Yes the old chestnut…track cleaning…I am newly joined as a member of this froum…i have enjoyed reading older posts on the subject one thread back in 2002?
Things have not moved on very much…i think…the opinions are sharply divided…on usual lines (excuse pun)
I am a member of several forums…and after much reading…i decided to go for the CENTERLINE TRACK CLEANER…
have not used it yet…but i was also interested in the Rubbing alcahol to put on the rollers…
here lies my problem…i live in Norway…and due i think? to there stringent rules on things i do not think alcahol substances are available? i can not find any…
I have read a little about ACT-6000 track cleaner does anyone have any opinions on this especially if used with Centerline?
In the old thresd…i saw reference to a product called MAAS and have now saved there web page…just how good is this stuff…i know it would not go in centerline (i think?)
but folk back 2002-3 seemed very happy with it…is it the cream or the paste you use on tracks? and hopefully i can maybe order some from the states?
I was thinking also of purchasing the ELECTRAK 3 by Minatronics…any feedback on this product appreciated
For the Centerline cleaner, most use Goo-Gone, or a similar citrus degreaser. Sometimes they use 2 Centerlines togrther, the first with solvent to clean the track and the second is dry to pick up the solvent and any goo that is left on the track.
The alcohol is 70% or 90% isopropanol (rubbing alcohol). It is toxic to drink, but is flammable.
There has been some concern with the Minitronics Elecrtak being incompatible with DCC systems; perhaps someone with actual experance can comment further on this.
Goo-Gone!!! I think the general concensus is do not use Goo-Gone as it leaves crud behind…likewise RailZip…more folk have told me to steer claer of these two items than have recommeded it…but as been said many times each to there own…whatever they find works…i would not know having not used anything…as yet…
The fact is that a great number of solvents and alcohols will to do a very good job, but there is a price to pay in virtually every case. You could use acetone, paint thinner, Varsol, naptha, turpentine, and about forty other fluids, including good old gasoline. But they all vaporize readily, smell, and if they come into contact with your roadwork and ties will do some damage if not removed almost immediately…especially in the case of acetone.
Most of us are happy with the way isopropyl alcohol works. It is available widely, although maybe not for you, is relatively inexpensive, doesn’t leave residue or films, and actually does a fairly good job of lifting grime and much of the oxides. I still prefer to use 400-600 grit sandpaper for a light buff, and I do mean light…and quick…and then I wipe with a clean cloth wrapped around my finger using isopropyl alcohol. My tracks almost never get dirty due to frequent running, I think, and perhaps also due to my method of getting them clean in the first place.
There are some who swear that sandpaper is one of the worst things to use. I don’t share that opinion, and mainly because the extruded production process leaves grooves in the surface of the rail heads anyway, so my cleaning them out with fine grit, or even creating replacements around them, doesn’t seem to result in the downtime that one would have to accept to be a necessary outcome if they were right.
[#welcome]Hi Norsk, I think you will find this forum the best[;)]
I have a centerline and I use GooGone all the time. I do not use much but rather a small amount. I think those that have leftover cleaner have soaked the centerline fabric. This is not necessary in my opinion. Regular cleaning with a small amount of solvent (alcohol or GooGone) is the key here.
Drinking alcohol is regulated here too but isopropyl is not. Try a drug store.
Apparently, you’re not too keen on the burnishing method. [;)]
Even though the burnishing method has been proven to have excellent long-term results, you could fore-go the burnishing and just clean / polish the rails with a good metal cleaner / polisher like Maas or Flitz.
I use the Flitz AFTER I had burnished my railheads. Wrap a cotton rag around a small block of wood and apply some polish to the surface (it has the consistency of tooth-paste). Just rub it along the rails - you’ll see the rag will turn black rather quickly. Follow up with a clean cotton rag and polish them to a nice shine.
Unlike all the other products (WD-40 / hair clipper oil / Goo-Gone / etc.) there is NO residuals left behind that will attract dust / dirt which ultimately turn into crud on your wheel-sets.
As for the Electrak cleaner … sounds good in theory, but the long-term results have great negative potential. These units rely on using a VERY high voltage (very low current) to arc across any dirt it encounters obliterating it. While this DOES work, it is also creating micro-scopic pits in the rail-head ! Over time, these pits will become a haven for crud to accumulate in … then the only cure would be to … BURNISH the railheads !!!
I honestly don’t understand why there is so much resistance to this method. People keep insisting on spreading some sort of liquid crap on their rails to increase performance. Long term studies by many individuals have proven these methods are nothing more than short term fixes. Having burnished and polished my rails well over four years ago, I have yet needed to clean my rails with ANYthing … and my trains only get run once or twice every three or four months, so it’s NOT from continuous running keeping them clean … the concept just works - period !
You do for some reason need a special permit to buy pure Isopropanol in Norway, but according to Norwegian model railroading web sites,isopropanol can apparently be found in concentrated window cleaner fluids - like “blåvask” (from the Jernia hardware chain store and probably also elsewhere), or “kondensfjerner” (small grey bottles from your neighbourhood gas station).
Haven’t tried it myself, but I have seen “blåvask” recommended for this use.
i’ve tried just about every track cleaning method there is and the only one i use is the Walther’s “bright boy” track cleaner. I just rub it across the rails and i’m done… it’s fast, easy, and no mess to speak of…chuck
Isopropyl alchohol is sold here as “Rubbing alcohol.” The smallest readily-available bottle would probably handle rail cleaning on my dust-prone 5x6m empire for the rest of my life.
There is also a substantial following for a one-time cleaning with metal polish, followed by burnishing with a round-edged piece of steel.
The opposite is the use of several Masonite-pad rail cleaning cars in ordinary train service, which results in almost continuous cleaning of mainline and frequently-used tracks. These are ordinary box cars with pads of Masonite hardboard under them, rough side down. The pads are positioned by pins which go up through holes in the car floor, to which they are not otherwise attached. The crud that collects on the pads can be removed with - you guessed it - isopropyl alcohol (but away from the modelwork and scenery.)
Good point. Here in the US, we have products that are called “gasoline driers” or “dry gas” that are put in our auto tanks to remove condensation. These are mainly isopropyl alcohol. You might want to look into one of those type of products if they are available in Norway.
And up here in the frozen north, we call it gasline antifreeze. Isopropyl alcohol is hydroscopic, and absorbs/mixes with water readily. Formally, it is a “dessicant” when used for that purpose.
So many wonderful answers…all with a lot of merit…
i am actually very new to all this…and do not have a lyout just yet? but thought ok …i would spend time & money obtaining items for the layout…
such as the trackcleaner…as i said i have the centerline…and will try and find some alcahol here…i am told i can ?
but i have sympathy with the folk who use the burnishing method…so i don`t know really…
now i have got the centerline suppose i can try it out…but am told i need to wipe the residue off the tracks anyway so may just use some other method to do this
all the very best & many thanks for Quality answers to this issue
Any kind of alcohol will do a fine job cleaning track. Shellac thinner is ethyl alcohol (denatured so you cannot drink it). Whiskey, Vodka, any hard liquor works too but I feel there are better uses for drinking alcohol. Camping and boating places ought to sell stove alcohol which works fine. Any sort of alcohol will cut grease and stickum but won’t eat plastic or paint.
By the way, I use GooGone now. Used to use alcohol but GooGone does a better job. The residue talk comes from people who don’t wipe the track afterwards. If you have some kinda goop on the rail, you can pour any kinda cleaner you like on it. After the cleaner evaporates, the goop is still there. That’s not residue, that’s uncleaned track. It’s the wiping with a rag that moves the goop from the railhead to the rag and yields clean rails. The fluid isn’t going to destroy the goop in place.
Other thing. There is as much crud on the wheels as on the track. You gotta clean 'em both, at the same time, to make real progress.
very good reply…many thanks…all what you say makes great sense…it was just that many folk on similar forums make the point re goo gone…surely they must know you can not leave the crud you must wipe it off?
anyway i will eventually try many ways suggested on this forum
I started using TV tuner cleaner (available in aerosol from any electronic supplier) in 1983 and never looked back. Spray some on a small block of wood and wipe on the track, presto, clean, protected, and conductive rails. Spray on a paper towel and run the loco over it to clean wheels.
One of the reasons i posed the old cleaning question?,Yet again…was because i was getting so much negative response…re-the likes of GOO-GONE & RAIL ZIP in particular…
now, i have found in recent days a lot of support for GOO-GONE in particular…i plan to use which ever with my centerline cleaner…but will also try the burnishing method also as that seems to have great merit…to…
Just wondered if folk here…have experience using the ACT-6006 TRACK CLEANER & CONDTIONER…? I have just purchased a bottle along with a set of railroad lubricants? again anyone with experience of using these on there loco`s e.t.c.
all the very best from Norway
Steve[:)]
please excuse my large bold type…i have impared eyesight,makes life a lot easier.
I have also been using TV tuner cleaner, most recently CRC-2-26, with excellent results, applied once a year with moderate running (once or twice a month).
I’m sure the burnishing method works good, but that’s not an option with over 1500 ft of track, 30% of which is in tunnels or covered. I have no intention of spending 3 months crawling all over my layout, I have better things to spend my time on.
Norsk: Some good old Aalborg Akravit (Snaps) should do the job pretty good, it goes well with some herring and it’ll put hair on your chest too![swg]
Yeah, I saw that Antonio and it’s very impressive. I think it’s great if you have a small layout or you do it in the early stages, but going back after the layout is well into the scenery stage is just not an option for me. I did leave out one fact, after all my track laying, painting and ballasting was done, I did sand all my track finishing with 1200 grit, so it is pretty smooth and cleaning it once a year is not that much of a chore, two of us get it done in about an hour.
That was my post with the burnishing pics … and FWIW, I have around 1300 feet of track and about 80% of the scenery was complete when I did this daunting task. Not only that, most all the track had already seen years of abusive track cleaning that needed to be sanded BEFORE I could burnish it. I still feel after the fact it was well worth the effort.
I approached the entire process in small sections over the winter months - doing some every night. Surprisingly, before I knew it, the railroad was complete. Yes, I do have some tunnels as well, but obviously these were by-passed. My tunnels are fully lined, and for the most part, never seemed to develop electrical issues as quickly as the open-air track work … hmmmm - something else to investigate ?