Atlas Code 55 Flex Corrosion: Lets Talk About That

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've finally decided to bring up a topic that's been causing me a bunch of "analysis paralysis" on my layout: surprising corrosion of Atlas Code 55 flextrack.

I know I discussed it in my build thread, but I've had an incredibly frustrating amount of green "oxide" appear in my ballast. But then I realized it's happening elsewhere where there isn't ballast.

Originally I thought it was something to do with my grout but after seeing it ALSO appearing on unsceniced/unballasted track, I thought there might be something bigger afoot. This was track hit with a little white glue and water to hold it down, but nothing else.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Take a look at the closer track.

Do you see how it's corroding?

I'm afraid of keeping it in place and having to deal with bigger issues down the road AND the corrosion leaching into my scenery work as it has elsewhere.

Has anyone else had this issue? Did I get a bad batch?

[garethashenden]

How long ago did you glue it down?

Just to be clear, I see corrosion that looks kinda like ballast on the web on the nearest rail. Is that what you're referring to? There's also a smooth greenish something in the web of the further rail.

I know PVA (white glue) reacts with lead to cause corrosion. It will generally cause yellowing on nickel silver, but it should cause the green corrosion you're seeing. Although, copper corrodes to green, so you may have higher than normal copper content?

[C855B]

I remember us talking about the possibility of something in the grout. If it's any help, I made a cause->effect connection with the Titebond II I was using for the same thing and subsequent corrosion of Micro Engineering track, and it's also a PVA.

The degree of polymerization of polyvinyl acetate is typically 100 to 5000, while its ester groups are sensitive to base hydrolysis and slowly convert PVAc into polyvinyl alcohol and acetic acid.

Acetic acid leaching out might be our culprit. I switched to Titebond I (aliphatic resin) and have had no issues. Frankly, my earliest trackwork with TB-II is the worst with this. I can never seem to be able to clean certain sections sufficiently to eliminate the stuttering with some locos. As much as I detest redoing work, the problem spots are on the list for replacement.

[basementcalling]

I remember you posting about this a while back, Ed. Sorry it's continuing in a new place. Tell the ballast crews to stop getting their rocks off and shipping them to a hazmat landfill. Looks like another culprit is to blame. Sorry, but no idea what might be causing it.

It reminds me of the old episode of the Different Strokes episode when Dana Plato's character washed her hair with rainwater collected in a bowl. Her hair turned green from the acid in the rain water being in a bowl with copper in the metal.

And today the girls dye their hair green with lime kool-aid.  How times have changed.

[garethashenden]

I *think* that matte medium such as Modge Podge or Liquitex is not PVA and shouldn't cause these issues. But I can't find a clear definition of what it actually is...

[C855B]

BTW, easy test. Don't even need test strips this time. Take a piece of rail and soak it in vinegar - that's what acetic acid is. If you get your green corrosion, there you have it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

How long ago did you glue it down?

At least a year ago.

Just to be clear, I see corrosion that looks kinda like ballast on the web on the nearest rail. Is that what you're referring to? There's also a smooth greenish something in the web of the further rail.

I know PVA (white glue) reacts with lead to cause corrosion. It will generally cause yellowing on nickel silver, but it should cause the green corrosion you're seeing. Although, copper corrodes to green, so you may have higher than normal copper content?

That's the stuff!

And yes, the reason this is so distressing is because I have a bunch of this stuff mixed in with "old stock". I have similar issues with the need to constantly be cleaning it. It took a while to realize that it seems like it's only the track that has this issue that seems to need cleaning before EVERY time I run it. The other stuff seems fine.

I'll try the vinegar test and see what comes of it.

[MetroRedLine]

Is this unique to only the flex track? I've had Atlas Code 55 track in my layout for 18 years now (turnouts and a few sectional pieces) and don't have anything like this. I will say though that all my flex track is Micro-Engineering Code 55.

[jdcolombo]

FWIW

I've had Atlas Code 55 track down and ballasted for 12 years that does not show any kind of corrosion.  Ballasted with a 50-50 mix of white glue and water.  Ballast is from Arizona Rock & Mineral.  Layout is in the basement, and it goes from bone dry in winter to 50% humidity in summer (I use a dehumidifier in summer or it would be even higher).

John C.

[shark_jj]

My experience is similar to JDColombo.  My Atlas Code 55 has been on 3 layouts over a span of almost 20 years.  I use diluted white glue to attach the ballast.  I haven't seen any corrosion.  My ballast used to be Highball, now I use Scenic Express.  All I've experienced is the plating coming off some of the frogs on turnouts.

[peteski]

Is the problem track from a recent batch?  If yes, I wonder if Atlas' factory changed the composition for their nickel-silver alloy?

[Scottl]

Never seen this before on several batches of Code 55 spread out over 15 years.

I use Matte Medium, never PVA. 

Looks like acid corrosion.  Can't comment on PVA, other than to say it is water soluble so not a very secure solution. Possible the factory left a manufacturing coating of some kind on the track that is specific to your batch.  All speculation, but washing track with a baking soda solution might prevent future corrosion.  Ironically, grout should be alkaline and have the same effect.

[Bill H]

Ed;
I have operated a lot on two well known extensive well documented layouts that have had Atlas code 55 laid down for perhaps twenty years. As others have remarked, the only issues seem to have been the disappearance of plating on the tops of the frogs. FWIW, I only glue down track with scenic cement / matte medium and have used both ARM and Woodland Scenics ballast. No issues.

By any chance, could whatever flux that you use that was not absolutely cleaned off after soldering feeders or track joiners, been dragged down the rails by cleaning and left some deposits that later caused the corrosion?

Kind regards,
Bill

[bman]

All my code 55 flex is over 10 years old and no issues. I will say that we have a code corrosion spots on Atlas code 80 track on our club layout. Oddly enough where one of our more careless members spilled his can of Coke twice. This happening AFTER I told him (not too politely) to get it off the layout. I cleaned the spots best I could but the acids used to make Coke did their thing over the past 10 years. So maybe something spilled on it somewhere in it's lifetime between production to being g installed on your layout, or possibly Flux from any soldering you may have done like mentioned above.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've been using Atlas Code 55 flex for 20 years too. This has never cropped up before.

And it's not happening to all of my track, but I think it's prevalent in an entire batch I picked up around the same time two years ago or so.

So I'm thinking there's an issue with that batch.

I'm about to run some experiments on pieces of old vs new. I'll let everyone know how it goes, of course.