Loco Wheel cleaing

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Does anyone have any hints, tips or tricks to clean the wheels on my “N” scale locomotive. Rather new to the hobby and just bought a used LifeLike GP38 that has rather dirty wheels and doesn’t seem to perform as it should.
any help is greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks in advance!

2

build a section of test track, perhaps a foot or foot and a half long on a piece of plywood. Hook up power. Get some paper towels and soak an area a little wider than the track in a commercial track cleaning product. Run the engine so that it more or less coasts over the paper towel, or hold the engine so that one truck is over the track and the other is over the dampened paper. I think you will find that dark gunk gets deposited on the paper. Then do the other truck in the same way. Rotate the paper towel so you aren’t redepositing dirt on the other wheels. I think you’ll find this works reasonably well. BUT … if the problem persists then you really need to address the root cause which is dirty track, and that in turn might mean a bigger project of dirt-proofing your train room.
Dave Nelson

3

Try this site for additional hints.
http://www.ttx-dcc/technews_machine.htm

That’s an underscore line_between technews_machine

4

Thanks for your help Dave
I’ll give it a try and see how it works!!!

5

Thanks for the link!! I’ll check it out!
Thanks again!!!

6

Good method, Dave, I use this one too. I added one ‘feature’ as well, on the area I use for the paper towel, I cut about a dozen sharp edged shallow grooves right across the track, about every 1/16", which gives a little ‘tooth’ to the process.I use this without the towel first, to “machine off” the worst of the gunk, dry.
To cut these grooves, one could use a razor saw if they don’t have a Dremel.
regards / Mike

7

Hi

I tried to connect to the addres you gave (http://www.ttx-dcc/technews_machine.htm )
about wheel cleaning but it didn’t work. Could there be something missing in the string of characters ?

Martin

8

Good idea Mike
Some people use handi wipes (Fabric) rather than paper towel for the greater “tooth.”
Of course cleaning loco wheels is just one part of the process – what is making them dirty? That opens up bigger topics
Dave Nelson