what kind of track cleaning cars are the best? and what kind of liquid ( goo gone, alcohol , etc, ) is best to use?
thanks
glenn
Ghee … I was planning to ask the same question today !! 
Glenn,
I don’t have a track cleaning car but I have used goo gone and it workd really well.
Hi Glenn, I’ve used a Centreline track cleaner with a squirt of ‘Railzip’ on the
roller, I’ve also used an Aztec track cleaner fitted in a Micro-trains boxcar,
this is a big rubbing wheel. Both have done the job although I prefer the Aztec
as it’s easier.
Hope this helps.
i made two slider cars from roundhouse 50’ boxcars that have 1/8" masonite pads that slide on the rails. they keep my rails clean and really pick up quite a bit of dirt. i also run them once a week on my clubs n scale layout and have not had to wipe the rails with any cleaning liquid or brightboy. i also made some for my clubs ho layout and the track has not been cleaned in quite awhile and the layouts are only operated once a week at most.
A-Line makes inexpensive masonite-pad cleaning kits you can mount below a boxcar of choice – same concept as Retsignalmtr’s. I wet the pads with isoproyl alcohol.
Aztec web site
http://www.aztectrains.com/
I’ve used Goo Gone and it does the job, but sometimes there are weird spots on my nickel silver rails that the product does not clean. I then revert back to the old Bright Boy for those rare and weird spots. The problem with Goo Gone is that the finger that’s pushing the rag eventually gets sore. If you plan on doing your entire layout in an evening you’ll eventually wish you were an octopus. I’m also using the boxcar with the pad, but I don’t feel it does as good a job as the Goo Gone.
I figured that out also.
does goo gone have any negative side effects on the track or engines that may go over it? because i was wondering about a better way to clean my track aswell
GUNK! Especially on any plastic wheelsets. Please don’t use the goo gone.
Do a search for rail polishing. Use metal polish and clean track once every few years.
I know of one that is made to lead the way. Its disguised as a GP40 locomotive or an F unit. By pushing it, your powered wheels stay clean. It uses no liquids. Its called the Stealth Track Cleaner.
www.jamcreations.net
Masonite pads under 50’ boxcars - easy and inexpensive. When they start to get dirty, just sand them off. I run a seperate track cleaning train consisting of two 50’ boxcars with 1/8th masonite pads dragging underneath. (A Centreline track cleaning car was added later after I purchased a used at a local train show.)
I agree about NOT using Goo Gone. When used for its intended purpose, I found it leaves a film of some kind that needs to be washed off. I too use (99% pure) isopropyl alcohol on the roller of the Centreline car and for cleaning locomotive wheels periodically. I never thought about using it on a masonite pad. I’ll have to try that.
As for metal cleaners that have to be used only - how many years??? Stick with the masonite pads!
Lastly, METAL wheels help tremendously in keeping the tops of your rails shiny.
Marty on Vancouver Island
hahaha where’s the “GLEAM” guy.
Also take a look @ this web page,
http://www.lux-modellbau.de/html_uk/gleis.htm
For HO they work real great.
cabegye
how ironic goo gone cause goo well thnx for the heads up.
I use cars with masonite pads, and a pair of Centerline track cleaning cars. one of the Centerline cars has a wet roller (I use Goo-Gone), and the following car is dry.
I model HO scale in Australia and use a track clean product similar to isoprol alcholol. I run 2 different cleaners 1 circular felt pad under a water tank caboose Approx 20 year old. 1 a modified santa fe boxcar with a wonder wipe wrapped around a metal filled condiut that fits up into the boxcar and rolls with the direction of travel similar principal to the centerline trackcleaner. 3 masonite board with 4 nails suspended from another 50ft boxcar. these are run approx once evry month and do a good job. any stubborn spots I polish with a handhele masonite and ply polishing board I made from the scrap box. These can be run with loco pushing or pulling depending on how you want the consit to look. I also run metal wheels on all rollingstock to stop the problem of plastic melt from the alcholol cleaner.
thanks for the input everybody. somewhere someone suggested a piece of cork and mothers mag polish. then take another clean piece of cork and clean off the track with it. worked really well. you know how it is. … I just want to run trains and skip the work part of it.
thanks again.
glenn