Wheel cleaning tip works great!

[dekker]

In this months issue of M.RR there is a tip on cleaning your wheels on your locos by putting Whal clipper oil (electric hair clippers oil) on a paper shop towel(the thicker paper towels you get at auto parts stores) put it on the track and put one set of trucks on the oil paper towel mixture and hold the engine in place and turn the speed up so one set of trucks will spin on the oil/paper towel mix. Let me tell you I just cleaned all of my locos. I could not believe how much dirt came off the wheels. My wheels were way more dirty then I thought. I had two of my locos that would not move in pulse mode but they run smooth as silk now. Plus it was very easy. Try it.

 

[NZRMac]

yep been doing that for a long time, does a good job huh.

Ken.

 

[UP2CSX]

I do the same thing but use isopropyl alcohol. I've heard of the Wahl's clipper oil thing for years but it still hard for me to believe that, by the very nature of oil, you don't end up with a film of oil that has to attract dirt to the tracks.

 

[Rico]

I'm with Jim, but I am about to try Wahl oil as I am having some problems with dirty track that I've never had before.
I love running on John Longhursts' M&M sub on which he uses the oil.

 

[Larry]

I was told by my barber yesterday that all Wohl's Clipper Oil is a good mineral oil that you can buy at your local hardware store. If this is true, then you could buy larger quanities at lower prices. Just a thought.

I've been using the Cleaner Wipes that you get at WM for cleaning in automotive dept. They come in a cannister & you have to use them up right away or they dry out.

 

[stationmaster]

Use the oil then the alcohol to remove and residual. I've been using that method for over 30 years. Odd how sometimes our best kept secrets appear in that magazine. They must read the forums.

Bob

 

[w5blt]

I'm a newby here. Just purchased a beginner HO set. My wife had an old engine (30+ years old. The lady at the retail store suggested I use denatured alcohol. Why? I have no idea. This is all new to me. Haven't tried it yet. The new set is for my wife. It'll be set up running around the Christmas tree when she gets up on the 25th.

 

[DaWolf85]

I'm a newby here. Just purchased a beginner HO set. My wife had an old engine (30+ years old. The lady at the retail store suggested I use denatured alcohol. Why? I have no idea. This is all new to me. Haven't tried it yet. The new set is for my wife. It'll be set up running around the Christmas tree when she gets up on the 25th.

Just sayin', but this thread is 8 months old...

 

[hamltnblue]

Old threads tend to come to life this time of year. People drag out their train sets and others get new ones as gifts and start looking for answers in the forums.

 

[DaWolf85]

^^True dat

@w5blt: Denatured alcohol is a pretty good cleaner, actually. I don't know if it's good for this purpose, but you could try.

 

[wvg_ca]

I still prefer a smear down of the track once a year with no-ox....use a soft wood push stick, and hand scrub [parallel with rails], and a quick wipe with a dry rag...
even my cheap tyco plastic wheelsets don't seem to pick up track grunge like they did at one time..
I use a mix of old atlas brass track and ebay steel..
loco wheels develop a dark shine, like black chrome after a while, no grunge..no dark smears with alcohol rag wipes, almost like the black is embedded??
whatever it is in no-ox, i sure do like it..

 

[UP2CSX]

You can use isopropyl alcohol to clean tracks - no need to pay for denatured alcohol. I'm also a big fan of No-Ox. I use it about twice a year and never have to clean my tracks in between. The track on lesser used sidings or industrial subs can literally turn black but there's no effect on how the engines run. It's worth the money.

 

[Irongrave]

oil is a little better as it will also keep water vapor from the wheels slowing corrosion