Reflections about cleaning track - Avoid any abrasive to do it

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

SURE,

I’ m in the way to open a debate which is a never ending story about the best way to clean track.

This reflection is based on some scientific and industrial after facts and also my own background professional work in the metallic construction.

I share part of this reflection from an another forum, because I feel it important.

I must also mention I use “No OX” as a final treatment for my track, but in any case I wouldn’t hit no one which has another approach which seems work reliabily for him.

Again a debate about pro and cons my method are not the finality of this thread, I just ask to share a 30 years observation and conclusion based on some real after facts.

I never use any abrasive device to clean my track, this was first a dad advice, but time has show me it’s really better to no do it.

I have an excellent excellent example why using abrasive treatment to clean track is not a good way to go.

I have already say I’m an iron worker, I have had my own little company in Belgium about ironworks and now I have a job of analyst of industrial quality soldering job here in Canada for agreement.

Here come my example about the consequences of abrasive job;

When we work with inoxydable, you have three way to weld it, using the simple arc method or the Tig or Mig procedure which include gaz atmosphere to protect the welding job.( robot use gaz atmosphere all the time)

The arc method is the simplest use but this one has a lot of consequences about oxidized inoxydable which really rust after a while because of inclusion of oxygen and carbon in the metal assembly.

Many welding job need a grinder job after to minimalise the solder point.

With inoxydable for a professional finish you must use special grinder disk and avoid to use them for any other jo

2

Marc - I don´t want to dampen your enthusiasm, but this topic has been discussed at length not only once, but so many times, that I have lost track. One thing I was able to gain from these many contributions was, that each and every one has his own preferred method he is happy with. In my case that´s a process of “gleaming”, described a number of times in this forum, which is very similar to your process.

3

Whoa. I had to keep scrolling and scrolling and scrolling to get to the end of the original post. I don’t have time read read all of that or the desire. Maybe if I’m having insomnia, I’ll see how far I get. [:o)]

If you can do a “cliff notes” version …

4

My preferred method for track cleaning is using 91% Alcohol on a shotgun cleaning pad and a bright boy as needed for cleaning track… Some times I just used my bright boy to clean track like I did for decades before I started using 91% alcohol.

5

I’m also a “gleam” fan. Described a way down this thread, by our friend Jeffrey:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/212742.aspx

I also run a CMX car, using denatured alcohol, infrequently as a touchup. Works fine for me on code 83 nickle silver track, incombination with metal wheelsets on nearly all my rolling stock.

6

I was gleaming before I knew it had a name.

I started doing this when a friend showed me a piece of plexiglass he was using for a see-through water base. He samded the edge of it so smooth, it was see through just like a piece of glass.

I figured if you could get plexiglass that smooth, you could do it to rail heads.

The only thing I use to clean my track is a worn-out silver coin.

-Kevin

7

I don’t have a pile of anecdotal or empirical evidence to justify what my personal orientation to this topic is these days. However, I tend to be a ‘hybridizer’ who cherry picks what seems reasonable to do from a thinking standpoint, and what I can actually tolerate and still get some jollies from an operating session.

I wipe with alcohol, and then I run a large 2" steel washer back and forth. As so many of us have concluded, running metal tires covers a lot of ground as well. So far, the past two years, this treatment has worked really well. The only other thing I’m prepared to try…soon…is to use a Walthers track-cleaning car (new process and item for me), but I’m going to apply kerosene to the pad. I want it’s cleaning properties to see what happens to the pad, and to see if kerosene will affect the pad adversely. But the latest evidence is that both kerosene and WD-40’s Contact Cleaner are at the top of the recommended list of non-polar track cleaning fluids.

I’m feeling optimistic.

8

Denatured alcohol works great.

Rich

9

Rich, That’s what I use… Why I wrote 91% alcohol instead I have no idea-- wait! A senior mind slip perhaps?

10

ahh, great minds think alike, Larry.

Rich

11

I understand the science behind “gleaming” (a new term for me) or cleaning with some type of solution, but once you have already used a Bright Boy or some similar abrasive methid, isn’t the damage already done to the rail heads? So, after the first time, aren’t you stuck with having to always abrade?

12

It depends.

In my experience, if the rail appears to be clean, use denatured alcohol on a piece of white cloth. If the rail has obvious dirt, gunk, dried glue, whatever, on it, then a Bright Boy is safe to use to get that obvious stuff off the rail without actually abrading it. Once the obvious stuff is removed from the rail, then use denatured alcohol on a white cloth to finish the job.

Rich

13

Well there are abrasives and then there are abrasives. The classic Bright Boy (which I have always assumed is the “same stuff” as the old fashioned “typewriter eraser” - remember the gray disc with a stiff little brush attached? – or what was called an “ink eraser” both of which simply wore away the paper with the mistake on it) has grit suspended in the rubbery base. Maybe the same grit as emery cloth for all I know. The grit is harder than the metal of the rail which is why it leaves the small scraches.

But the also classic John Allen “masonite on the two nails under the boxcar” track cleaner is also an abrasive in the sense that it rubs the dirt away rather than dissolves it. But it isn’t harder than the rail. It’s just harder than the dirt.

When I paint the sides of rail, I first run a Qtip lightly oiled over the top of the rail so the paint does not adhere there. Then after painting I run a 1/4" piece of balsa wood over the rail to clean up any paint that is there, plus wipe away remaining oil. It is “abrasive” but does nothing meaningful to the rail in the way of scratches.

The OP has certainly given us a great deal of information and frankly I have yet to make my way through all of it. But the term “abrasive” covers so many things that it is not easy to know what to avoid and what is OK.

Dave Nelson

14

A colleague at the club actually cleans track through various phases. Some sidings at the club get a lot less traffic (and attention from the guys cleaning the track) and can become fairly oxydized. In these situations, the colleague will start with the bright boy, and then gradually finish the job with a finer polishing material (fingernail polisher). After these 2 or 3 phases, he will wipe everything clean with alcohol. My personal conclusion: I think you can gleam after using the bright boy to remove the scratches.

Simon

PS: WD40 and petroleum products can be harmful to your health. These warning signs on the bottles should be taken seriously.

15

Not hip to the science but read about polar vs non-polar solvents for track cleaning. Appears that non-polar solvents inhibit the mirco-arcing that creates metal oxides (black stuff?).

A list of non-polar solvents included various contact cleaners, kerosene, mineral spirits, turpentine, Wahl Clipper oil and WD-40. No-Ox was not mentioned, but a microscopic thin layer of graphite is on the list.

Interestingly a thick layer of graphite, IPA, MEK, acetone and lacquer thinner were listed as polar solvents and as such less desirable for track cleaning.

Haven’t run trains much since changing over to a non-polar contact cleaner so cannot attest to it’s track cleaning effectiveness over my old stand-by lacquer thinner. The contact cleaner costs more and evaporates quicker, but I do like that it seems much less harmful than lacquer thinner to painted rails and ties.

Regards, Peter

16

oops! Double.

17

Only if you use a microscope zoom to several thousandths-IIRC 20,000 then you might see little scratches on the rail.

I been using a bright boy for decades and at scale switching speeds there’s never been a problem.

18

Gotta agree with you, Larry. I have used a Bright Boy for 16 years now to remove heavy surface gunk on the rails before using 70% isopropyl alcohol for a more thorough cleaning. The Bright Boy has no adverse effect on the rails.

Rich

19

If you have surface gunk that requires some serious work to liberate it, try the end of a wooden dowel, or how about a Scotch Brite. Neither will mar the surface of your nice shiny rails, and they’ll do a pretty decent job, between them and maybe a swipe beforehand with a solvent to soften it.

20

Actually on my ISLs I avoid bright shiny rails… I perfer dull rail that looks like it sees daily use use by one train. A few weeds between the ties and its good to go.

I fully agree a busy main line should have shiny rails.

As far as a Bright Boy I been using one since the early 60s and my bright boy still gets the job done. I see no reason to change to anything less.