i have just recently laid all my track for my new layout. i am having issues keeping the track clean. i have not used any abrasive products on it as it is brand new rail. all the equipment had its wheels cleaned before going on the new layout. i am finding after i clean the rail after a day or so or running i have to clean it again. the layout room is not that bad an environment. any suggestions to beat the age old problem?? i thought with new track i would not have this problem but it seems awfully bad for new track.
Are you running rolling stock with plastic wheels? This can be one of the biggest sources of dirt. Also, could you have over-lubricated your engines or rolling stock wheels? Oils on the wheels will also cause dirt issues.
What is your evidence that your track is getting dirty? Did Martha Stuart come over and white-glove it? Or, are you getting a lot of stalling and poor contact, and things work better after a cleaning? I’ve had the second problem. The issue, as it turned out, was poor electrical connections inside the trolley that was experiencing trouble. Yes, cleaning track helped, but once I fixed the connections I found cleaning wasn’t necessary as often. Another problem which might masquerade as dirty track is poor power distribution. Heavy bus wires and lots of feeders are the solution here.
I use Martha Stuart’s Hors D’oeuvres cookbook frequently, by the way. It’s a solid and heavy hardcover volume, and it’s just perfect for weighting down foam roadbed and track while the glue dries.
What are you using to clean the track? Some products that are recommended for cleaning track, such as Goo-Gone, leave a sticky film that just attracts more dirt to the rail.
You may need some more feeder wires to the rails. I don’t use any abrasive track cleaners, but when I clean the rails I use a piece of cork roadbed to wipe the rails. I also run a slider car with a masonite pad to clean the rails in each train I run. I only use 70% Isopropal Alcohol or LL’s blue track cleaning liquid when I do a thorough cleaning about every two months…
I think there is a difference between ‘dirt’ and oxidation. It sounds to me like you are dealing more with oxidation which is not really a huge issue performance wise. Backing up the good advice you’ve already received, a good wipe with a clean rag moistened in alcohol should be all it takes. If you’re still having problems it probably is not an issue of cleanliness.
I used to have the same problem until I used the GLEAM process back 2006. Since then I’ve only had to give the track a good cleaning only once. Usually all I have to do is give it a quick wipe with a clean dry cloth, and that’s only if the layout hasn’t been used in some time. You can learn more about this process by doing a forum search for GLEAM.
Dan, I’m curious as to what you mean by the above statement. These “I can’t keep my track clean” threads pop up frequently and we usually find that the layout is in a garden shed, along with six cats and a commercial-sized deep fryer. [;)][(-D]
As Lance mentions, oxidation shouldn’t pose a problem - simply wiping the rail with a cloth or your finger and getting a black streak doesn’t mean that the trains won’t run well.
If you’re running with DCC, it can be a little “fussy” as to the cleanliness of the track, but on my DC-powered layout, I run mostly plastic wheels, have no power bus for about 200’ of mainline, and only a single pair of fairly light-gauge wires connecting the power pack to the rails, yet I never clean track except following ballast work or after applying scenery near the track.
For those that do have track cleaning issues, Jeffrey’s suggestion of GLEAMing your track seems to offer some promise.
If you are going to use alcohol to clean your track, use denatured alcohol. The Isopropyl leaves a film, even the 90% stuff. For awhile we were using Isopropyl at the club I belong to – we were having to run a track cleaner car every hour during open houses because the track was getting dirty quickly. After an hour into the last open house, I poured denatured alcohol into the track cleaning car. Viola! We ran it once and the track did not need another cleaning the rest of the open house (four more hours of heavy operations). Isopropyl = hourly cleaning. Denatured = 1 cleaning every four hours. I use it on my home layout – I don;t have to clean the rails very often. I think it has been 5 or 6 weeks since the last cleaning You can purchase denatured alcohol in hardware stores and at some pharmacies. Give it a try – I think you will like the results.
After cleaning the track Do a spray of CRC 2-26 on one spot and run the trains for awhile. A club near me claims they only clean once a year and the CRC is what allows them to do it. when you run the trains it puts a coat on the railheads.
I believe in using WD40 on the rails, a little goes a long way. I wipe some on the rails and let the train spread it out, it had reduced the amount of track cleaning considerably.
i have heard of people using clipper oil on the rails after cleaning and i am curious how this would not lead to more oxidation. is the oil conductive??? or is it just enough to stop the rails from oxidising. my layout room is under the house. in a clean room with sealed walls. dust is not an issue.
Try the CMX track cleaning car from Tony’s Train Exchange. You can use isopropyl alcohol, I prefer Acetone. Be careful, it is flammable, but you don’t use much.
You will probably need to run 2 locos together, because this thing is HEAVY. It works great, but will drag slightly over wood grade crossings. If you put the track cleaning car between the engines you are cleaning the wheels on the trailing engine.
Keep runnings trains, and use metal wheels. Both of these also help keep the track clean.
The reason it doesn’t lead to oxidation is that it puts a barrier between the bare metal and the air (which holds the oxygen) The CRC I noted earlier is conductive so works a little better, but applied thin enoug, the clipper oil will work as well.
I use a CMX car, too. As they recommend, I use lacquer thinner as the cleaing fluid. I’ve used isopropyl alchohol, too, but I find the laqcuer thinner works better. If you adjust the drip rate properly, you won’t get much of a smell, either. Still, I’d advise doing it on a nice day when you can open windows and provide good ventilation.
I have to use two subway motor units to pull my CMX around in the tunnels. I did find that the car is a lot easier to pull with the lacquer thinner than it is with alcohol. Besides the weight, the cleaning pad adds a lot of friction, and the thinner is just a better lubricant for the pad.
IMHO, plastic wheels causing the build up is a myth. I converted around 300 cars to metal wheel sets and the track still get dirty.
Far as Gleaming the rails, I am just to lazy and track is just to big at 300 feet plus. If I knew about gleaming when I got started I would have done it. So I use the lazy way of keeping the track clean. On my 2 mains I run a Train Line tracking cleaning car in each train. I bought them a few years ago and they where around $13.00 each and I bought 3 of them. I think they are around $18.00 now.
I still have to clean engines wheels, but only about ever 30 hours of run time. Heavier engines wheels seem to stay clean longer. I think the gunk is caused by arching between wheels and rails when the wheels are not tight against the rails.