For about the same money you can get nickel silver rail from Aristo. It will
take on a beautiful brown patina AND remain electrically conductive. I use
N/S on my elevated track and illuminate the passenger cars behind the Hudson
or K-4 when night running. One advantage of N/S over stainless is the ease of
soft or silver soldering the N/S and the ease of machining, drilling,
tapping, etc. This is very handy if you are building turnouts, etc. You can
get 8' lengths of brass, aluminum. S/S or N/S rail shipped via UPS and use
Aristo of LGB flex ties.
I do not manufacture N/S rail any more, so I have no monetary interest in
either the rail or ties. Aristocraft Trains does manufacture and market a
rail bender based on my design and I do get a small royalty on the benders.
Keep your steam up!
Walt & Lunk