Scotch Brite

[lionelsuperotrack]

Over many years I have cleaned thousands of pieces of Lionel "Super O" track and the answer, from all the methods I have utilized, is a 3M Metal to Metal Cleaning pad. They are found in the paint section of a Menards, Home Depot or the like. They are about 1" thick, 3" x 5". They are great. Cost $2.50 or so. They last a long time.

The key ingredient is ELBOW GREASE. They do a tremendous job of cleaning the tops of the rails to improve electrical contact. I have never heard of rust developing. Possibly the light costing of oil from the engines and rolling stock protects the rail.

Very best, Mike

The History of Lionel "Super O" Track
( http://www.tcamembers.org/articles/operating/supero/index.html )

Lionel_SuperO_Track Yahoo Group
( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lionel_SuperO_Track/ )

[AKKevinT]

I have used the Dremel disc you described. They are awesome for cleaning old rusty track. Use at lower speeds and you will get way more life out of each disc. The ones I have used come two to a pack, one is much stiffer than the other for more stubborn projects. I am in the middle of reconditioning about 40 - 022 switches. I completely disassemble each switch and use my Dremel to recondition the track before reinstalling it. When the switches are put back together they look like they are new.

The one draw back is the discs are not cheap and depending on the condition of the track you can go through them quickly.


AKKevinT

[tschmidt]

Buckeye,

Thanks for the info. I will follow the info I read above to get my track a little brighter!

Tom

[Buckeye Riveter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tschmidt

I had someone tell me to use a fine sanding block made for sanding drywall. Has anyone ever heard of this and do you know if it works? I have gargraves track and will need to clean it soon. I am concerned about ruining the track.

Tom

Tom, when those tiny little pieces of sand somehow end up in the gears of your best running locomotive, you will see why we use something else. Steel wool is supposed to be the worst thing to clean track, and sandpapers must be a close second.

In conclusion, the sanding block will clean the track, but.......................................................................................................and that is a big but. [:D]

[tschmidt]

I had someone tell me to use a fine sanding block made for sanding drywall. Has anyone ever heard of this and do you know if it works? I have gargraves track and will need to clean it soon. I am concerned about ruining the track.

Tom

[ben10ben]

I don't think that the commercial scotchbrite is really abrasive enough to remove the tinplate like sandpaper will. If you let it sit in one spot, I'm sure that it would, but it would probably still take a while. Jim reported that on his Atlas(I think it was, at least) track, it took about 4 minutes of sitting in one spot to remove the blackening. Keep in mind that it takes a lot less force to remove blackening than it does plating(especially if the plating is thick enough), so I really wouldn't worry about it.

[Buckeye Riveter]

You won't believe what I use on my LGB track that is outside...the Scotch Gard side of a a gas grill brush. I does a great job.

BTW, my neighbor works for 3M that makes the Scotch Brite. I had him read Mr. Barret's directions for the track cleaner and he told me that they make a Scotch Brite that already has an adhesive on one side ready to stick on the rotating brush mechanism. I think it already is cut in circles, too.

[Anonymous]

I have super luck with this arrangement and no abrassive. I have 2 Northwest shortline track cleaning cars. I saturate the 1st pad of the 1st car with goo gone. Then the next pad and the two on the 2nd car with dry pads do the cleaning.
The wierd thing is the pad right behind the wet one does not get real black, but the first pad on the 2nd car get most of the gunk. Evidently the goo gone has done more cleaning when the 2nd clean pad goes over.
After the engine pulling the cars goes by you can wipe a clean finger on the track and your finger will remain spotless.
I really like this system. If you use goo gone on a one pad or roller you leave all of reside on the rails as goo gone does not evaporate right away, but does a super job of cleaning.
Dave

[Dave Farquhar]

For that matter, just running the trains seems to eventually wear through the tinplate, judging from the appearance of some prewar and Marx wheels I have that are really dull but not rusted.

That said, if your layout is indoors, it's in an environment where the humidity and moisture are pretty well controlled, and I wouldn't expect it to rust. Even if a bit of light rust were to form, light rust responds very well to the Scotch-Brite treatment.

[laz 57]

A better form of the scoth brite pad is with the Trackman 2000.
Check it out at http://www.trackman2000.com/
It is mounted to a heavy cleaning car and cleans the track as your train goes round. I use it about once every 2 weeks for about 20 minutes on each track. You don't even know your cleaning your track.
Laz57

[eZAK]

Big_Boy,
All rail fron Gargraves, Lionel, K-line & (I think ) some MTH have a tin plating.

As far as removing it. The track cleaner probaly will over time.
I did a simular mod, like Jim B. did, several years ago.
I have seen no rusting or any ill-effects.

I pull the 'New' Lionel track cleaner behind the loco and the 'Old' track cleaner with wiper down behind that.
This set up works very well and I only do it about every other month.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by northern 1

Wouldn't the Scotch Brite tend to remove the tin plateing on the rails leaving bare steel to rust. Dave.

What plating Dave???

[lionelsoni]

I think most folks like it because it is about as non-abrasive as you can get without being completely ineffective.

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't the Scotch Brite tend to remove the tin plateing on the rails leaving bare steel to rust. Dave.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ben10ben

Jim Barrett of OGR mounted a scotchbrite pad onto the bottom of a postwar Lionel track cleaning car, and all who have built it have reported excellent results with this project.

I liked that article too. It does sound very effective. One thing about the track cleaning car is that the motor that turns the pad goes at fairly low RPM's. Of course that method would not work for cleaning loose track.

[ben10ben]

Jim Barrett of OGR mounted a scotchbrite pad onto the bottom of a postwar Lionel track cleaning car, and all who have built it have reported excellent results with this project.

[Big_Boy_4005]

I really think good old fashioned "elbow grease" is the best way to employ a Scotch Brite pad. Just run it over the tops of the rails a few times. The Dremel seems too small, and it turns way faster than is necessary.

[tumbleweed56]

I have used Scotch Brite scouring pads to successfully clean old Lionel tubular tracking. Has anyone ever tried cutting Scotch Brite pad and fitting them to a dremel tool? In addition, 3m sells a Scotch-Brite™ Roloc™ TR Surface Conditioning Disc for dremel tools - has anybody tried that?