RELCO track cleaner, does it work?

[pjjkg]

RELCO track cleaner

Obtained this at a sale. Don't know if it is worth the bother to hook up etc. or if it might damage locos.  Any comments?  Made in Watford England.

Thanks

[cacole]

Disconnect your DCC command station and power booster if you have them before trying to use this device.  It puts a high frequency AC signal on the track that can destroy a DCC system and decoders and is for use only on a DC layout.

There's one thread on another web site written by a person who used one of these devices with Z scale DC engines and wrote a rather glowing review of what it can accomplish.

http://www.zscale.org/articles/cleaning.html

From his description of how this device works by burning the dirt off of the track, I'd be very cautious about using it.  Sparks can burn pits into the rail and wheels and cause more damage than the effort saved in manually cleaning track.

If it's really so wonderful there would be a lot of them in use; I had never heard of it until you asked about one.

[cowman]

I have one and I think it really helped.  It was set up on my old layout of brass track and after using it awhile locos ran better (it says it will help clean up motors too).  A friend had a little steam loco that was very balky, coughed, bucked, stalled, etc. I put it on my track and after some coaxing to get it to move it's performance improved the more laps it did.  It took awhile (20 minutes or so), but it ran pretty well when I sent it back to him and it ran well on his layout.

Don't remember the directions for DCC or if there were any when I got mine.  The directions are burried, as I am pretty much packed up, trying to get the large train room finished and occupied by trains before something (someone) else moves in. 

As for sparks, I have never seen any, it doesn't work that fast.

I think I will put it on my traveling layout.  When/If I get my big layout going, I may move it there or get another one.  The only thing I remember about large layouts is that it can't do all your blocks at once, if they are large.  But you could do a block or two at a time.

My recommendation is if you have it, use it.  If you are nervous about using it, set up a small loop and run some trains to see what you think of it.

Good luck,

[marknewton]

If it's really so wonderful there would be a lot of them in use; I had never heard of it until you asked about one.

Thats' because they are made and sold in the UK, which is their primary market. They are wonderful, and there are a lot of them in use - just not in Arizona, apparently. But that's okay, I daresay most Relco users haven't heard of Sierra Vista, either.

I used one for years before I went DCC, and I was quite happy with its performance. I didn't suffer any noticeable problems with pitting or other damage from arcing.

Mark.

[John Busby]

Hi

I did not know you could still get them.

I have one and it got a lot of my old loco's running better and it markedly reduced the amount of track cleaning I had to do.

They are real helpful on DC railways I don't know how much value they would Have on DCC set ups.

Building a new layout where did you get it as I am going to need a couple more of them.

You must use the little electronic component with it and make real sure you have not wired it up incorrectly

regards John Busby