Cleaning Track discussion time!


How do you clean your track?

  • Walthers Goo-gone

    Votes: 5 17.9%

  • Bar Mills Ox-it

    Votes: 1 3.6%

  • GLEAM

    Votes: 4 14.3%

  • rubbing alcohol

    Votes: 18 64.3%
  • Total voters
    28
I don't see a choice on which I can vote, so I'll just respond here.

I use metal tires and I don't clean. If I find a spot where pickup seems to have fallen off, I use 600 grit paper and gently wipe the rail top.

Recently, just out of curiousity, I placed several dabs of Dextron III Mercon automatic transmission fluid here and there along my rail system and ran trains. It did no harm, but I can't say it actually solved any problems because I don't tend to have them to begin with.

I will admit to two trouble areas on my main, but those are always attributable to two bad solders between rail ends. I finally embedded a thin short filament of wire between the rails inside the blob of solder, and that seems to have solved the problem of the rails moving and breaking the solder blob. But, once again, dirty rails don't seem to ever affect my rail system. I can go for weeks and weeks between moving a single item of rolling stock, and my system works.
 
prhea1st said:
They are just stick on 1000g discs( if we are talking the same car) I buy the sheet from harbor freight in extra extra fine, then cut them out and stick them on myself.
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Sounds good then! The last hurdle is the couplers, as I don't really wish to make a half-knuckle, half Rapido car to pull it around. From the limited pictures I've seen they appear to use a unique style of truck so all out replacement could be a pain. Do you think body mounting some MT couplers would be an issue? The carbody itself looks like it sits fairly low so I think it could work.
 
TrinityJayOne said:
Sounds good then! The last hurdle is the couplers, as I don't really wish to make a half-knuckle, half Rapido car to pull it around. From the limited pictures I've seen they appear to use a unique style of truck so all out replacement could be a pain. Do you think body mounting some MT couplers would be an issue? The carbody itself looks like it sits fairly low so I think it could work.
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I run the car and a couple locos that I left the rapido couplers on since the darn thing is noisy and obnoxious. I don't have a dcc system though. Use it to get in those hard to reach places like tunnels etc. Then go back to running the good stuff.
 
Gentlemen, your thread was informative to me. I came here searching for ideas to clean the track. I had fairly clean track while I was running the trains regularly, but I had to do some cutting in the basement floor near the layout. Although I tried to protect the layout, cement dust got into everything. I vacuumed the layout as best I could, but there was still residue. Parts of the layout are hard to reach. The trains run slowly and there is gunk buildup on wheels. I built a track cleaning car using a masonite pad, but it isn't working well. I assume I can use 70% alcohol on car and engine wheels and will give it a try. Other ideas are welcome.
 
If your wheels are gunked up, I don't find that cleaning the track is going to help with the wheels.. You are going to have to clean the wheels by hand. I use long Q tips and gunk remover for that although I would not use goo gone on the track.

When my wheelsets got that bad, I also found that the gearboxes needed a good lube job as well. I would advise that you check them out. I used a tiny bit of LaBelle 108 on them and it dramatically improved the performance on my older stock.
 
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If ya want to see a disaster, try acetone on your track. Rails come out extremely clean but the plastic ties melt and warp away. Run your trains through it and wait for the wheels to fall off.
 
The gleam method is the best one I have heard of so far. Ive also heard people having good luck with good old metal polish like Mothers Billet wheel polish.
 
I marked rubbing alcohol, but actually I use denatured. "None of the above" is needed for other thigns that may be used.
 
I would like to hear more about Gleam. Is that the same as the toothpaste? Or is it something else and I'm just being really dumb...?
 
For me its 91% alcohol,a rag,and bright boy as needed.

I use gun cleaning patches.I wrap these around the cap of the alcohol bottle so I can apply some pressure while cleaning track.
 
I used some Rail-Zip 2 on my layout last year. either I used too much or the stuff doesn't work very well. I noticed a lack of traction for my engines in the area that I used it spo I wiped the track down with isopropyl aclohol to clean it away. Now I have a roco track cleaning car (that I repainted) in one of my trains so I don't have to worry about dirty track. I just have to clean the engine wheels from time to time.
pics212.jpg

Glen
 
Artieiii said:
I just picked up a CMX clean machine in HO at a train show yesterday for $109. For a first cleaning I used lacquer thinner (aggressive). For more frequent use I will probably use rubbing alcohol or goo gone. The clean machine is made of solid brass and is quite heavy. It's springs put even pressure on the track cleaning pad. Not cheap but very well made. It requires a pretty powerful engine to pull it especially when it goes over a re-railer. It comes with cleaning pads and replacement o-rings and kadee couplers and metal wheels.
-Art
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Art, I have been using my CMX for 8 years and haven't regretted the purchase. I would suggest you use lacquer thinner instead of alcohol. It doesn't evaporate quite as fast and cleans just as good. To replace the material for the pads, go to a fabric store and buy scraps of fine corduroy or similar type cloth, then cut to size ;).
 
Has anyone tried that brass car with the tank with a cap on it that you fill with the cleaner? Its supposed to be a more high end track cleaner. Ive only seen it in photos. Looks intresting.
 
ChevelleSSguy said:
Has anyone tried that brass car with the tank with a cap on it that you fill with the cleaner? Its supposed to be a more high end track cleaner. Ive only seen it in photos. Looks intresting.
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I've heard rave about that one but i've never tried one. I went the other way and GLEAMed my track. I use a Bachmann track cleaner tankcar (dry pad) to knock the dust of the rails if I haven't run any trains in a while.
 
Clean track?:confused:
2 drops of ATF now & then its done. Y'all spending too much money and time when you could be doing other stuff.
 
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