, why would I buy phantom track, if it needs to be scuffed up to operate DCS? I will just purchase Gargraves # 201 all tin plate, or other track,  and forget the black center rail.

Beats me, I'm just telling you what the conventional solution is.  We have pretty much knocked all the black off the center rail of the Atlas track on our modular layout, it causes issues with some locomotives.

 

Note that even though the top of the rail would be polished off, the sides would still be black.

 

We have a mix of Gargraves and Atlas track. We haven't sanded off any blackening and the trains run just fine. Atlas track has a coating of machining oil on the rails which should be cleaned off with Alcohol. Gargraves may have some, too, but it has been so long since we had a new box of Gargraves, I can't remember.

I have been using Gargraves phantom rail since 1980 and never had to remove the black off the center rail using Conventional, QSI, DCS and TMCC. Gargraves uses a different coating than the other mfg.'s. 

 

Clem

I've never heard of a need to remove the blackening on GarGraves phantom rail for any reason whatsoever. As Clem said, the GarGraves blackening is not like that of any other brand.

 

This is another one of those myths that seem to propagate themselves around the forum. It was found that the blackening had to be removed on early MTH RealTrax, so somebody decided to advise that all blackening should be removed from all track. Simply not true.

 

This one belongs right up there with the unfounded advice to use pink Styrofoam panels as a means of sound deadening, or that it is dangerously flammable, or that only the highest grade (and price) plywood is suitable for layouts, and ..... (the list goes on and on...)

 

Jim

 

I can only say that removing the blackening from Atlas track makes a significant difference, I've never dealt with the Gargraves. 

It would be nice to have a 'sticky' thread here somewhere that de-bunked all these myths. Would be good for all the newcomers (like me a couple years ago) so they don't get started with the wrong ideas. 

 

 

I have only had a couple small temp layouts (largest was about 5'x8') with Atlas track (bigger one is on the way), but I haven't had a problem with the blackening (so far anyway). Maybe it has to be a larger layout before it starts creating a problem?  I have run the temp layouts with DCS, just got Legacy last week and temp layout is down making room for the real one that's coming, so haven't tried Legacy yet. AFAIK, Legacy doesn't use the center rail like DCS I don't think? 

The black center rail has never been an issue on our layout. 3 mainlines with sidings, about 400' with Ross turnouts. My overhead ceiling layout has the same track, 75' loop and no issues with DCS there either.

I have been using Gargraves stainless steel track with darkened center rail & K-Line center rail darkened track and have no problem with DCS signal. So go ahead and use the track you want to use, just make sure all your batteries are up to full charge, even your remote control batteries. Most important is to make sure you have good electrical connections between track sections and run the wiring the way MTH suggests to run it.

 

Lee Fritz