My layout consists of 3 interconnected peninsulas in the shape of an ‘E’, with a large industrial branch and yard in the center. This is the most complex trackage on the layout, as well as the oldest. It has endured years of abuse, i.e., being cleaned with bright-boys and other abrasive methods, since I had not yet joined this forum and read of the damage that can be caused.
What I’m wondering is: Can this scratched track be repaired enough so that I can run non-sound-equipped* DCC locos on it? It works ‘tolerably’ in regular DC mode, though I do have to give an occasional nudge but that doesn’t bother me too much. I’ve read where some people claim that if one’s track isn’t surgically clean, the decoder can’t interpret the signal properly and the loco often races off on its own. [This actually is one of the reasons I’ve been dragging my heels about connecting my command station to the layout.] This is ~100 linear feet of nickle silver track with ~20 turnouts; in my present situation it’ll be several years before I have the money or the time available to completely replace that amount of trackwork.
Sound-equipped locos would always be restarting so that’s not an option
If it doesn’t run well on DC, it won’t run any better or worse on DCC. When it’s all said and done, each type of power pushes electrons through the rail. It they can’t get through, the engines don’t run.
Absolutely! Some of my track is very old and was scratched up pretty badly. I first went over the track with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper followed by 800 grit then used a piece of stainless steel (two inch long piece of spoon handle) to burnish the railheads. You have to press down on it for it to work properly. This closes up any gauges in the railheads. You WILL feel a difference as you’re doing it. At first the ss will feel like it’s hanging up in places. After a couple of passes it’ll feel smoother. Continue until it feels right.
TRACK is TRACK. All it has to to is guide the wheels, and provide electricity to the engine motor.
What is between the track and motor is wheels, and maybe a circuit board. If you have directional lighting or DCC, you have a circut board. Electricity has to get to the motor through all that, to work.
Your switches can either work with DCC or not with DCC. Old Atlas switches, with a plastic frog, will work with DCC. Some other brands may not. Modifications can be made.
Brite-Boys have cleaned track for years - and is still the best for stubborn grime. Some have opined that scratches get contaiminated faster, but Metal wheels will ‘polish’ out scratches, so there is a vaiety of opinions - including oil on wheels collecting and spreading dirt.
I use whatever works, and have never heard of brite-boys ‘wearing’ out track, and if you have no ‘dead’ spots, cranky circuit boards should not reset. The best DCC Insurance I’ve heard of is to replace Athearn’s Iron engine wheels with nickel plated brass (JayBee or NWSL). I did for DC and the improved running and less sparking is a noticable improvement.
Switches/turnouts are going to be your biggest concern. One can never have ‘too good’ of switches, as they produce most derailments and problems. 20 switches are 20 potential ‘trouble’ spots in waiting. I went from Atlas to True-Scale to Shinohara, and now BK. Each step was an inprovement.
So…it appears that I should have at least adequate functionality on that old track, with a bt of remedial work in the more troublesome areas. Thank you all for the replies!
For more on preparing old track for a clean future, insert the word GLEAM in the search box.
Another useful material, if used carefully, is mag wheel cleaner, applied and rubbed in with cloth wrapped tightly over a block of wood, then wiped off with clean cloth.
Some of my track is as old as my rolling stock - plenty old enough to run for president. I wouldn’t hesitate for a heartbeat to connect a command station to it so some visiting fireman could run his out-of-scale, wrong gauge locomotive. (My 1:80 scale models of 3’6" gauge prototypes are all analog DC. It ain’t broke, so why fix it.)