i am starting up one of my most favorite hobbys and i figured i would pull out some of my old track (because model train stuff is through the roof) and i put it together and everywhere is DEAD SPOTS!!! help!
What brand of track are you using, and how old is it? It sounds to me like the rail joiners that connect the track sections together are loose, and maybe the track is dirty and corroded, especially if it is brass rail. If you have a pair of pliers, gently squeeze each rail joiner together before you connect the track pieces so they fit tighter, and see if that doesn’t help. Clean the track with a kitchen nylon mesh scrubbing pad if it is badly corroded, or a rag and some rubbing alcohol if it seems to already be fairly clean.
I agree that your rail material may be at least half the problem and might need a good cleaning, and also that the joiners may have been abruptly pulled apart so that they got splayed. They must be snug against the rails.
Another method worth trying is CLR, the slightly yellowish liquid that you can use to remove scale and mineral deposits from shower heads and other fixtures when hard water is used. Yet again, a metal wheel polish like Mother’s or Black Magic would probably do a good job.
New track does not have to be very costly, although the snap-together stuff is. If you use sections of Atlas flex-type track and pin it to wood or foam with track nails and/or cheal latex caulk spread thinly under it to hold it in place, you can lay 30’ of main line for about $35, less if you shop around or buy used.
If it’s black roadbed EZ track, it’s oxidized. lightly sand the top and inside top edge of the rails with 600 or 800 grit sandpaper then wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. If it’s the gray roadbed sand it very lightly with the above mentioned sandpaper then wipe it down. Next, check the rail joiners, do they look to be in good shape? If not, you may have to pinch the a little with a pair of pliers to close them up a little. After that, it should work well.