track cleaning ideas

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I am looking for different track cleaning ideas that does not cost to much.

2

Try using metal polish (Mothers Mag Wheel Polish or Blue Magic - available at Wal-Mart)

I use an old piece of HO cork to put the polish on to the rails and then another clean piece to buff the rails.

I have not had to reclean my track since I first put the polish on back in July 2003.

BOB H - Clarion, PA

3

I use the MAAS metal polish also found at Walmart. It works well, I clean about once every 3 months and do not use a track cleaning car of any type.

4

I am cheap. I use Isopropyl alcohol and a rag. [:I][sigh]

5

I just got something on e-Bay called a Track Guard. Installed it last night. I’ll try to remember to let you know how it works out. Only cost me like 5-10 bucks. Supposedly you just run it with your regular train and it cleans as it goes. No cleaners or solutions.

Other than that, I’ve heard that MAAS and Mothers metal polish is pretty good.

Kevin

6

Ive seen similar things - usually a flatcar or boxcar with masonite or something screwed to the bottom?

with the MAAS/metal polish, could you use track cleaning cars to apply it to/poli***he track, like 1 car ‘wet’, and then 2-3 ‘dry’ ones to buff the track? or would that leave a film/residue still?

7

I think you are missing the point here. The point is to NOT have to clean the track. Not find new excuses to run a train (I have to clean the track).

Metal polish has eliminated that PITA for me and I am trying to pass this along to everyone else.

But what do I see, but another way to use the track cleaning cars.

I threw all my cars away, as I do not need them anymore!!!

BOB H - Clarion, PA

8

yes, but i was asking if they could be used on the initial application, or on the (apparently extremely rare) occasions that the track might need some form of preventative maintenance - not as once a week or whatever deals.

I ask this, as i have seen layouts with hard-to-reach areas (well, at least for homemade cleaning things or whatever) that a cleaning car would be an easier way to get the polish on the rails.

9

water and wash rag works our rubbing acholal and rag work well

10

[#ditto] Same here. Cmrproducts, thanks for the tips on the other track cleaning topic.

Victor

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

11

[#welcome] to the forum trainboy1965. As you have found out we will try to answer your questions as best as we can.

Victor

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

12

i have just realized that i have no life outside of track cleaning. i hope these tips woork for me.

13

ASIDE from Brite-Boy’s:

Each has it’s believer’s
CHEAPEST: Rag and Alchhol.
EXPENSIVE and simplest:Track cleaning cars.
OLDEST:Thinned oil product’s (left over from Brass Track ).
NEWEST (& jury’'s out): Metal Polishes - Leaves a thin coat of wax
IMPRACTICAL: Plastic’s that coat & conduct electricity. ‘Ten’.

Fact’s:
coating’s wear off.
oil’s ‘wet’ the track - oil’s collect dirt.
abrasives leave metal powder

  • All the above collect’s on wheels.
    T.C.cars need 2 - 1 to dissolve - 1 pick up (wash - dry).
    Alchohol & Rag (+elbow grease) Similar to above.

COMMENT: Dirt and dust is eveywere. Wheels take longer to clean than track’.

14

I dont know how the polish will work on my layout since I am rebuilding it.

Victor

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

15

hook a 9volt to it

electrolises

16

I’ve heard about the method that Budliner talks about. The voltage actually does the cleaning for you. I thought about trying it,but never got around to it. I use the briteboy & alcohol / rag. It seems to work good. .

17

Yes all of the methods of cleaning track work. But the metal polish, for me anyway, has eliminated the need to clean the track now going on 3 years. Is that not better than cleaning once a month or so?

And I am talking about a very large amount of track here (over 2700 feet). And yes I am still adding scenery to my layout (I have about 2300 sq ft of room that the layout is in). I have only been building this layout since 2000. And I have done most of it myself (my 2 sons helped get the benchwork up and most of the track down) the layout is multi-level and I have had 40 plus people in during some of my Ops sessions (which last for 12 hours).

Now in the beginning I was using all of the conventional methods of track cleaning and spent hours cleaning the rails getting ready for an Ops (which was held every other Thursday night). Now this was really beginning to suck and I was not finding any fun in cleaning the track. I could not spend the time cleaning all of the industrial spurs each time and once the Ops begin the engines would begin their stalling and jerking.

My operators were not having any fun and more or less stated so. I had to find a better way or quit. On a whim I tried the Metal Polish in one area (thinking – like this is going to work! ) and found that it really did keep the engines running longer between wheel cleanings.

So I did a little more track work and those engines worked for 2 weeks without missing a beat. So one night I told the crew that we were polishing the track. It took 5 guys 2 hours but it was done. (July 2003). I have not had to run a cleaning car since and have not repolished the track either. It did take a while to get all 50 engines wheels clean (and I still have to do the wheels cleaning maybe monthly) but the layout runs great.

I just had a NMRA Division 11 meeting on Sunday (1/15/06) and had 41 modelers attend. We had a full blown Ops session with a Dispatcher and the layout ran great. Now I had just f