Restore O Gauge Rails

[GRushton]

I recently received a load of vintage O Gauge Lionel track dating from the 30's to the late 50's. Rusted, black and mishap-en, I didn't have the heart to throw it out. So, I decided to document my restoration process in the hopes of helping others. Some may say it was crazy, I prefer to think of it as a labor of love.

Cleaning and Restoring Vintage Lionel O Gauge Track

 I started by running the track through the dishwasher at the highest wash and dry temperature. Be sure to use dish washing detergent in the cycle to clean debris and heavy deposits from the rails. Using the high temperature dry avoids the risk of new rust forming. A lot of the rust will disappear. If the track is badly rusted and soiled, run the rails through a second cycle. When completed I moved on to the next steps.

1. Rub the rails with Goo Gone and let them sit for several hours. The citrus in Goo Gone will cut through lingering debris and make scrubbing a breeze.
2. Lightly scrub the rails: Tops, bottoms, and sides with a scrub sponge. (Do not use steel wool-it will strip the protective tin/nickel covering.) Clean with a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol after a good scrub.
3. Once the rails are clean and bright, apply “No-Ox ID A Special”. The product can be found on ebay for $5-$10. 2 ounces will last a lifetime. Be very frugal with this stuff. If you can see it, you probably applied too much. Once applied, run your locomotives over the track to treat the wheels. Let everything sit for 24 hours. Do not apply too much NoOX. It can cause stalling if applied too generously. If dead track or stalling occurs simply wipe the access and send the locomotive over the track a few times to rejuvenate the dead track. It will spring back to life.
4. After 24 hours, rub down the track with alcohol to remove the residual grease. The grease in NoOX is just a carrier so its not intended to stay on the track.
5. To “season” new locomotives or stop sparking, set up a test oval with NoOX applied to the rails. Send the locomotive or rolling stock over the rails. A few times around and sparking and connectivity issues disappear.
6. To increase conductivity on the rails, dab the pins with NoOX while constructing your layout.
7. Once NoOX is used, little maintenance is required for the track. Since oxidation is inhibited, a simple dusting is all that will be needed.

Hope this helps! 

Before

AFTER DISHWASHER

After Goo Gone and Scrubbing

[Banks]

Interesting, I've used this stuff on switch gear mainly as a lubricant on sliding contacts. Never gave a thought for this use

[Flintlock76]

GRushton

 I started by running the track through the dishwasher at the highest wash and dry temperature.

Hopefully while the missus isn't looking.

Seriously though, great salvage tips!  

[dlagrua]

Really good tips but I take a slightly different approach; rusted more realistic looking track. I use a Scotch Brite pad on the top of the rails to clean it and leave the sides alone.  Gargraves track is used on my layout and have found that the long lengths minimize voltage drops. For toy train layouts though your method will probably be better.