Bad experience with No-Ox on Peco switch points


videobruce

Tower Operator
Apparently I used too much of this stuff, and/or didn't wipe enough of it off the rails and the switch points. Coming back after a few years of non use, when I actually tried to run an engine, it didn't. Anywhere on the layout.
I went around and wiped down the rails more then once then used a old 'track eraser' (unknown if it was a actual pencil eraser or what) the engine finally moved until it got to the first switch point where it stopped.

The track is Peco. All, or most of the 'points' seem to be affective.

My initial solution was to use spray "tuner cleaner" (as it use to be called when it was actually used to clean mechanical TV tuners from the 70's and before). I will add this was NOT any material that has any 'lube' in it, just pure, no residue cleaner.

It mostly worked, but I still have a few points that are intermittent.

Any other suggestions to help recover from this nightmare?
 
You appear to be using. if the layout is older. Peco's insulfrog turnouts and therefore will be relying on the contact between the point rail's tips and the stock rail to provide power through those point rails up to the frog which in an insulfrog is dead. If there is corrosion of some coating inbetween those contact areas, you will have finished up with dead point rails all the way from their tips and over the frog. You may even have to revert to using a very fine wet and dry sandpaper folded into a double sided piece and rub it back and forth in the space between point rail and stock rail to clean whatever is contaminating it off so as to electrify those point rails again.
 
To add; I haven't even run an engine until now. The layout is 8-9 years old (still under construction) and it was around 3 yrs ago when I used the no-ox. I did wipe off the access, but again, apparently not enough..
A few of the turnouts apparent;y were not touched, those contacts were 100%. Using more than one contact cleaner (no lube) I have been blasting the points with hopefully enough luck the cleaning will hold.

I thought the 'insulfrog' were the frogs similar to Atlas that were plastic, bit nickle silver?
 
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I'm sure you are using contact cleaner that does not soften plastic, otherwise you would have additional huge problems. (Posted for newbies who might not know about the incompatibility.)
 
To add; I haven't even run an engine until now. The layout is 8-9 years old and it was around 3 yrs ago when I used the no-ox. I did wipe off the access, but again, apparently not enough..
I don't know that I fully understand your problem?
It appears to me that you are blaming No Ox for a problem that would have existed whether or not you used that product? If you leave a layout set that long without any use it is likely going to have problems you are experiencing,...no-ox or not?

Mineral spirits comes highly recommended for track cleaning without leaving a residue.

And as pointed out the Peco insulafrogs power their diverging tracks by way of little contacts under the rails of the turnout. It sounds like you don't have enough feeders to the rails of your layout, and are depending on the rails and joiners themselves to conduct the electrical power to the trains,...not good enough.
 
It appears to me that you are blaming No Ox for a problem that would have existed whether or not you used that product?
I was under the impression No-ox was suppose to prevent this. Track used or not.
and are depending on the rails and joiners themselves to conduct the electrical power
Wrong! I have track feeders to each block. The 'dead short' are the 'points/closure' rails themselves within the turnout. Past the turnout (after I wiped the black substance off enough), the blocks are fine.
 
I had close to 20 years of not running my test track, 91% alcohol worked fine. However I read somewhere it leaves a film but a paper towel with 91% followed by a lint free cloth used on computer & TV screens the locomotives ran fine with minimal cleaning and lubrication.
 
To add; I haven't even run an engine until now. The layout is 8-9 years old (still under construction) and it was around 3 yrs ago when I used the no-ox. I did wipe off the access, but again, apparently not enough..
A few of the turnouts apparent;y were not touched, those contacts were 100%. Using more than one contact cleaner (no lube) I have been blasting the points with hopefully enough luck the cleaning will hold.

I thought the 'insulfrog' were the frogs similar to Atlas that were plastic, bit nickle silver?
As you've said it is an older layout, the turnouts most likely will be the older peco's too. They did both insulfrog and powered frog turnouts once, Now it's all powered frog type and you have to modify them if you want the "un". I believe the difference between Atlas and Peco was that Atlas had all plastic frogs including the rails, whereas Peco's insulfrog had metal rails and could be therefore converted to powered.
 
I really don't consider 9 years "old". The room is a 'clean room' (of sorts) with the only activity being myself.

These Peco turnouts are "Electrofrogs" which are all metal as in no dead spost like Atlas which is why I choose them. I also like the ''snap' to the pointa when they change position, BUT four out of the 70 or so turnouts I have the springs have apparently popped out. None are servo motor powered yet so those turnouts present operational problems is run points leading.
 
from another forum...


mineral spirits followed by graphite just fine

reply:
That is what I use and it has been working like this for years, Any time I stray of this path I have problems. Basically I do not clean my track unless the layout sits for months and months and months, I normally just run the hard graphite block over a bad spot and everything is back to normal.


I have been using the same block of hard graphite for 10 plus years, does not take much.


Casting Graphite Ingot Mold Crucible - https://amzn.to/3tcNYGT
 
I see the entry about IPA. I wish I saw that sooner. I already bought a quart of Mineral Spirits to re-do the entire 90' of track again. At least a small switcher (chosen purposely) does travel over the entire 9x19' layout with only a few glitches.
But of course that was based around HO scale, good luck tiring to make those templates for N scale. :rolleyes:
 



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