I should start by telling you all what I have. This is my second model train (first is a 20’x30’ cable car loop in a closet) and it is unorthodox in every possible way. It is 84’ or so of HO track mounted at about 7’5" around my living room. There are curves (18, 22, 26, and 28 in various combinations), jumpers every nine feet, no switches or turn outs…so really a loop for what it is worth.
Benchwork is done, wiring is done, train runs…adding scenery at a steady clip, and it dawned on me I have no idea how to clean this track. Every time I work on it I spend an hour lugging furniture around because of it’s location (if I had room elswhere it would be there- I have easy access to about half of it), so I need to mostly clean with a car…
and they use laquer thinner. And my track is mostly plastic (because you cannot see any of it anhd it is well…EZ).
So- for my first post here I will post this question and then duck, because it has likely been answered before, but I cannot find where.
Thanks in advance
I had a similar problem, subway trains under ground. They would have been difficult to clean, so I bought a CMX car very early and I love it. I tried alcohol as a solvent, but after switching to lacquer thinner, I never went back. The trick is to adjust the flow rate to just keep the cleaning pad damp, not wet, and you should be pretty good.
I have a few grade crossings much closer to the railheads than the ties. The car will slowly remove the paint from styrene crossings. I always use plain gray craft paint for these and my roads, so touch-up is easy.
These are heavy cars, and the cleaning pad on the rails produces significant friction drag as well. Most of my layout is flat, but if you do have grades consider using two engines to pull this around.
And you know what? When I clean sidings and yards, it’s much easier to just push the car back and forth with my hand than to run it with my locos.
I would pour lacquer thinner outdoors or out in the garage to reduce exposure to vapor. It’s best to open a few windows if you can while cleaning the track, too.
Welcome to the Forums! Your first posts may take a while to appear, but after you post a few times, things go better.
Don’t worry about ducking. The search on these forums is difficult to use, and nobody minds answering questions.
Your railroad sounds interesting. We just had a complete thread on restaurants and stores that have elevated railroads near the ceilings of the businesses.
Most people who comment on the CMX car like them. I don’t know if they are safe for EZ track or not. I would think at the height of your layout, adjustment of the flow, or failure to turn it off could be problematic.
Google masonite track cleaning car. You can make one yourself or buy one from Walthers. At your layout, you can run it all the time and no one will notice the unprotypical pad.
Track cleaning is a frequent topic on the forum with strong opinions on gleaming, automatic transmission fluid (ATF) alcohol, lacquer thinner, bright boys. Google using the terms:
(I’m having issues getting this link to work… sorry! Just copy paste it I guess)
People there talk a lot about using the CMX car, so it will likely be of some use to you!
Don’t feel bad for starting a new thread on an old topic though, the search engine for the forums is kind of garbage, so finding old threads is challenging! Besides often starting a new thread often makes more sense as you’ll likely benefit more from advice tailored specifically to your experience. I’m certain the thread I linked above was probably like the hundredth on track cleaning!
I’ve been using a CMX for about 15 years and it works better than great. Early on I tried all kinds of cleaning fluids pretty much all of them worked. I ended up sticking with ACT-6006 track cleaner, it has a contact cleaner in it that helps rail to wheel power pickup.
The ACT-6006 has very little odor, (I can’t smell it but my wife can) it doesn’t harm plastic or cause wheel slippage. I normally push the CMX with a pair of E7 diesels, I have 3½% grades and the diesel wheels don’t slip pushing it up my grades.
Two passes once a month is all it requires and I live in a very dusty location.
I am an early convert to the CMX car. For years I used 99% Isopropyl alcohol. Recent information I’ve come across suggests mineral spirits as the cleaning agent and I have now switched over to this.
Perhaps the mineral spirits would have less of a reaction to styrene than the lacquer thinner. As others have stated, the evaporation rate and rate of drip don’t pose much of a problem BUT there will always be that risk of stopping the car and the solvent soaking the styrene roadbed.
Not sure of your question, but it seems it’s “is lacquer thinner ok with plastic ties?”
I’ve been using it for years, and have not had any problems.
I have lots of hidden track, so a track cleaning car was/is a must. BUT, I only need to clean the track a couple of times in a 6 or 7 month period. Usually the first time is when I start “model railroad season”, which is in November, and it usually ends about late May, as I have other interest and projects to do during the outdoor/construction season.
I don’t have the CMX car, too pricey for me, but I have a great “clone”, and I use the same pad material as the CMX car.
Thank you for posting- still not sure if what folks do will melt EZ track (I know alcohol won’t- looking for the go ahead on laquer thinner) …so more reasearch to do. More ridiculous than the search for these threads was the 35 hours I waited to get mine posted. This is such a great source of information…so badly managed. Oh well, back to my train.
Once upon a time, we had casual trolls and a few who seemed to target this site with vulgarity and personal insults. Back then, Kalmbach did not staff the site at all on weekends, and we had no volunteer member-moderators. Monday mornings were frequently used for cleanup and purging.
Things are better now, thanks to a lot of people. It’s not perfect, but what forum is?
99% Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol is what I use in mine. While not as quick as lacquer thinner, it has less odor, which is a big consideration as both myself and a family member have asthma.
It would not harm the plastic, but a puddle of it might discolor it.
As far as what will harm your roadbed, best bet is to try some of your intended fluid on a couple of lengths of spare track where you can see for yourself. Unless you flood the rails and it leaks down, any of the cleaners should be ok to use. “Your experience may vary”. Good Luck, J.R.
With a CMX car, regardless of the solvent you are using, it is very helpful to follow the tank car with a wiper car that will pick up anything the CMX pad leaves behind. It can be a roller, or one of the pad-equpped boxcars available, but you will definitely pick up residue.
