Unfortunately, I have let some track sit in my basement for several years. Some of the track is 30 years old. The track is either rusted or has alot of gunt on it. I have tried Goo Gone with no luck. Are the any other options available besides just throwing the track out.
Thanks. George
Hi George, Maybe I can help but I need to know what kind of track it is. Is two rail HO or 3 rail Lionel?..Vic
Vic, it is 3 rail Lionel O guage. George
Hi George,
This is from the Lionel website (www.lionel.com):
How To Clean Lionel Track
So you just went to your neighbor’s garage sale and you found a treasure, a box full of Lionel trains and accessories. You’re so excited, you cannot wait to set it up to see that new treasure running down the track. But to your dismay, you look in the bottom of the box and find out that the track is not in very good condition. There is all kinds of dirt, grime and even some rust on the rails. What can you do to get it in a condition that will allow your train to run smoothly without stopping or hesitating?
Rust can be removed with sandpaper. Non-metallic kitchen scouring pads work well too, but never use steel wool on track. Small particles tend to stick to the rails until they are picked up by a locomotive. This can cause damage to your locomotive. Check each section to be sure all three steel pins are in place and tight. If necessary, crimp the track around the pin with needle-nose pliers to ensure a tight fit.
The top running surfaces of the rails are most important surfaces to keep clean for good operation.
They must be free of dirt, oxide and rust. Try to wipe the surfaces to keep clean rails with a soft cloth occasionally after use to clean off any minor dirty spots. A hard eraser will take off any stubborn spots of grime.
Now that your track is clean and electrically sound, your locomotive should now be able to ride the rails with no problems. Make a habit of cleaning your track on a regular basis. It is also a good idea to keep the wheels and center rail electrical pick ups on your train free from grime. Regular lubrication and maintenance of your trains will allow you to enjoy them for a long, long time.
Regards,
Tim Pignatari
Hi George, Tim pretty well covered it all in his post to your question. The most important thing…
DON’T USE STEEL WOOL!!!..400 grit emory paper (black sandpaper)would I think be the best…Take Care…Vic
George;
What I’d suggest doing is get a piece of wood about 1" long, 3/4" thick and at least 1/2" wider that the track. Mark on each side of the track on the piece of wood, laying the track upside down on top of the wood. Take a round file and cut out those areas so that the block will sit with each rail in a groove. The hollows will need to be a little larger than the rail head. Cut a piece of the fine grit sand paper 1" wide and long enough to wrap around to the back of the wood. Press it down into the grooves and staple it to the back of the wood. Now you should be able to slide it along the track to do the cleaning. When it wears out just replace the sandpaper. You don’t need to clean the sides or lower part of the track, other modlers spend a great deal of time trying to rust those portions! (chuckle)…Walt
What about HO or N guage track?
Thank everyone - !!!
George
Joe, not to sound mean at all and I think 99% fo the guys will agree withme on this,… If you have STEEL track for HO or N guage, Through it out and Buy NICKLE SILVER track. Yes it will be a little pricie at about $2.25 - $2.50 for a piece of flex track (36" HO / 30" N) but well worth it in the long run for dependability and less maintanence. The steel track will work, but you will constantly be aggravated trying to keep them trains running. The stuff was marginal for it’s time, but we are way above that type of track now. Hope I helped…Jamie
Thank you, I know that! I was just asking out of curiosity.
Joe; If you felt you needed to clean HO or N track similar to the Lionel. I’d do almost the same only cut rabbits in from each side of the block so that you had basically a short stem “T” then wrap the very fine sand paper around that. HO and N gauge trains get their power from the top and inside edge of the track. So technically that’s all that needs to be brite and clean. Of course switches and cross-overs would have to be done manually no matter what the gauge!.. Walt