RotorRanch-That's the exact one I had.
I ran across these at Dallas Model Works.http://www.dallasmodelworks.com/products/product_detail_accessories.asp?ItemNumber=NO-528-60157
Look pretty interesting.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Life-Like-Track-Cleaning-Car-No-T-584-In-Box-HO-scale_W0QQitemZ250267812793QQihZ015QQcategoryZ19135QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
There is also a couple of Ulrich's on there now, that look to have a brass tank.
Tyco also made the same car as my Life-Like car. I think IHC might have also.
Rotor
Jake: How often does the train go by? Elwood: So often you won't even notice ...
loathar wrote: Rotorranch wrote: Nowhere as trick as the CMX, but it works for me!It's one of my old Life-Like track cleaning cars. I don't put fluid in the tank, I just wet the felt pad with isopropyl alcohol, and run it. I very seldom run it anymore, as I don't have much trouble with dirty track these days. RotorI used to have one of those. Did a pretty good job. Wish they still made them.
Rotorranch wrote: Nowhere as trick as the CMX, but it works for me!It's one of my old Life-Like track cleaning cars. I don't put fluid in the tank, I just wet the felt pad with isopropyl alcohol, and run it. I very seldom run it anymore, as I don't have much trouble with dirty track these days. Rotor
Nowhere as trick as the CMX, but it works for me!
It's one of my old Life-Like track cleaning cars. I don't put fluid in the tank, I just wet the felt pad with isopropyl alcohol, and run it. I very seldom run it anymore, as I don't have much trouble with dirty track these days.
I used to have one of those. Did a pretty good job. Wish they still made them.
I see them on ePay occasionally. Usually cheap. I just put P2K wheels on this one last night while I was locked out of here.
I've got at least one more of them new in box I found at the train shows several years ago.
Rotorranch wrote:Nowhere as trick as the CMX, but it works for me!It's one of my old Life-Like track cleaning cars. I don't put fluid in the tank, I just wet the felt pad with isopropyl alcohol, and run it. I very seldom run it anymore, as I don't have much trouble with dirty track these days. Rotor
dale8chevyss wrote:I have one of those CSX box cars from Walthers that cost me about 15 bucks with one of those "brite boy" pads on the bottom- it works well on my 4X8 because I didn't want to spend 100 bucks on a brass one.
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
Good Morning!
I've had an 11x15 HO layout for sometime, and have tried various commercial "stuff" to clean the tracks. Some work better than others, but to be perfectly honest - nothing works like the ol "0-5-0" track cleaner. Whether you use a liquid or very, very fine abrasive, doing it by hand is the only method - my opinion - that will do the job as it should be done.
Of course there is trackage that you can't reach easily, so I recently purchased the aluminum "stick" from Walthers that has an abrasive on the end to reach hard to get to places, and that solves that problem.
Oh, prevention is something to pursue, and I find that installation of metal wheels has been a real help. And fortunately, the layout is in a climate controlled room and dirt is not a major problem, as I only have to clean about every 6 months or so.
For what its worth.......
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Lillen wrote:The fluid drips down from the tank in a very controlled manner on to the pad. Works like a dream. Magnus
The fluid drips down from the tank in a very controlled manner on to the pad. Works like a dream.
Magnus
http://www.tonystrains.com/products/img/showimage.html?CMX%20Clean%20Machine|tte|7|2|cmx-0210-600.jpg|cmx-0224-600.jpg|cmx-0253-600.jpg|cmx-0321-600.jpg|cmx-289-600.jpg|cmx-293-600.jpg|cmx_ho_in_black.jpg
Now I'm confused. How does the fluid get from the tank to the pad?? These doesn't seem to be any direct conection between them. I didn't realize you can buy that pad and mount assembly and add it to your own car. $30 is more reasonable than $120.
http://www.tonystrains.com/products/tteexclusive_cmx.htm and read the manual and user reviews.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
What is the cleaning fluid that is used in the CMX track cleaning car? Is this car available in N scale? Anybody have a web address for the manufacturer of the CMX car?
Bob
The best way:
Run your layout !
But sometimes I have to clean the tracks. At first place there's my Track Cleaning Transfer Caboose.
This works like a Centerline track cleaning car.
Then I bought from Lux a Vacuum Cleaner Car.
And the last purchase was the CMX machine.
This car is excellent for fluids and cleaning. Here's a video.
Margaritaman wrote: Lillen wrote: The usual answer is the CMX clean ´machine. I got one and I love it. It is kind of pricey but for me atleast it is wort every single penny. MagnusMe too and never looked back.
Lillen wrote: The usual answer is the CMX clean ´machine. I got one and I love it. It is kind of pricey but for me atleast it is wort every single penny. Magnus
The usual answer is the CMX clean ´machine. I got one and I love it. It is kind of pricey but for me atleast it is wort every single penny.
Me too and never looked back.
Ditto .. (I miss that icon)
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
It's unbelievably good. I'm doing construction on my layout and the only cleaning I do is with the CMX. I will pass the white glove test after a single run even in this under construction dirty environment. It is more then worth the money.
San Dimas Southern slideshow
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
It's 1/8" masonite. It comes smooth on both sides or rough on one. I used a romex wire nail like these.(cut the plastic "U" in half)http://www.mobilemart.com/product.aspx?sku=79325The nails fit very tight in their plastic "U" housing and holds the pad very well when you pick the car up. I wanted the pad to "float" so I didn't want to use screws. I tried just putting weight on top of the pad(with no springs) and you can't fit enough weight in the small space between the pad and car frame. The pad didn't seem to have enough pressure against the rails. I took a spring out of a ball point pen and cut it down and that provided a lot of down pressure but lifted the car wheels off the rails. Enter...the fishing sinkers... A little bit of tweaking the springs and weight and it works pretty good.My masonite pad is too long. (3") I would go about 1 1/2" if I built another one. You can see by the dirt pattern on the bottom that the middle of the pad doesn't contact the rails as much as the ends due to bumps and dips in my track work. I think a shorter pad would work better. I might try a piece of sticky back 1/8" cork on the pad to see if that cleans any better than the rough masonite surface.
I'm thinking about painting and decaling this and the Geep that pulls it in CSX mow orange scheme. I'm sure the $100 brass cars work much better, but that ain't in my budget.
Scarpia wrote: Thanks for the pictures, Lothar.Any idea why nails over screws?
Thanks for the pictures, Lothar.
Any idea why nails over screws?
The nails don't really attach the masonite "pad" to the car, they merely serve as alignment pins to hold the pad over the track as the car goes around. The pad is actually floating on the rails and being pushed around by the car. This allows the pad to move up and down over any track irregularities without derailing the car. The weight of the pad alone should be enough cause it to press down on the railheads causing any gunk to stick to the pad. Also as mentioned, beveling the leading/trailing edges of the pad will prevent it from getting caught on anything sharp like an uneven rail joint or turnout frog. Jamie
CLICK HERE FOR THE CSX DIXIE LINE BLOG
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
loathar,
How thick is the Masonite? It looks like 1/8". Where did you get 1/8" Masonite with a rough surface on one side? All the 1/8" hardboard I've seen is smooth both sides.
FoulRift wrote:Sorry Dan-don't have a picture but I'm sure if you searched you can find one besides I think Lillen has a better idea so please forget about mine.
I wouldn't say forget about it. I used an old Tyco 60' box car to make mine. Works pretty good if you don't feel like spending $100.You can get the general idea. I spring loaded mine so I added a bunch of weight to the car to keep it from derailing. I just use some 200 grit sand paper to sand the gunk off the pad once in a while. Not too bad for a pile of free junk.