Cleaning Prewar O Track

[Anonymous]

I have been given a large box of pre-post war O gauge Lionel track and some equipment to run on it. My problem is how best to clean up this old track. My friend said he heard one operator used Ammonium Citrate crystals for cleaning a big batch of track and it worked good. Only he couldn't remember how it was done. It would take me a year to try to clean it all with a drumel tool and scotch brite pads, so I'm looking for a better way.

Anyone can help me out?? I'd rather spend the year on building a layout then cleaning track.

Thanks, Ed

[Anonymous]

I have been given a large box of pre-post war O gauge Lionel track and some equipment to run on it. My problem is how best to clean up this old track. My friend said he heard one operator used Ammonium Citrate crystals for cleaning a big batch of track and it worked good. Only he couldn't remember how it was done. It would take me a year to try to clean it all with a drumel tool and scotch brite pads, so I'm looking for a better way.

Anyone can help me out?? I'd rather spend the year on building a layout then cleaning track.

Thanks, Ed

[Algonquin]

Hi Ed,

I used to clean track when I could not afford new, but the amount of work to clean a piece can be a lot. Once I had the money, I replaced all my track. I found the electrical conductivity of the new track far exceeded that of the old track requireing less feeder wires to power the layout. I don't know of an easy way co clean up old track.

The following information is from the Lionel.com site on how to clean track:

How To Clean Lionel Track
So you just went to your neighbor's garage sale and you found a treasure, a box full of Lionel trains and accessories. You're so excited, you cannot wait to set it up to see that new treasure running down the track. But to your dismay, you look in the bottom of the box and find out that the track is not in very good condition. There is all kinds of dirt, grime and even some rust on the rails. What can you do to get it in a condition that will allow your train to run smoothly without stopping or hesitating?

Rust can be removed with sandpaper. Non-metallic kitchen scouring pads work well too, but never use steel wool on track. Small particles tend to stick to the rails until they are picked up by a locomotive. This can cause damage to your locomotive. Check each section to be sure all three steel pins are in place and tight. If necessary, crimp the track around the pin with needle-nose pliers to ensure a tight fit.
The top running surfaces of the rails are most important surfaces to keep clean for good operation.
They must be free of dirt, oxide and rust. Try to wipe the surfaces to keep clean rails with a soft cloth occasionally after use to clean off any minor dirty spots. A hard eraser will take off any stubborn spots of grime.

Now that your track is clean and electrically sound, your locomotive should now be able to ride the rails with no problems. Make a habit of cleaning your track on a regular basis. It is also a good idea to keep the wheels and center rail electrical pick ups on your train free from grime. Regular lubrication and maintenance of your trains will allow you to enjoy them for a long, long time.


Regards,

Tim Pignatari

[Algonquin]

Hi Ed,

I used to clean track when I could not afford new, but the amount of work to clean a piece can be a lot. Once I had the money, I replaced all my track. I found the electrical conductivity of the new track far exceeded that of the old track requireing less feeder wires to power the layout. I don't know of an easy way co clean up old track.

The following information is from the Lionel.com site on how to clean track:

How To Clean Lionel Track
So you just went to your neighbor's garage sale and you found a treasure, a box full of Lionel trains and accessories. You're so excited, you cannot wait to set it up to see that new treasure running down the track. But to your dismay, you look in the bottom of the box and find out that the track is not in very good condition. There is all kinds of dirt, grime and even some rust on the rails. What can you do to get it in a condition that will allow your train to run smoothly without stopping or hesitating?

Rust can be removed with sandpaper. Non-metallic kitchen scouring pads work well too, but never use steel wool on track. Small particles tend to stick to the rails until they are picked up by a locomotive. This can cause damage to your locomotive. Check each section to be sure all three steel pins are in place and tight. If necessary, crimp the track around the pin with needle-nose pliers to ensure a tight fit.
The top running surfaces of the rails are most important surfaces to keep clean for good operation.
They must be free of dirt, oxide and rust. Try to wipe the surfaces to keep clean rails with a soft cloth occasionally after use to clean off any minor dirty spots. A hard eraser will take off any stubborn spots of grime.

Now that your track is clean and electrically sound, your locomotive should now be able to ride the rails with no problems. Make a habit of cleaning your track on a regular basis. It is also a good idea to keep the wheels and center rail electrical pick ups on your train free from grime. Regular lubrication and maintenance of your trains will allow you to enjoy them for a long, long time.


Regards,

Tim Pignatari

[lionelsoni]

A problem with cleaning old track is that the inside of the tubular railhead is likely to remain dirty, corroded, or rusted. Thus Tim's observation that more feeders are needed, since the sections are not connected together well.
I have had good luck with soldering my track together. If you do it just for conductivity, you can keep the track pins in and just connect the rail flanges or webs. But I also remove the pins. This makes it a little harder to align the joints; but it is so much easier to remove a piece of trackwork from the layout, without having to pull up so many sections on either side so that the pins can be disengaged.

[lionelsoni]

A problem with cleaning old track is that the inside of the tubular railhead is likely to remain dirty, corroded, or rusted. Thus Tim's observation that more feeders are needed, since the sections are not connected together well.
I have had good luck with soldering my track together. If you do it just for conductivity, you can keep the track pins in and just connect the rail flanges or webs. But I also remove the pins. This makes it a little harder to align the joints; but it is so much easier to remove a piece of trackwork from the layout, without having to pull up so many sections on either side so that the pins can be disengaged.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I never considered the rust inside the tubes, good point. I think Tim is right, new track is well worth ther investment in the long run. I tried by hand on some and it is really not worth it. Maybe I can sell it on e-bay.
Thanks again, Ed

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I never considered the rust inside the tubes, good point. I think Tim is right, new track is well worth ther investment in the long run. I tried by hand on some and it is really not worth it. Maybe I can sell it on e-bay.
Thanks again, Ed

[rlplionel]

Rust inside the track where the track pin fits can be cleaned with two or three passes of a small circular file (available at your local well-stocked train hobby shop).

Robert

[rlplionel]

Rust inside the track where the track pin fits can be cleaned with two or three passes of a small circular file (available at your local well-stocked train hobby shop).

Robert