I lived in house and my railroad was in the basement. it was damp in there and now i have black looking oxidation on top of the rails. i have been cleaning off but it keeps coming back. i have a new railroad room at a new house now where its dry. i want to know if there is some kind of light oil or something to use to help prevent this.
Start with a good cleaning with 600 grit sand paper and follow up with a good wipe wit 91% alcohol. After that it should be just a wipe with alcohol now and then. Some use CRC 2-32 on one spot and let the trains distribute it. It puts a fine coat on the surface to prevent oxidation. Others will chime in with other methods including gleaming. But for now the sand paper and alcohol should have you running in no time.
The black will be carbon and other not-as-yet combusted organic material. Some of it is from lubes, some from house dust. It can be removed abrasively or with alcohol or with acetone or with WD-40, or paint thinner, and the best (apparently) is lacquer thinner.
The nickel silver rails do oxidize, but the material is actually largely conductive.
You might do well to do a process called gleaming. Do a search for that in “Search Community” using a typical syntax and you should find scads of threads on that process. It has a healthy following.
-Crandell
If I may ask what brand track is it and what code? I’ve seen this happen on several layout and in climate controlled basements on both occasions the track in question was Micro Engineering code 83 and code 70. I use ME code 70 in one of my yards and have some code 83 bridge track all over the layout and while speaking with one of the layout owners on the phone one night about this issue I walked the layout and sure enough I had the same issue. I’ve cleaned several different ways and it still keeps coming back. It is most definitely not gunk from plastic wheels or any of the a fore mentioned possible causes as the layout it’s none operational at this point and I have a very low R/H relative Humidity in my basement so it’s not one of the normal suspects. It’s my understanding that under normal conditions you can’t prevent oxidation from happening but rather only slow it down
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/171-226
Give it a go. Polish the rails then add the No-ox and just vacuum from time to time and if you allow the RR to sit for a long time wipe the rails with alcahol. Do a search on No-ox or no-ox ID Special A to find more info.
I treated my garage layout about 20 months ago and am very happy. I get to wal into the garage turn on the light and the layout, pick up a throttle and go.
You’re confusing CRC 2-26 with Wahls clipper oil which you do put down a drop every 10-15 feet and let the train wheels distribute it. It does not get rid of the black gunk but rather suspends it, which is great in a relatively normal room and works pretty well, I used it for 15 years. Your only real solution is to get rid of the moisture, if you have to live with the damp basement for a wile, then I suggest getting a dehumidifier. CRC 2-26, which is what I use now, is an excellent cleaner and leaves an electrically conductive layer (measured in microns) of protection behind, it’s similar to polished rails and is applied with a cloth or paper towel. In my dry basement I only have to wipe down the layout 2 or 3 times a year. In your situation, you might have to do it once a month. CRC 2-26 is available in most hardware stores. It is by far the best cleaner I have tried and I’ve tried most of them over the years.
Hi!
Lots of good advice from the previous posters, and may I add…
Is your track brass or nickel silver? If it is brass, you will have a much bigger problem with oxidation than with nickel silver. IMHO, if you are really serious about the hobby, I would convert to NS track as soon as possible.
Also, the wheels of your locos and rolling stock are probably in need of a cleaning as well. Cleaning the track and not the wheelsets is an exercise in futility. Some of us have changed out all our plastic wheelsets to metal (Intermountain is great), which tends to pick up less dirt, and they typically provide better rolling characteristics.
I would first clean the rails with a sturdy rag (dish towels are good) and alcohol. Once this is done, then I would go over it with a bright boy track cleaner or extremely fine emery cloth. Go in the direction of the rails, NOT crossways. This will keep down scratches that will eventually fill with gunk.
No-ox, Wahls oil, etc. all work pretty good, but use in moderation.
Hope that helps - and don’t feel like the Lone Ranger, for we have all been in there!
Mobilman44
Do the search for the “gleam Method” as others have suggested.
BUT, the bigger concern is your damp basement. A good dehumidifier {or two} can help to reduce the moisture that is in the air helping to cause you problems to begin with. Placed near the layout will help and remember to empty the bucket at least once daily and if full then, try 2-3 times a day.
The “Gleam” method is a great way to prepare the track but the final step would be the No-ox for protection. By the way if the CRC-26? is anything like No-ox then the black residue is conductive, and is normal.
The gleam method does call for car wax but substitute the No-ox instead and your good to go for about five years of vacuuming and an occasional whipe down if you let the layout sit inactive for a long spell. Whatever you do do not skip the burnishing with a stainless steal washer as this helps close up all those tiny grooves and pits that trap the gunk.