What is the best way to clean Zink track?

[Anonymous]

I just bought some zink lionel track from a train swap. Im curious if anyone knows the best way to clean this track.
Thanks, Jason

[Kooljock1]

Was this some kind of pre-war product I'm not aware of???

Jon [8D]

[Kooljock1]

I see from your other thread that he was told this track was made during the war. All Lionel track was manufactured of tin-plated steel up through 1942, and then production resumed again in late 1945.

I've never heard of zinc-plated track, or track made of zinc.

At any rate, unless he's trying to collect Lionel T-Rail track to re-create a late pre-war layout, or Super-O, there's really no reason to buy old track. New track is cheap, and dealing with old, grungy track is just not worth it!

But if he must, have him run it through the dish washer a couple of times. If the track is rusty, toss it!

Jon [8D]

[marmelmm]

H'm. Dishwasher.

I'll hafta try that one.

Good thing I'm a bachelor; I suspect the proverbial Missus wouldn't approve.

VTY,

-MMM-

[Dave Farquhar]

I've cleaned track with the dishwasher before, and it does get the track clean. You need to dry the track quickly though to prevent more rust from forming. My biggest concern about doing that is putting something painted with lead-based paint inside the same appliance I use to wa***hings I use for eating. I'm probably crossing the line between safety and paranoia, but I only did it once and didn't do it again after that.

I can say it did leave tell-tale rust spots on the rack in the dishwasher.

Also, hosing down the track using the sprayer in the kitchen sink worked almost as well and was faster. All that said, when I clean track, I usually do it by hand.

[FJ and G]

I coated my 027 track with 100% zinc coating (spray kind) and they've been outside since last fall with no rust. I can't get ANY conductivity thru the zinc with my multimeter. How en heck are you getting conductivity?

i'M using remote control.

Possibly yours is a zinc alloy????

[More to restore]

David, I do not get this. Why would spray your tracks with zinc??? In our acid rain environment the tracks will get dull matt grey in a few days: an non-conductive layer of zinc oxide and zinc chloride. If you would like to plate rails with anything why not copper, nickel, tin? Makes more sense to me. Or is there some hidden mystery here?

[FJ and G]

zinc slows rust

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by More to restore

...If you would like to plate rails with anything why not copper, nickel, tin? ...

I like these ideas! ...But they present some questions too.

1. I'd probably avoid copper just because of the color. How do you do nickel and/or tin plating?

2. Which would tend to resist wear better and oxidize the least?

3. What chemicals do you use for plating, and where can you buy them (for a reasonable price)?

How well do you think "gun blue" would work? I've used it to restore worn 'chemically blackened' parts before, but I don't know if it conducts well or how well it would resist wear. (Could this be what Gargraves uses to make the center rail on their "Phantom" track less visible?)

Thanks!
Doug

[lionelsoni]

Actually, copper might age to a fairly prototypical brown.

[Anonymous]

If you are going to plate the track with something it has to be a) conductive to electricity, b) not to expensive/complicated, c) not toxic, d) still conductive when it oxidizes. This is probably why we have tin plated track in the first place.

Gun Bluing will probably rust the track unless you are very careful with the application. As the stuff's pretty nasty, I'd think twice about doing any large scale self applications. Gargraves uses a similar process for it's Phantom Rail and they have to apply a barrier film of light weight oil to stop the process from continuing. Iron oxide is significantly less conductive than non oxidized iron/steel.