Flickering headlights and passenger coach lights

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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[:-^]I was running trains early this morning at 4 A. M., I like early train runs and I noticed that my Broadway Limited coaches and my Re-worked Varney F unit; the lights were flickering which is unusual and I dreaded the thought of having to clean wheels and track. The train itself was running fine but the headlight and coach lights flickering just bothered me.

As I started to get the bright boy working I happened to gaze upon my Dollar General mist/spray bottle full of Alcohol and I decided to do something different. As the train was running I began to spray/mist the tracks with the alcohol solution, as I did so and the train continued to roll along without any problems; I noticed that the flickering began to abate. Now I know many modelers clean their tracks with alcohol, that’s nothing new but I was surprised that by just spraying the tracks as the train just rolled along things really began to improve, in fact the lights even got brighter and the consists electrical got a lot better just by simply spraying or misting the tracks ahead without rubbing or effort. Pretty easy. It did not seem to interfer with any of the electrical components nor did it disturb the ballast. The train ran for over an hour without a flicker and the track railheads seemed brighter as well.

Maybe an easy way to clean tracks and improve the headlights and coach lights.

Just an observation.

Robert Sylvester

Newberry-Columbia Line

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The alcohol on the rail head cleaned the wheels. And then you got better contact.

It might be good to wipe the rails with a paper towel.

Ed

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[:)] Thanks Ed, will do, but I like the idea of just misting the tracks and see how things really improved.

Robert

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Just do not use 90% alchol, it strips paint

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Applying a drop of alcohol directly to the rails might be better then spraying a mist over whatever it hits.

Mark Vinski

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Alcohol is 30% water. Routinely misting the the track just doesn’t feel right to me. I live in humid country. I might feel differently if I were in Phoenix.

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Alcohol has no water in it, by definition.

Water can be added. You then have an alcohol/water solution.

I’ve got some 99% alcohol. At least it is until the bottle is open.

Alcohol absorbs water from the air. Over time, it might go down to maybe 95%, depending on humidity. And evaporation of the alcohol.

Ed

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I have some 99% isopropyl, too. They were throwing it away at my employer. Actually paying Chemtron to haul it away. I did the right thing and helped save some money for the Company[A]

As others have mentioned, without actively removing the “gunk in solution” with a cloth or wipes of some sort, it is just going to get re-depositied to give you (more) trouble another day.

I like to run a CMX car with the 99% followed by a dry Centerline car for clean-up duty. 23 year-old layout, been doing it this way for years. Completely satisfied.

I run the cleaning train infrequently, maybe once every three months or so.

Cheers, Ed

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[I] Great idea Ed, thanks for the comments.

Robert Sylvester

Newberry to Columbia Line