How do you clean your track???


How you clean your track?

  • Liquid with a cloth (rubbing)

    Votes: 11 30.6%
  • Track cleaning car

    Votes: 6 16.7%
  • "Eraser"

    Votes: 12 33.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 7 19.4%

  • Total voters
    36

chrismoore93

Central Phoenix Railroad
I think a very important part of model railroading is definately cleaning your track. I was just curious to see how people clean there track. Please feel free to take part in the poll, Also vote for the one you use the most, or if it's other, please feel free to tell us what you do to clean your track. We all want to know :p The eraser is like an eraser :rolleyes: that is made by various companies, also a rubbing technique, if I can find a picture, I will!
-Chris
Note: This poll will not close, so take your time to find out what you do!
 
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I voted "other," since I run G-scale using battery power so super-clean track isn't essential. My track "lives" outdoors year 'round and gets watered at least twice a week. Leaves are my biggest problem. If there are only a few, I let the pilot push 'em off to the side. Otherwise, I use a leaf rake --- VERY gently. :)
 
For myself, it depends where I am.

For shows, I use a Peco track cleaner
At home, I use my roommate's track vaccuum from Atlas
 
Well I voted other but I suppose it should have been Track cleaning car. Mine are actually regular box cars dragging a piece of maisonite mounted between the trucks over the rails. simple and effective.

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Willis
 
Currently I am using GOO Gone with a cloth. I also use a bright boy PRN. Soon I will be getting a CMX cleaning car and will continue to use GOO Gone. I know it leaves a little bit of residue but it is nontoxic and much friendlier than some of the better working but less friendly solvents.
Terry and WILMA
 
CBCNSfan said:
Well I voted other but I suppose it should have been Track cleaning car. Mine are actually regular box cars dragging a piece of maisonite mounted between the trucks over the rails. simple and effective.

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Willis
Hey, that's what I bought!:D An old 40' boxcar, don't know how efficent it'll be, but it has got to clean the rails, there's too much dirt to avoid!
 
I use the CMX Clean Machine car with laquer thinner. Alcohol is almost as good and is less "STINKY". Fortunately, my track doesn't need to be cleaned that often, but about once a month I will hook it up and pull in around the layout for general maintenance. I will use a 'Bright Boy' if I have a troublesome spot.
 
The CMX is $99.00. Unless you are a machinist, I don't think I would attempt to make one. Besides, it would probably end up costing your more.
 
I voted Eraser for my Flyer track but also use sandpaper and goo gone. Depends on how dirty/rusty they are when first received,John
 
I use Mother's Chrome Polish, I have tried all the above, the polish has been the best, and least needed on doing over and over again.
 
I'm going to add to what I said in post #2 of this about clean track not being much of an issue for me ). I was able to get out and play with the layout today for the first time in about six months. I see some corrosion now that I hadn't noticed before, so I think it's time to go to Plan B. Any advice about what I could use on brass or aluminum track that's exposed to the weather? I run off battery power, so conductivity isn't an issue, but I don't want to use anything that would get sticky in hot weather, make the driving wheels slip, or affect the plastic wheels I still have on some of my cars.
 
Lady_Railfan said:
I'm going to add to what I said in post #2 of this about clean track not being much of an issue for me ). I was able to get out and play with the layout today for the first time in about six months. I see some corrosion now that I hadn't noticed before, so I think it's time to go to Plan B. Any advice about what I could use on brass or aluminum track that's exposed to the weather? I run off battery power, so conductivity isn't an issue, but I don't want to use anything that would get sticky in hot weather, make the driving wheels slip, or affect the plastic wheels I still have on some of my cars.

Claudia

If it's just the tops of the rails, they should start to look cleaner once you run the train on the tracks, sort of like the big guys. Actually the corrosion should give some traction. As for cleaning though, I would think a wire brush would be enough.
 
Big Daddy Choo Choo

I usually use the good old "brite boy" from Walthers. Works well and lasts a long time. I did try an oil based product called "RailZap" that did work quite well. All depends on how much effort you want to put into it.:)
 
Lady_Railfan said:
Excellent! I hoped someone would say something like that. :D

That's how it works in the 1:1 world. We were out railfanning once, and a thunderstorm hit. The tops of the rail started rusting as soon as the rain stopped.

The first train that came by pretty much took the rust off. Which is how we track when/if something has come by. We look at the rails to see how rusty they are.

G Scale should be heavy enough to self-clean the rails, if it's just corrosion. Deposits and gunk, that may be a different story.

Kennedy
 
I guess Maas metal polish with an old army brown t-shirt qualified as "liquid with cloth."

Worked well too, until I dumped styrofoam particles, plasterboard residue and goodness knows what else on the poor thing.

I've just finished gluing down the next section of track, so I'll hit it with a briteboy first and then the metal polish.
 



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