Gang Car and Track Cleaning Car Questions

[TrainLarry]

The Train Tender has the wipers and the sponge for the track cleaning car.

Larry

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Thanks for the link.

I'll check them out with a phone call tomorrow. I notice the kit does not include the felt pads for the track cleaning car. I don't really need the lubricants, as I have Labell's.

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[TrainLarry]

  Lionel has it listed under "maintenance" if you search their site. You can try your local Lionel dealer, or a web search will find the kit; here is one.

Larry

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TrainLarry

   The Lionel maintenance set #6-62927 has track cleaning fluid included that can be safely used in the track cleaning car. That is what I use.

Larry

Thanks Larry, where can I get that?

 

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[TrainLarry]

   The Lionel maintenance set #6-62927 has track cleaning fluid included that can be safely used in the track cleaning car. That is what I use.

Larry

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Re: Lionel Track Cleaning Car Fluid

Checked with my LHS - Lionel track cleaning fluid of old was non-flammable. They carry the pads (don't ask me why), but they do not know what fluid to recommend. 

Does anyone know what is an appropriate fluid to use?

They sell 'Googone' but it is flammable.

 

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[TrainLarry]

  For your problem with the gang car on the Super '0' switch, check to make sure the wheels are in fact touching the contact spring. With the layout powered down, and the switches powered up, put the gang car on the switch and see if the wheels are touching the contact spring. Make sure both the contact spring and the inside of the wheels on the gang car are clean, and not dirty/rusty. You may need to bend the contact spring slightly to make better contact with the wheels.

  Do not use alcohol in the track cleaning car. A spark from the wheels or rollers could ignite it, and as arkady said, it burns invisibly, and you would not know there is a fire until wood / plastic / paper started to burn. I learned that from an alcohol-fired live steam locomotive I built.

Larry

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Thanks for the feedback.

The Super switch is remote controlled, and I have it seperately powered. The 'anti derailing' works fine, from either side,for any other engines that I have run.

So what is the Lionel track cleaning fluid made of?

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[arkady]

I don't know whether you're talking about manual or electric Super-O switches.  If they're electric, then I'd guess your gang car isn't making sufficient electrical contact to throw them.  Are they track-powered, or powered by a separate power source?  That could make a difference.

If they're manual, I'm not sure that Super-O manual switches were ever designed to throw when approached from the closed side, the way FasTrack switches are.

As for using alcohol as a track-cleaning- car fluid, I don't recommend it.  It burns, with a hot but nearly invisible flame.

Clean the wheels and roller (replace the collector if need be), as others have advised.  Also make sure the commutator is clean and all bearings and gears properly lubed.  

 

 

 

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Larry,

Thanks for the reply.

For the track cleaning car: I'll look into getting the fluid and wipers. Is it alcohol based? Could I just fill the car with rubbing alcohol?

The gang car's wheels are clean ], as is the pick-up roller, which never the less gets very hot.

Still puzzled by the derailment issue...

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[TrainLarry]

  For the track cleaning car, the Lionel maintenance set #6-62927 has track cleaning fluid included.  The wipers, #3927-50 are available from online parts dealers.

  The gang car should have its' wheels and pickup roller cleaned with alcohol, or naptha for a real good job. That should tone down the sparking. If the roller is very worn, replace it with #50-17 collector assembly. The modern rollers are solid steel, wheras (my guess) the earlier ones may have been sintered steel, thus the granular look.

Larry

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Brought out the Gang Car for some running:

First I noticed that the center pickup is deeply grooved. Seems to be made out of some sort of coarse granular metal (early version?). But it runs OK, just throws lots of sparks.. SHOULD I REPLACE THE ROLLER? SOONER OR LATER? WITH WHAT?

 Secondly, it will not throw the straight side of the Super O turnout on my Christmas tree reversing loop - gets thrown off the track every time - although all my other trains throw it OK. CAN ANYONE GUESS WHAT'S UP? My only guess is that the gang car may be too light; although it throws the curved side OK. Switch mechanics issue? What? Those non-derailing contacts seem very delicate - don't want to mess them up.

 

Track Cleaning Car:

I have one of these. I'm wondering if it actually can do some worthwhile track cleaning. I remember we used to run it periodically back in the day. (Would be sooo much easier than hand cleaning!) If it can do the job, where do I get appropriate fluid and wiper pads?

 

Thanks for any help,

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