Do you use one and if so, what do you use? I am going to soon have track which will be less than easy access (I can get there, but I don’t want to have to on a regular basis).
I have been using Trainline box car / cleaing cars. I use 3, 2 of them are pulled and one pushed. Cost is about $13.00 each and keep my rails clean. Most of the time I run them on each line when I start. Normaly make 3 pass then go to the next line. I use my bright boy now maybe ever 3 months if that.
My LHS have a bunch of the fancy brass cleaing cars, they just sit there. They use the Trainline cars. That is why I bought mine.
Cuda Ken
If you do a search using your subject title above, (see lower right of the text box), you will find many archived threads on this subject. Here is one of them:
I just made myself a track cleaning car from a salvaged boxcar (old AHM), 2 nails and a small piece of Masonite. I had seen this in a book a while ago. You cit a piece of Masonite to fit between the trucks on the box car, and wide enough to span the rails. Bevel the short side so that they don’t catch on turnouts or at rail jounts. Drill 2 holes in the bottom of the car - slightly larger than your nails. Glue the nail heads to the Masonite (smooth side). Slide the nails into the holes and trim them to length.
I painted mine black to disappear underneath the car. To clean the track just lash it up and run it with your train. The masonite pad will “float” along the track and gently clean the rails.
From a google search.
Take your pick.
Rich
I used to use brite boys, track cleaning cars and all that other stuff. In June of '06 I polished my track with Blue Magic paste metal polish and haven’t had to do a real cleaning since. I just have to do a quick wipe down once in a while if the trains haven’t been run in a long time or if I drop some plaster dust on the track.
I think that’s the John Allen car. I got a roll of 1/8" thick sticky back cork. I wonder if putting a peice of that on the bottom of the masonite would work better?
I model subways, so I do have a lot of hard-to-reach track. I’ve got a CMX track-cleaning car. This is, as you’ll see, a high-priced unit. However, it really, really does the job. I use Isopropyl Alcohol in mine, and it does a great job.
But while we’re on the subject of hard-to-reach track, do you have a backup plan? My subway tunnels are pretty bulletproof, but I only run the subway trains, no odd collections of freight cars which might be fussy about things where nothing else would, and no big steam engines that put your track to the test on every pass. Even so, I forget to throw a switch now and then, or the track gets dirty and the train stalls.
So, consider doing things to provide at least some access to your tunnels, helix, staging or whatever. Even if it’s awkward, think about cutaways and liftoffs to let you get your hands into these spaces.
advice from MRR:
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=249
Fancy track cleaner:
http://www.trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips2/track_cleaning_tips.html
John Allen - that’s it!
I wonder if the cork might be too “grippy”? I don’t suppose a trial would hurt though.
As a preventive measure, I use the Masonite pads under a few of my boxcars in regular service. I try to keep two or three in each train. They really do work good. If I haven’t run the layout for a while, I push one in front of a loco to get any dust that has settled on the track before the loco wheels pick it up.
There are other actual track cleaning cars that have abrasive pads on weighted cars, or tanks that you fill with fluid and the fluid is dispensed on cloth pads wiping the track.
These others may work well also, but the Masonite pads cost next to nothing, and if used in regular service, will prove to be the most reliable. You do have to clean them every so often. Just use some sandpaper lightly on the bottom. It is best to lay the sandpaper flat on a table, grit side up, then wipe the pads back and forth on it.
[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto]!!! I haven’t used my Centerline track cleaning car since I did the “gleam” method.Once in a while, a LONG while, I’ll swipe one of my wife’s face wipes if I’ve been doing a little scenery work.That’s IT.
Terry
I finally got off my butt and made one of those John Allen cars tonight. It works really good! I added some extra weight to the car and spring loaded the pad. Haven’t tried a peice of cork on the pad yet. Doesn’t really seem to need it.[:)][tup]