Lionel Aluminum Track (Not Tru-Track)

Photo please.

How do you know it's aluminum? Have you weighed it in comparison to regular track?

Have you checked it with a magnet?  I have some Lionel 027 track that looks like could be made of aluminum.  The ties are a very light grey color and the rails a dull "alum" color due to the plating they applied. And, it is a very lightweight track, but is made of ferrous metal under the applied plating.  Use of a magnet will confirm beyond any doubt.  Unless it is stainless...… very doubtful.

Jesse

I was with Glenn last night and it is absolutely aluminum track. I remember reading about it years ago but the memory is foggy. I also saw some of it in a blister pack. It's very light weight.

Steve

I have seen what looked like aluminum track in battery operated sets made by Schilling.

Interesting...!!

Jesse

Oh ye of little faith! Here's a couple of photos, note the weight: 0.80 oz.

Do the pins look like they might be brass or possibly gold anodized? That picture shows exactly the kind of track I have found in Schilling battery sets.

See eBay auction numbers and zoom in on the track.  193248273898  and   113942504504

Is it Lionel track, or Lionel-compatible track (as with Marx)? You stated that the ties are not marked.

Lionel is a brand.

Magnet test performed?

That does not look like Lionel track.  Maybe Lionel-compatible track made by some other company; but not Lionel.

Stu

You have to try a magnet. Some carbon steel is heavily alloyed for lightness but is still steel.  Use the magnet test !

Or look for rust or see if caustic solution dissolves  it.

Charlie

That’s not Lionel track. Try the magnet test to confirm it’s aluminum, then report back here. If it is aluminum, it’s likely Schylling, as RoyBoy suggested.

Jim R. posted:

That’s not Lionel track.

Correct, that was not made with Lionel tooling. The ties are wrong, the pins are different(resemble Marx more).

Me thinks it IS MARX!  The why is because as a kid, my older cousins GENEROUSLY gave us their postwar trains. The trains came from at least 3 different families and it was a mix of Lionel, Flyer O, and some Marx.  When I saw that picture of the piece of track I was instantly taken back to about the year 1962,. I strongly remember having a few pieces of that track.

Lionel used black colored insulating paper not brown.

They used brown too.

And "grey" and neutral/buff

That is not the common grey tied 0-27 mentioned.

Maybe Saki?

Thanks to all who replied. "Upon further review" and looking at pictures of Schilling track, it looks like what I have is indeed Schilling. Did Lionel manufacture it for them? The rail profile, ties, crimping, and track pins all look identical to Lionel designs.

Any offers for the lot of 9 plus shipping?

It’s Schylling, not Schilling, and it’s an American toy company that made trains in the modern era.

Nothing hard about making track. Lionel didn’t make track for other companies, especially if it would have had to obtain different materials to do so.

Jim R. posted:

It’s Schylling, not Schilling, and it’s an American toy company that made trains in the modern era.

Nothing hard about making track. Lionel didn’t make track for other companies, especially if it would have had to obtain different materials to do so.

Here is a Schilling set box. It’s at the bottom of a pile, so I cannot verify what type track it has.

Steve

GIO posted:

...The rail profile, ties, crimping, and track pins all look identical to Lionel designs...

 Not even close.

ADCX Rob posted:

Jim R. posted:

That’s not Lionel track.

Correct, that was not made with Lionel tooling. The ties are wrong, the pins are different(resemble Marx more).

Jim R. posted:

It’s Schylling, not Schilling, and it’s an American toy company that made trains in the modern era.

Read the box.

There may be two different companies being discussed. The early 50's company making the battery set with aluminum track is Schilling. The modern company making the windup toys could be Schylling.

I stand corrected. That’s not the Schylling company I know. The J.L. Schilling company apparently is a less renown company than Schylling, the maker of classic toys. 

Maybe Sakai