There are so many track cleaning cars on the market, some new and some vintage. What type, brand and model track cleaning car does the best job on an HO layout.
Thanks
Brian
Hands down best cleaning car is the CMX Cleaning Car by Tony’s Trains.
I also have a CMX car, using denatured alcohol as the solvent. It’s pricey but works very well in combination with my “gleamed” track and metal wheelsets. It takes two small locos (e.g., Athearn GP9) or a high traction one (e.g., traction wheeled Challenger) to get it over the turnouts.
I’ve considered building a car with the Masonite pad beneath for more routine quick cleaning but have not got around to it yet. Maybe I can find an old post on that. Edit: the following thread includes info on the “John Allen track cleaning car” and other info on track cleaning.
I’ll cast my vote for the CMX Clean Machine as well. I use it with lacquer thinner, followed by two Centerlines.
I thought if you “Gleamed” your rail heads you no longer needed to clean track?
NP2626
YOU are correct!
I haven’t cleaned my 3600 ft of track since year 2003.
And I hold OPs Sessions every 2 weeks - if the track wasn’t clean then the sound engines wouldn’t work right.
But the do work and we have little problems - and those are the Engine Wheels need cleaned!
That is it!
I will NEVER go back to running cleaning cars - EVER!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
You must be in one those, Bio Chemical suits and room,to not have at least dust anywhere…
Cheers,
Frank
I gleamed in 2006, haven’t cleaned my mains since. I do run Masonite pads under 4 box cars to pick up the oxidation that occurs. little used sidings do need a rub down with 91% alcohol now and then, but in general I spend almost zero time maintaining the track.
I use the CMX car (filled with acetone) followed by a centerline car followed by a dragger car with a Masonite pad. I follow this with a light application of Wahl clipper oil. Only complaint is the CMX pad will get caught on switch points occasionally.
In general I only clean track right before OPs sessions and that lasts for quite awhile afterwards. I am currently doing messy scenery construction so I end up cleaning a bit more often. After soaking an area with glue during ballasting or dirting it takes a few cleanings to get off all of the crud.
Your mileage may vary,.
Guy
Trainnut,
I would take a little closer look at the switch points, that you say the CMX machine is catching on occasionally,might be a little high…Of the 45+ plus I have,no catches…But no big deal…
Cheers,
Frank
I like to use a Masonite pad.
A-Line makes a kit, available from Walthers: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/116-10003 Making your own isn’t hard either.
An old MDC boxcar works well, no metal weight to drill through. Add some weight to the car and you should be set.
I feel the Masonite pad slider is the most cost effective way to go. I do have a Centerline car, and the club has a CMX car, but the slider gets the most use. Just sand off the dirt every so often, no consumable supplies.
Good thread!
The Best? Maybe my Right Hand…
But in a MoW situation I use these units here…
Here is a sample of my track cleaning Equipment. A heavy pulling locomotive, the CMX tank (that can hold Alcohol, Lacquer thinner, Windex, or other solvents), & the Centerline Roller car Customized into a gondola with Reel loads.
I am looking into the Masonite units, do you have to load the pad with abrasive or polish???
Has anyone here used the advertized ‘Sanding Disc’ cars?? I never went for those, thought it was too obscure to try them…
Thanks,
Chad,
Those sanding disc cars you speak of,are those the ones,with separate motors for each disc,that rotate on each rail to clean them with changeable pads??It’s in a high cube boxcar,with the motors vertical inside,I have one,I don’t at the moment,want to go digging for the name…But if that is the one,your speaking of,save your money,they are on the pricy side and they don’t work all that well…The biggest problem I encountered,was on turnouts,the front disc goes through OK but the back disc,wants to take the diverging route,no matter how the car is positioned,front to rear etc,I was thinking,of reversing the polarity on the motors to see how that would work,but havn’t got around to it…I run a CMX,Centerline car and Masonite car,together…I use one Athearn BB SD 40-2,to pull it, piece of cake…
Cheers,
Frank
Gidday, my only track cleaning cars are the “John Allen” masonite cars. I see Mike uses MDC cars, but I use Athearn BB cars because I feel that the metal weight adds extra “bearing surface” for the pads pins, but then I do tend to over engineer things.[:-^]
No I don’t Chad, I just give them a light sand to clean them, when they get too thin I just make a new pad.
I have to give this one a sand.
Actually I now see that Paul has given a good link to a previous thread on this topic
Cheers, the Bear.
CMX for me, with lacquer thinner. The lacquer thinner is advertised as the “more aggressive” solvent. Ventilation is suggested. I find an open window to be sufficient. The thinner is a better lubricant than alcohol, too, so the car move more easily. I have subways, and I need to use two powered subway cars, MU’d together, to pull it. The rest of my engines won’t fit in the subway tunnels.
That is track cleaning!!! I use a TTX (see if any of you know what I am talking about). This works great. Also have a Centerline (not impressed).
RREBELL,
‘‘Tony’s Trains Exchange’’…But it is still a CMX…
Cheers,
Frank
Slightly different design but basicly the same. I asked Tony about this original design and he said it was so long ago that he did not remember.
Frank,
Yes those are the ones I was thinking about.
Yeah being an ametuer wood worker & around metalworking (cars, etc.), any time a rotating sander hits a sharp edge it will shread the disk depending on the ortientation of the rotation of the disk.
With Switch points & Frogs it would be impossible to avoid unless the sanding pad was bubble shaped, or like in upside down mushroom dome.
I also thought it would be too aggressive on the rails, as I am not doing track ‘grinding’ in that sense.
So, I have never pursued owned one of those units.
As a Joke once, I maded a wooden cradle car that I can put a horseshoe magnet into, after I read all the reports of speakers sucking up spikes. It works, but was made to be funny, not a serious thing.
Bear;
Thanks again for the info, my humorous side almost wanted to ask what the pen does, but I figured out it was acting as a stand to hold up the plate for the picture. Ha hah…
I’m glad this subject came up again. It motivated me today to build a John Allen Masonite pad cleaning boxcar. I had an Athearn blue box kit on the shelf from a train show (see, those purchases end up justified). I viewed the You Tube video below. I decided to follow that approach, except I added springs to the pad below the car to help push it down and also added a fair amount of weight (a couple of large nuts) to the car floor to get good tracking and a counterforce to the pad springs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqRda0DR-bg
I ran it around awhile and like it as a way of “dusting” / cleanup. It showed only a mild amount of pickup but it cleaned up a spot in a tunnel where my DCC GP9 sound was hiccupping, after running it around a few times. I ran it with a GP9/RS2 consist that pulled or pushed it well, and with nil momentum, I could quickly run it in/out of yard trackage (pushing it) quickly multiple times by hitting the direction button. It did point out a spot that needs lowering, the beginning of a bridge track guard rail that pilots have been clearing.
I think I will have improved operation with it as part of my approach, including occasional CMX car, more frequent John Allen pad, plus cleaning loco wheels with an alcohol wet paper towel on the track and spinning the wheels.