No-Ox or Graphite Treatment substitutes for multiple Track Cleaning

[beiland]

There have been lots of discussions on using these two items for treating our tracks for long term good train operation,..avoiding multiple track cleaning operations. I'm not going to enter those conversations here. Rather I have another related item I would like to consider.

I'm using almost exclusively Peco turnouts (insulfrog ones in my case). They have little tabs on the bottoms of the point rails that make contact with outside rails,..

The electrical connections thru these tab connections can deteriorate over time.

Is it a possibly good idea to treat them with No-Ox or Graphite??

 

[Greg@mnrr]

It appears to be rust on the rails.....??? Or it is some chemical reaction to some thing that came into contact with the rails. I would try using Magic Track, since graphite only would improve electric contact.

The rails need a good cleaning as well as the contacts a minor cleaning.

Greg

 

[beiland]

Greg, that is not a photo of my turnout but rather an image I picked up on google to just show those tabs. Yes it does appear a bit dirty, but I image a lot of our turnouts end up looking like that after a year or so on our layouts.

The point rails get their power by contact with this tab, and contact along the cut between it and the mainrail it is being pressed against.

I'm looking to get this electrical rail contact as good as possible,..that's why I am considering a good cleaning of those contact points, then treatment with No-Ox or graphite.

 

[beiland]

Greg,
that turnout photo you posted,...where did you get it, or identify it??
It does not appear to have the same tabs as many of the older ones?

And is this some sort of new tab,..... sticking off the end of that point rail??

 

[Greg@mnrr]

Beiland:

Here's the web address where I copied the photo of the PECO turnout.

TRACK MAGIC - It's just magic for your track!

Deluxe Materials gives us the lowdown on his track cleaning fluid, Track Magic.

gaugemasterretail.com

I read very favorable comments on the use of Track Magic and Joe Fugate of MRH magazine strongly suggests the use of the product.

I believe that the photo is of a newer PECO turnout. I'm not a user of PECO products but I believe all PECO turnouts have contact tabs build into the turnouts. The locations have just change over the years. PECO users please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks.

Greg

 

[Selector]

When the contacts in the base of your cordless telephone begin to make charging more difficult, the best and cheapest solution/repair is a pencil eraser. It's a cheap trick the electrical repair people know well, and I have used it myself for this reasons. Simply rub the affected surfaces, in the charging unit and on the bottom of the phone, and you'll get better electrical contact. I see no reason why this wouldn't work for those tabs, although I appreciate it might be almost impossible to use a pencil eraser in the dimensions they are sold. But, they can be modified.