All About Aurora Postage Stamp Trains
Genuine Track
Although it's not done often (and if it is, it's usually by mistake rather than deliberate), it's easy to pass off modern track as Postage Stamp simply because Trix is still making it, and it hasn't changed much. While there are ways to determine if track is at least vintage, due to the long production history and broad distribution of these products, it's impossible to determine if any given isolated, unpackaged item was actually branded Postage Stamp.
Originally there were two distinct types of track that were virtually indistinguishable: one had rail made from a corrosion-resistant ferrous alloy,
and the other was traditional nickel silver (all switches, feeder tracks and crossings were always nickel silver). A magnet can be used to
identify which is which, since nickel silver is non-magnetic. Most 1967 train sets had the ferrous track, whereas
it was rarely found in later sets.
Vintage track can be identified by the text molded into the underside of the ties: "TRIX WESTERN GERMANY" and the catalog number, 49XX. The lettering style may vary slightly due to tooling changes. Modern stock simply says "TRIX."
Look for the correct rail joiners. Trix joiners are distinctive in that they have portions that extend vertically (which is why it's sometimes difficult to connect Trix with other brands of track). On new track, joiners should be straight and clean, and always mounted on the rail to the right when the track is viewed endwise.
One unmistakable sign the track is used: the rail joiners were replaced with the wrong brand (usually Atlas). Such track should not be sold as "new" or even "like new," but unfortunately it often is (caveat emptor).
Other signs of used track include splayed rail joiners (usually a result of joining Trix with other brands of track), joiners on the left or both rails, missing joiners, dirty or worn rail, missing or broken plastic spikes, enlarged nail holes, cracked ties, and glue on the underside.