I know that I might be opening a can of worms here, but I’ll ask anyways as this is my first layout. What is the best way to clean and keep clean the track. Is it rubbing alcohol?. Thankfully my layout is only a 4 x 8, so it won’t be much of a chore.
Thanks in advance for your replies and help
Run a search on the board for the “gleam” process. I’ve tried it on a couple pieces of brass track and so far it’s doing well.
Nope, no worms here. A little patch of cloth wrapped around the end of your finger moistened with Goo Gone does well. A metel polish called" Flitz" applied to a cloth wrapped round you finger. A sort of abrasive eraser called a Bright Boy is one of the best cleaners and should be available at your LHS. If you use the metal polishes with that, the cleaning will last much longer. I’ve even used 400 sandpaper when I couldn’t find anything else. One can also equip a car with a pad to do regular maintenance work. The pad can be just a simple peice of masonite or hardboard with the edges rounded to keep from catching on turnouts etc. Or you could put some sort of solvent on the pad for really dirty conditions but that is not generally reccomended. Nothin like a little elbow grease tediously applied to keep things running smoothly though.
I had some old O gauge track from a 60’s set I had. I put some light compound on a buffing wheel and with a steady hand it loooked like new.
The very best thing is to run your layout often, but you like most of us don’t. I threw my brite boys away as they are just too rough, if you use abrasives you leave more grooves for gunk to get hold in and stay. 600 grit sandpaper and metal polish is the best, some have also said to wax the rails but I never did. I use fine sandpaper, metal polish, and since I don’t run very often I run a cleaning car with rail zip. The results are great. Goo gone works for removing the gunk but if not wiped up and complettely removed will leave a bigger problem.
“Gleam” those rails!!
Clean the track with 600 grit (or finer) sandpaper. Use a stainless steel washer to burnish the rails. Apply metal polish to the “gleamed” rails. (I use pieces of cork roadbed.) Clean the rails with a clean, dry, LINT-FREE cloth. You won’t be cleaning rails again for a loooooooong time!
600 grit sandpaper removes small scratches in the rails. The stainless steel washer “hardens” the tops of the rails. Use ONLY stainless steel, or you might leave metal filings enbedded in your rails. The metal polish removes ALL the dirt. It’s not an easy process, but you don’t have to clean the rails very often. I’ve heard of some modelers who haven’t cleaned their rails in years using this process.
Darrell, quiet…for now
Well it is almost 3 1/2 years since I have done ANY cleaning of my track (and I have 2800 feet to do).
Used metal polish way back in July of 2003 and have not had to clean the track since.
And YES I am running sound engines!
Now I do have to clean the engine wheels once in a while (every 2 or 3 months.
I used Blue Magic (Wal-Mart) and Mothers Mag Wheel polish (Wal-Mart & auto parts stores)
And no I did not/do not use any sandpaper, no matter how fine. Sand paper is an abrasive just as the metal polish is. I just rub the rails a little harder at that spot. (I have helped a lot of other modelers in the area do theirs when they finally got tired of continually cleaning their track).
We use a piece of old HO cork roadbed and spread the polish on it cork and then rub the rails. Use a clean piece of cork to buff the rails and then run the layout!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
I only clean certain sections of my board. There are a few dips here and there and the engine wheels do not make great contact so aftere a month or so a little black forms. I use a bright boy on those spots. But I run my board a lot, around 27 hours a week. Plus I am about 50% Proto Wheeled now so that cuts down on the gunk from plactic wheels.
Cuda Ken
As opposed to what others might say, I use 1500 grit sandpaper that I use over and over again, it will get nearly smoothe as glass over a time and does the job very well. I still am thinking of the gleem process, I feel my track is about as smoothe as it will get, I would not run any 600 grit as it is way to course. Mike