any suggestions on keeping rails from oxidinsing and does oxidisation affect the flow of electricity?
thanks
pav
Metals(brass, silver etc) are subject to Oxidative degradation and can’t be eliminated.
It’s a chemical reaction caused by a combination of exposure to air, organic and external contamination.
I prefer to use MAAS, a two ounce metal cleaning/polishing paste tube at walmart for $3.50. This product is used by Boeing, McDonnell and most military branches. It put my expensive track cleaning cars on layoff.
I’ll second MAAS. Great stuff! Use it sparingly though.
Having a large layout with considerable hidden track is a constant chore keeping it clean. The best I have found to date is GooGone. I have a track cleaning car that has a roller with a paper wiper that I wet with the GooGone. I place the car in front of the engine and send 'er around the system. GooGone is a citric based product and is useful as a general cleaner/solvent, inexpensive and safe to use. It helps to keep the wheels clean as well. I have not had any reaction with plastics or other materials.
Before an operation session a couple of runs around the system and everything is a “go”. You may still need to clean a section using the usual methods occasionly but it will cut down on track maintance. With 300 feet of mainline (HO) to maintain, GooGone has been a blessing. It used to be that the frist hour of an operating session was spent cleaning track. Not anyh more.
Caution! Goo-gone leaves a film that will eventually gather more dust. If you use nickel silver track just take an old handkerchief and some diluted rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) and it goes pretty fast. Even a good size layout can be done in a couple or three hours. If the alcohol dries out your skin wear some cheap surgical gloves and/ or use skin lotion afterwards.
You seem to be posting quite a few beginner’s type questions on this forum, and there is nothing wrong with that. Might I suggest that you pick up some beginner’s books that will probably answer most of your questions? Nothing like having everything spelled out right in front of you to help. There may be many subjects that you have yet to touch upon that might be covered in the books. Check out this link to several books offered by MR:
http://store.yahoo.net/kalmbachcatalog/model-railroading-books-model-railroading-for-beginners.html
They list these books, which I would think would be a great help:
Basic Model Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby
HO Scale Model Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby
Just a thought. When I started in the hobby I did not have a forum such as this that I could ask about everything that popped into my head. I read about it, tried things on my own, and learned by doing.
Good luck!
Bob Boudreau