I am look for advice on the purchase of a track cleaning car to use on my HO layout.
I have had minimal success with cars with simple pad cleaners and want to buy reliable track cleaner. Has anyone used the Atlas track cleaner with motorized vacuum, grinder and polishing inserts? T his looks like it might work. Or the Clean Machine Track Cleaning Car by CMX Products?
What have you been using?
Thanks
Ed
I have subways. From the beginning, I realized that cleaning tracks in all of those tunnels would be a problem. I bought the CMX machine, and I’ve been very happy with it. It is a heavy car with a pad cleaner on the bottom. The pad is fed by an adjustable-drip reservoir of cleaning fluid. They recommend either isopropyl alcohol or lacquer thinner, with the preference going to the lacquer thinner. I’ve tried both and now I will only use lacquer thinner. It just does a much better job.
I clean my track about 3 times per year. That’s all it needs. The CMX car is not designed to be added to a regular train and pulled around in “constant track cleaning” mode. It’s way too heavy for that, and the pad friction only makes it worse. In fact, I have to use 2 subway motor cars to push it.
Why tie yourself down to constantly cleaning track?
AT the risk of raising the ire of the forum gods, and perhaps some forum members, I’m going to recommend “gleaming” your tracks. Gleaming is a process of cleaning the tracks so they DON’T need to be cleaned again for a long time!
Here’s a link to a thread on gleaming on the Atlas forum: http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=54878
I heard about this procedure several years ago. Wish I could remember where! Being the eternal skeptic, I tried the method on a little used area of my small layout. I run trains every so often, but not enough to keep the rails clean. Any time I wanted to run trains, I had to clean the tracks first. After gleaming the small section, anything I put on that track ran well, even months later. So I gleamed the whole layout over two years ago. Haven’t cleaned the tracks since then. For the most part, I can put any train on the track and it will run without hesitation and stalling. If I occassionally get a stall or hesitation anywhere, I simply apply a bit of metal polish to the area and buff it out and I’m good to go.
It’s a time-consuming process, but, IMHO, well worth the effort.
Darrell, quiet…for now
Go with the CMX car it is the best and I have most all of them. The Atlas track cleaner works good for vacuuming, but that is about all.
I would echo the comments about CMX. I do it a little different, I have a worktrain, pulled by two powered units, with a gondola next carrying a few little track items like a brite boy, then a CMX car running fluid on the pad, followed by another gondola, followed by another CMX running a dry pad, followed by a brass drover car. An interesting sight. It runs across the railroad before each scheduled operating session.
I do not have the traction problem mentioned in the quote, with two of the cars running, but I have two Atlas GP38’s pulling.
Bob
I second what Darrell said. If you must use a track cleaning car the CMX is excellent
I noticed that I have more trouble pulling the car if I’m using isoproyl alcohol than when I use lacquer thinner. I suspect that the heavier, less volatile thinner acts as a lubricant, while the alcohol evaporates very quickly and the pads end up rubbing dry against the track.
I made my subway tunnels just barely high enough and wide enough to accomodate the subway trains, rather than building them to NMRA clearances. Close platform spacing is important so my passengers don’t have to be broad jumpers to get to the cars, and the low clearance lets me use shallower grades to get to the surface. This means I can only run subway motors down there - no road diesels. The road engines are heavier and more powerful, so I’m not surprised that I need more subway units to pull this thing.
I’ve heard wonderful things about the CMX track-cleaning car, but in my case (uninsulated garage layout in pollen-heavy territory), ‘wet’ cleaning is out of the question unless I want my tracks coated with a pollen ‘mush’.
For my particular situation, I’m extremely happy with the Atlas track cleaning car, especially the vacuum and polisher attachments. I run it about once every two weeks and it does the job just very nicely, thank you. But again, I have to ‘dry-clean’ my trackage if my MR hasn’t been used in a while. The Atlas is the answer to MY particular problem, but it might not work for everyone.
I’m also looking into the ‘gleaming’ process, but with a MR my size, I might be in a rest home before I get it all done.
Just kidding. [:P]
Tom [:)]
PastorBob said he uses “a worktrain, pulled by two powered units, with a gondola next carrying a few little track items like a brite boy, then a CMX car running fluid on the pad, followed by another gondola, followed by another CMX running a dry pad, followed by a brass drover car…”
WOW! What a collection of equipment! Two locos@ $80, two gons @ $20, two CMX’s @ $120 and a brass caboose @ ??? ($80?). That’s $500 worth of equipment! Just to clean track! Well, I guess if you have to clean track often just to run trains, it might be worth it.
I learned it was much easier to gleam the tracks once and be done with it for a long time (over TWO YEARS and counting now!). Let’s see, Mother’s Mag polish, Wal-Mart, $5, stainless steel washer, $0.50, wet/dry sandpaper, $0.75/sheet, pieces of cork, $2 ( one strip gives you a lifetime supply) and a used disposable razor handle ($4 if bought new for the purpose). $12.25 versus $500. You make the choice.
Of course, as Tom pointed out, gleaming will take you quite a while on a large layout. Took me 3-4 days on my small N scale layout! Running a cleaning train around the layout takes time, too, especially if it has to be done often, so I’d say time spent may be equal in the long run.
$500 is almost TWO Athearn N Scale Big Boys! I think I’d prefer the Big Boys! LOL
PastorBob, I don’t mean to make fun of you and I intend no offense. Modelers are going to use whatever method of cleaning track that is comfortable and effective for them and I can’t and WON’T disagree with anyone’s choice. To each his own. But anyone who gives the gleam method a try will probably end up selling their track cleaning equipment. I know
[quote user=“dgwinup”]
PastorBob said he uses “a worktrain, pulled by two powered units, with a gondola next carrying a few little track items like a brite boy, then a CMX car running fluid on the pad, followed by another gondola, followed by another CMX running a dry pad, followed by a brass drover car…”
WOW! What a collection of equipment! Two locos@ $80, two gons @ $20, two CMX’s @ $120 and a brass caboose @ ??? ($80?). That’s $500 worth of equipment! Just to clean track! Well, I guess if you have to clean track often just to run trains, it might be worth it.
I learned it was much easier to gleam the tracks once and be done with it for a long time (over TWO YEARS and counting now!). Let’s see, Mother’s Mag polish, Wal-Mart, $5, stainless steel washer, $0.50, wet/dry sandpaper, $0.75/sheet, pieces of cork, $2 ( one strip gives you a lifetime supply) and a used disposable razor handle ($4 if bought new for the purpose). $12.25 versus $500. You make the choice.
Of course, as Tom pointed out, gleaming will take you quite a while on a large layout. Took me 3-4 days on my small N scale layout! Running a cleaning train around the layout takes time, too, especially if it has to be done often, so I’d say time spent may be equal in the long run.
$500 is almost TWO Athearn N Scale Big Boys! I think I’d prefer the Big Boys! LOL
PastorBob, I don’t mean to make fun of you and I intend no offense. Modelers are going to use whatever method of cleaning track that is comfortable and effective for them and I can’t and WON’T disagree with anyone’s choice. To each his own. But anyone who gives the gleam method a try will probably end up selling their track cleaning equipment. I know I did!
Just my 2 cents worth…no, make th
Thanks for your kind reply, Bob.
When I posted my last comment, I was worried that it might sound as if I were making fun of you and that is not what I intended!
As I said in my last post, everyone will have preferred methods of doing things, track cleaning among them. This is such a diverse hobby and there are no set-in-concrete ways of doing things. That’s one of the reasons why being on these forums is so interesting; you get to see how others are doing things and, occassionally, you get to share something with your fellow modelers.
Thank goodness there are modelers like PastorBob who not only freely share their knowledge and experience but also have a great sense of humor! It’s an honor to be on a forum with those kinds of modelers.
While I stand four-square in favor of gleaming, it isn’t going to be for everyone. It most certainly is not the ONLY way to keep your tracks clean. I think everyone can tell that I like it and recommend it highly.
Thanks, again, for your understanding, Bob.
Darrell, quiet…for now
Well,
The best track cleaner there is would be a Bright Boy Abrasive Track Cleaner. I’ve made some big messes on my tracks (acidentally) but never one that I haven’t been able to get off with a bright boy. But my layout is a 10ft long yard so cleaning it with a car would require alot of effort anyway (forward, back, foward, back, ect.).
As for cars, the CMX seems to be a popular choice (I’ve never used one) but the best I’ve used is a Centerline D30.
Just my opinion,
Jamie
Ed, I did the gleam method a few years ago on my N-scale garage layout and still had to clean with alcohol from time to time especially after summer when the layout would sit for months with no activity. It gets way to hot in the garage. I was turned on to a product called no-ox that treats the rails after cleaning. So “Gleam” then treat with no-ox. There is a member on a different site that treated his rails with no-ox 4-1/2 years ago and has not cleaned his track or wheels since.
Heres a couple links;
http://electrical-insulators-and-copper-ground-bars.com/no-ox-id-a.html
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/171-226
Make sure you get the no-ox id a special. There are similar products that are made for specific electronics metals.
When applying simply rub a very thin layer onto your finger, it will seem as though there is nothing but a film, and rub along the tops of the tracks, inside points at turnouts, on loco wheels, any moving contacts. Allow to sit and penetrate for at least 24 hours and wipe off with a dry scrap of t shirt or towel. You will get a gray/black residue. Now allow your locos to run for a spell, and they may have some slippage that will su
Spidge, I read the same thread about No-Ox that you read! It isn’t hard to believe that the poster hasn’t cleaned his tracks in almost 5 years!
But I expect to get the same results from gleaming. Every once in a while, I’ll have a train slow down on a section of track. A quick wipe with my razor handle/cork strip and a fast buffing with t-shirt pad gets me running again in no time! And my layout has been known to sit mostly unused for months at a time!
It’s because of all the idle time my layout experiences that I tried gleaming, almost in desperation! Before gleaming, nothing would make it around the layout unless I cleaned all the tracks by hand, usually with a brite boy (ouch!). Well, I didn’t know any better then and it was what I had always used in the past. I had tried most of the track cleaning cars. The problem was that I couldn’t get a train all the way around the layout with the track cleaning cars, so the cars couldn’t do their job.
When I read about the gleam method, I figured, I’ve been cleaning by hand all the time and it takes forever. Gleaming promises to keep the tracks clean once they are gleamed. I had nothing to lose except time. Needless to say, the process worked and worked well! Two years and more and I’ve yet not had the need to clean the tracks again. Just the occassional spot cleaning as mentioned above.
I have a jar of No-Ox that I bought shortly after gleaming the layout. It is sitting on my workbench shelf, unused and unopened! I was wondering if it could be used after gleaming without messing up the success that gleaming provided. I’m glad you reported your experience. I may have to try it myself. I suspect that the two processes will keep the tracks clean for a long, long time. One of the aspects of gleaming is to remove the surface scratches
Brief traction question when tracks are gleaned. Did any gleaners here notice a reduction in locomotive (especially steam) traction on steep grades? (3.5%-4%).
I’d think that all those little scratches and pits in track would help with traction if nothing else?
Is gleaned track like ice-skating for drivers with no traction tires on steep grades? Thanks.
[:-^]
Darrel, I believe the Captain is right. The word is GLEANING, not gleaming.
Johnboy out…
You and the Captain could be right, Johnboy. I’ve always heard the process referred to as “gleaMing” and that’s they way I remember it. Sort of a nmemonic thing, as in “keep your rails gleaming bright”.
“GleaNing” on the other hand, generally means picking up leftover crops from farm fields.
Either way you call it, I’m sold on the process. I will follow up on Spidge’s suggestion to use No-Ox after gleaming (or gleaning - grin!). Sounds like it would work well.
Darrell, quiet…for now
I use the CMX Clean Machine about once every 6 months or so. Like Bob I make a work train out of it. I would rather spend 20 minutes every 6 months running my work train then spending who knows how many hours polishing the rails on my track.
Well, TA462, if you have a huge layout, I can understand your feelings.
But be honest. After 20 minutes every 6 months, do you NEVER have any stalling or slowing problems in between cleanings? Even on the sidings?
If you rails are that good and stay clean in between your infrequent cleanings, just think how great it would be if you NEVER had to clean those rails again! And with the gleam method, you just might never have to clean again! Think about it. If your rails stay pretty clean with minimal or no problems in between cleaning, but eventually they still need to be cleaned, why not just eliminate the cleanings altogether by gleaming your rails?
How many hours will it take? Depends on your layout size, etc. But once it’s done, it’s DONE! How many hours did you spend getting the tracks right in the first place? Hours? Days? You put a lot of effort into that. Putting more effort into ensuring that your rails stay clean isn’t asking much.
But wait! You run your cleaning car as part of a work train. That means you have to schedule it in between the through freights and locals. That’s like the real railroads! That’s part of the fun of running a model railroad! Holy cow! Have I missed the point?
Okay, enough tongue-in-cheek humor. (Hey, is there a ‘smilie’ for that? LOL) TA462, you aren’t spending enough time cleaning your rails to make gleaming a real benefit. Why you don’t have to clean more often is a mystery, but your precedures keep you satisfied. Gleaming won’t do that much for you since you don’t have the problems many of us face with dirty track that won’t stay clean. More power to you! Hope you don’t mind some humor at your expense.
The rest of us may benefit fr
Based on the computer version of the New Oxford American Dictionary, it appears that “gleaming” is the word because it produces a surface that “shines brightly.” “Gleaning” refers to gathering, as noted previously.
Dante