...and it does away with all the loose ballast nuggets in your switch frogs...
runtime Mersenne, richhotrain, kongoman: I appreciate your feedback and will consider adapting your methods, but I woud prefer if your methods could be made into a closed loop system. In other words, I like 'blowing it off' but, where does the dust go? it needs to be captured someway. I know, I'm spoiling the concept by getting too technical.
Mersenne, richhotrain, kongoman:
I appreciate your feedback and will consider adapting your methods, but I woud prefer if your methods could be made into a closed loop system. In other words, I like 'blowing it off' but, where does the dust go? it needs to be captured someway. I know, I'm spoiling the concept by getting too technical.
The main reason that I use the can of compressed air approach is that my main layout is HO scale. Many of the detail parts are just too delicate to be sticking brushes in there or vacuuuming up dust.
As to where that dust goes, it just gets redistributed back onto the layout, I suppose. On occasion, I will use a Shop Vac to vacuum ballasted areas and ground cover areas but even then you gotta be careful. Last week, I used the Shop Vac to clean up an area of the layout that was "under construction". I got too close to a little parking lot and sucked up a 1951 Chevy. Incredibly, it was still in one piece when I cut open the Shop Vac bag.
Rich
Alton Junction
(Mersenne6 - you had me practically rolling on the floor - thanks!)
runtime
1. Buy a Type Z transformer.
2. Run your trains at 25V.
3. Problem solved.
billbarman How do you guys dust off your trains?
How do you guys dust off your trains?
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
I've found that the fastest and easiest way to dust off my trains is to set up two big fans down at the far end of the my straight mainline and turn them on "high". Once they are up to speed I turn on the trains and run them down the mainline at full throttle. The combined velocity of the air and the trains are such that all of the dust is completely removed. Because of the area coverage the dust on the layout is also blown away.
A word of caution - if you are going to do this you need to make sure everything on the layout is firmly attached. I'll never forget the first time I tried this. I had forgotten that I had only set the superdetailed buildings for my main town down on the layout in a tentative pattern to give myself an idea of the best way to place them. I had also liberally sprinkled green dyed sawdust over a wide area to give myself some idea of how everything would look when it was finished. When I kicked in the fans everything that wasn't firmly in place was either plastered against the far wall or blown through the door opening and into the washroom.
As luck would have it the washing machine was open and full of wet underwear so in an instant the clothes were joined by a lot of green dyed sawdust and shredded model buildings. The green dye leached into the clothes and we wore green dyed tee shirts and shorts for several months until, after repeated bleaching, we managed to get everything looking more or less white again. My wife was none too pleased and, because there was a lot of sawdust embedded in the underwear it did tend to chafe. Ah well, minor inconveniences.
Texas Pete Compressed air, soft bristle brush. Pete
Compressed air, soft bristle brush.
Pete
There you have it.
That's what it takes.
Whar's the FASTEST way to dost off trains?
I don't see how I'll ever find the time to keep everything I have on my layout dusted, lubed, and with wheels all clean! [That's about 10 engines and 40+ cars] And unfortunately,my layoutbeing on the floor, gets dusty pretty quickly. Quick, time efficient, dusting and wheel and track cleaning procedures are what I am stoill trying to find.
Oh well, they don't seem to dust the prototypes, do they. I'll considered mine 'weathered' for now.
I use a very soft high quality 2 inch paint brush, always making sure it is free of any dust before I gently sweep it across the surface.
I use a swiffer or some alternate brand. These are amazing at cleaning pieces, especially in hard to reach parts.
One recommendation I would make is that if you are running a public display, please clean your trains before use. A couple years ago, a railroad club promoted that they used a model train display (mostly postwar O) to bring members, and they posted photos of the event. All my eye saw was how dirty the cars were. Not cool. Not every person out there can tell a high end model from a starter set loco, but they all know dirty from clean. Clean trains in my opinion, attract members more than dusty.
What dust?
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
small paint brush and air from my compressor ( note make sure air is turned down the first timer I blew a boxcar over( even thou I thought I had it turned down enough.)
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
A soft artist's brush.
I just use a very soft brush and my breath to remove dust.. I also use my air brush and compressor to blow dust off. (without paint of course). Computer aerosol cans for dusting can also be used. I do not use water, alcohol or pledge or similiar substances as any of them could potentially mar a painted finish.
Compressed air, with a water spray bottle. Just get it damp and blow it dry.
I am fortunate enough to have a large air compressor in my shed. Works very well. just don't use too much water.
Kev.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
One of those long-handled duster brushes and a vacum hose attachment covered with rubber-banded old mesh (I think it used to be panty hose) to keep from inadvertent sucking up some items. I'm fortunate though to get very little dust in the basement.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
"You can’t study the darkness by flooding it with light." - Edward Abbey -
For dusting, I use a vacuum attachment brush my wife bought for delicate items some years back that has very soft bristles that don't abrase or scratch.
I have been using original formula Pledge furniture spray since around 1960 which has proven safe and protective, engines and cars.....the dust for the most part doesn't stick much when the surface is protected. It leaves the plastic pieces very close to the original patina, not overly glossy or greasy in appearance. It also works on my die cast steamers. I use this every couple of months. I apply the spray to a white cotton t-shirt and go over the surfaces very gently, finish by wiping down with another clean white t-shirt. I use q-tips on the detailed nooks and crannies.
Take care to be particularly cautious and gentle around numbers and lettering.
Half of the time I drape a paper towel over just the engines when not in use, cuts down on the need to dust them so often.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
How do you guys dust off your trains? No matter what I ret I can never get it all, or if I do, it always leaves some trailing behind. I just can't seem to get it all off. What do you guys do to solve this problem?
"No childhood should be without a train!"
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