Got dusty trains? Don’t know what to do about it?
Try…a ladies “make-up” brush!!
I got hooked on these back in the 1970s and have been using them ever since. They do an excellent job and won’t hurt small details. There are different types available from soft to course. (That brings up another topic which I will go into later)
If you have a problem with dust on your trains get yourself a couple of ladies make up brushes and give it a try, you’ll be surprised at what a nice job they do.
Mark
WGAS
I use an artist’s brush with long and soft bristles strictly for that one purpose…to dust off rolling stock and structures. I blow gently toward the brush to help the displaced material move away from nearby items.
Good tip.
Crandell
You will also be surprised at the looks you get at the makeup counter. [}:)]
Finishing of the interior walls and ceiling and also sealing/ painting any exposed concrete will help trememdously.
Exposed floor joists and untreated concrete floor of a basement can be the worst culprit.
I discovered a plain black makeup brush several years ago, didn’t actually know what it was intended for. A friend has one too, but his is bright pink - guess I’m better off! Large with soft bristles, works great.
But all of my models on my shelves are dust magnets and attract dust at an alarming rate. I only dust when I want to photograph them or other special reasons.
I had hoped the installation of an air exchanger with a HEPA filter a few years ago would cut back on the dust, but it doesn’t seem to help much. Lots of dust on the HEPA filter, but a lot on the models, computer and other electronic devices in my hobby room. No children or pets in our house, so I assume dust is manufactured in some other way!
I have the lady’s brush as well and it does a great job and it is one of those that fits into its own tube/ handle so it goes into the tool box without taking up a lot of space or getting damaged
I use a computer keyboard brush that I got as a freebie at an energy conservation fair once. It has long, soft bristles and works great.
I distinctly remember an episode of Cheers years ago where Cliff Claven said that one of the primary ingredients of dust is actually particles of dead skin! [+o(] This kind of makes sense if you think about it, because the dust seems to always accumulate in areas frequented by people, and not so much in closets and other sealed rooms. I’d guess another major ingredient is lint from clothes, which would also be a problem in areas where people hang around a lot.
On the contrary, my layout was in a room surrounded my concrete and barely any dust fell.
Tell that to the people in the plains states that went through the Dust Bowl in the thirties.
Around my place dust gets into drawers, and cabinets. Though mostly on every exposed surface in the house and garage/train room. It’s part of living in a semi rural area. So I have been using fine soft bristle brushes also. Just brush the dust onto the dirt areas so it does not show.[:D]
Buy cheap painters drop cloths (e.g. like the kind you get with your dry cleaning), put it over your layout when not in use; it will save you time , and, in the long run, money, too9
Jimmy
My layout is in a 2850 Sq. ft. basement, and dust can be a problem. I use two small Sears 2 gallon “Clean and Carry” vacuums. I hook one hose in backwards so that it blows and the other in normal vacuum mode. With one in each hand, the job becomes rather easy and effective. Then fine tune with a dust brush as discussed but aim the strokes into the vacuum. These units cost just over $20 each and are light weight…meaning that if you don’t have a helper to hold one unit, you may rest it on the layout assuming there is ample space.
It would help if your scenery is glued down first…especially ground materials or your are in for a world of hurt! Also ear plugs are recommended as two vacuums can sound worse than a Saturday lunch at a Chucky Cheese!
Note as in most now-a-day appliances, these are made in China, so don’t count too much on longevity…but they are inexpensive!!!
HZ
Howard’s right: the brush does a good job of moving the dust, but it doesn’t re-move it. My layout is in a finished room in the basement, and even with an un-treated concrete floor, dust is only a minor issue. I use the brush attachment on my shop vac, and, after removing all loose details (usually everything but scenery and structures) simply vacuum the ground, track and trains. I also vacuum the floor, rather than using a broom. This needs to be done only every 3 or 4 years.
Wayne
Hey… I forgot to mention…do not attempt to build a model railroad on an unsealed concrete floor as the dust is a killer. Wayne is lucky not to have this problem. Any good concrete semi-gloss basement floor paint will do, and is usually a mid value gray. Also exposed overhead floor beams are a dust magnet and will rain dust forever on your layout. A simple drop ceiling works well and also serves as a support for track lighting. With today’s laser levelers, this job is a cinch and well worth the effort and cost.
Another thing that works well for me is constantly running fans. I started using these to keep down the midew on my painted backdrops as Maryland in the summer months is like the tropics. I use four of these and they have been running without stop for over ten years. They cost around $12 each and a great invstment as I also discovered that they kept down the dust. Why? I do not have a clue, but the difference is dramatic.
HZ
Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear here, I use the make up brushes on my “equipment” and prehaps a few buildings. For the layout in general I use a Hoover Porta-Power with a special attachment I got years ago from Micro-Mark that slides in the end of the hose and reduces the hose to about the size of a quarter with a slotted end piece. I don’t know if these are still available from Micro-Mark or not but it was about $10 and well worth the money.
As I said though I use the make up brushes on my equipment as they do collect dust as time goes by and this allows me to clean them without destroying small details.
We live in a rural area so dust is just a fact of life here regardless of the precautions taken.
Mark
WGAS
“Dust is composed of animal and human dander, sloughed-off skin cells, mold spores, food and plant fibers and residue, insect parts, pollens, and other minute particles.”
http://www.allergynursing.com/questions2/dust.php
It is what it is 
W…
A little dust is unavoidable in any setting. However, when I started my current layout waaaay back in the basement in 1980, it was an unfinished area. So, I put in a ceiling, I carpeted the floor, I put up sheetrock, and finished the room before starting the railroad. Obviously I will still get a little dust, but I seldom have to remove it from the roofs of buildings, etc. I run a humidifier/dehumidifier, I keep clean filters in the furnace/AC equipment, I vac the carpet on a regular basis, and things stay pretty good except when I am doing scenery, but most of the scenery is done, so I only have redos at times.
A little planning of the environment will go a long way to keep it clean.
Bob
We have hardwood floors throughout the house and still have dust. I asked the painter who did the interior walls about the dust and his response was the stuccoed/ “knockdown” ceiling which is not really sealed, is probably the majority of the problem. He suggested that we seal the ceiling with a flat latex white ceiling paint to help reduce dust. He went on to say that continously running ceiling fans when either pull upward during the fall and winter months or pulling down during the summer, gradually remove “knockdown” or stucco particles that drop to the floor. We run ceiling fans continously all year long.
Hey guys n’ gals. Another useful weapon in dust control is the use of “Swif(f)ter” cloths or “Dust Ease” cloths available in the West at Safeway grocery stores. They’re chemically treated static attraction dust cloths with an aquarium filter cloth/gauze-y texture. You barely have to touch the surface to attract the dust to the cloths with very minimal wiping. They WILL snag easily on any protusions such as figures or roof details but they do very well, very quickly on larger open areas and smooth structure sides, etc.
I’m not sure if their static aspect can interfere with dcc electronics, etc. but I’ve had no problems and just turn off my DCC power before dusting, just in case.
They’re very effective and easy to use and if you haven’t used them for household dusting chores before this you probably will be sold.