Rail Cleaning

“electrical-conductive oils” Yea, there out there. LGB makes them, and Bachmann I think makes them too.

Thats what the “Light Bright” (or what ever that name is for the $35 sets for sale around christmas) is for. Yes I puched a pair of holes in the bottom of that freight car as well. Mostly I have it pulling the LGB “sanding block car.”

My railway has been running just about a year now. I stole the wifes swiffer sweeper and glued a scotch brite pad for an initial cleaning. One time around. Then run a brite blok on a Bachman passenger car a few laps and we’re good to go.

Jon

Obisidian Scenic Railway

I noticed that my Ariso 20 ft gondolas had the same wheelbase / frame as my aristo track cleaning car - and I mean exact!

I cut a block of wood the same size as the track cleaning pad and attached drywall sanding screen “120 grit - fine” to the block. I used a regular stapler to attach the screen to the pine block. Then I slung the block beneath the gondola: same way the aristo track cleaing car works. Four screws keep it in line and flexible to move up and down, but not front to back. I did not add any extra weight to the cleaning block.

Total expense: 4 screws, a block of pine, 1/4 sheet of drywall screen, 3 squirts of black paint, 8 staples. I figure about 4 cents.

At the beginning of a session I run the pole sander around the track: If my eggliner still runs herky-jerky, I hook the gondola car to it and run it around 'till it runs smoothly - or perhaps just run it continuously.

Alan in PA

Greetings Alan in PA from Alan in UK,

In order to gain an extra caboose I removed the Aristo track cleaning pad from the t/c car and fixed it beneath an Aristo 20ft. box car.

As you have noticed the underframes of the t/c car and 20ft. stock are the same size. The only other helpful thing you could do, if you haven’t done so already, is change the plastic wheels for metal ones. Many, myself included, will tell you that plastic wheels cause track to get soiled quickly.

Yes, and on hot, bright days they start to deform as well, not much, but enough to start to cause other problems as well.

Does anyone use the LGB or Aristo smoke fluid to clean their rails? It says on the container that you can.

LGB states that there fluid is smoke and cleaning fluid.

I attended their maintenance class and was told to use the smoke fluid on a rag to clean/brighten their cars.

Also LGB suggested putting the smoke fluid on the track cleaning pads of their cleaning loco and cleaning pad adapter for cars.

Hello Alan in England. I have family back there in Lancashire. Parents from Wigan. Aunt and uncle in near Blackpool.

Anyway. I have changed all my wheels to Bachmann. Bit of a tight fit beneath the gondola car. Had to relieve the journals to get the wheels to spin freely. Did a half a job, and then ran the car around and around. The wheels have worn the journals away nicely and the wheels spin fairly freely

Alan in PA

Greetings Alan in PA,

There is a UK Forum called GScaleMad. There are quite a few regulars on that Forum who live in the part of England where your rels came from and some still are. I am in the South some 400 miles from there. The Pilgrim Fathers sailed from this part of the country; it was their last port of call before braving the Atlantic and Terra incognito [:)]

The covered gondolas (Aristo) have new USAT metal wheels and the 20ft Aristo stock now has the roller bearing silver wheels from SanVal. What a difference in weight however. The cars ride better, but there has to be less of them it seems. The metal wheels on the 20ft stock did seem to jolt more than the plastic ones on the switch frogs. I have therefore filed the plastic frog and the passage of the wheels is much smoother. Some folk use a Dremel - I have two left hands [(-D] and thought the files, whilst slower, were more accurate for me.

Glad to know that the journals become eased; I hope one or two of mine will.