I'm using Bachmann nickel-silver E-Z track, HO, for a ceiling train.
I recently purchased a Trains Canada cleaning car on Ebay, pretty close to the list price of $24.95. It's a nicely detailed boxcar in the livery of the 1961 CN passenger trains, which matches my Rapido collection. It's got a metal weight inside, and some sort of rough rubber or cloth on a botton centre mounted plate, connected to the body by 4 tight springs & pegs.
It seems to work quite well; I pull it around slowly behind a Stewart F7B on cleaning day. it has already picked up a lot of carbon from the track. For larger messes, such as dust from a diorama install, I like to use a green sponge scrubbie. Just a drop of water & a quick wipe with both sides.
Hello from Semafore, staunch promoter of the 'Gleam' method. I was informed of an earlier application of the method I thought I had originated. Nonetheless, it is a method in progress, and with noteable results. I have spent many hours pondering, analyzing, and testing various ways to get the track as reliable electrically and mechanically as possible. I am HO, yet this applies to all scale track.
The key to it all is to ensure a smooth, seamless electrical bond to the wheel, and constant adhesion only this method can ensure. I do not profit from this, as everyone is welcome to do this, It will only free up so much time to run and enjoy your trains, not constantly having to clean just to run, and fewer derailments, too! Track cleaning cars can become obsolete, like cabooses! Please do a forum search on 'gleam' to learn more.
Be good, be well be Trained!
Silver Pilot -
See response to cacole.
Lighten up, cacoli. Nobody says you have to reply or even look at a thread if the subject appears to be redundant.
Good points on the abrasion. At what point does it start to affect movement?
I second that, alot of people make the mistake of using abrasive stuff on the rail. You need to look at rail under a microscope to see tha damgae it does! It leaves thousands of tiny grooves that harbour the dirt and carbon residue (that black stuff)
sschnablFor those that have "gleamed" their track, would you still run a cleaning car around? If so, would it be with an abrasive pad, or would you run a Centerline car with a dry cloth?
Scott:
An abrasive type cleaner will undo your gleaming work by making scratches in the gleamed surface. Usually all that is required is a periodic wipe down with an alcohol-dampened cloth.
Joe
TucsonTom Please weigh in, if you'd like, on pros and cons of any track cleaning car you've had experience with and believe worth the investment. Heart felt appreciations!
Please weigh in, if you'd like, on pros and cons of any track cleaning car you've had experience with and believe worth the investment. Heart felt appreciations!
I have an LGB track cleaner engine which I seldom have to use now that I have all stainless track, however I did recently purchase a used Trackman 2000 on evil-bay, and I also use an Aristo track car, mainly to just brush off the animal dust and sand that gets on the rail heads, at times when I don't operate for a few days.
Couple times around and everything runs fine, also good for removing thick early morning wet dew from the rail heads.
I also have a three rail "O" scale Trackman 2000 that I found on the bay too........I do believe they are no longer doing manufacturing, because of a fire I had heard....
Byron
Funny, every time I see silverpilot post it's complaining about someone not using the search.
I find this humorous, because it's an active forum, not an archive.
What's even more interesting is that when someone searches and finds an old post then brings it back to life, others complain about them bringing back a dead thread.
The problem with searching is that many times the info is outdated, and the people posting are not active anymore, this goes for most forums, not just this one.
I have a question. How does it hurt you when someone posts something that has been posted thousands of times before? Why do you have to open the thread? Why not just pass it by and look at other threads? Ever thought of how dead it would be if people didn't repost?
To answer the original question I am rather fond of the CMX clean machine myself although I need to get some kind of abrasive cleaner to go in front of it for the tough spots. However with a tank full of googone it does a pretty good job with most of the track.
For those that have "gleamed" their track, would you still run a cleaning car around? If so, would it be with an abrasive pad, or would you run a Centerline car with a dry cloth?
Scott
I run several cars with Masonite blocks underneath. Here is one hidden under a crane tender. The sides and top of the block are painted black to decrease visibility.
The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!
The question may have come up before but like the stories that my Buddies tell over and over, I try to be quite and listen politely. It's a guy thing. Where would the camaraderie be otherwise?
Lee
A club I belong to has been using the John Allen track cleaning car for a number of years. Great idea that is still well used.
We have an older MDC Box Cab track cleaner for stub ended sidings that has a Digitrax decoder in it.
We sometimes put the boxcar cleaner in a freight or run it around the layout using the box cab. The box cab somewhat resembles a diesel powered one with the noise it makes. Just no volume control.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I like the centerline but some people hate them because you have to be careful when you align the cloth or it will catch on turnouts.
Thanks for the well informed and phrased question! And for the umpteen gazillionth time plus one - do a search for this topic and spend some time reading the responses! Since you've posted a rather generic, nonspecific question your best solution is to read the prior posts and the information available in them. OR, do you have a specific question and about a specific track cleaning car?
Good on you Tom!!!
Dave
'there's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear' Modeling the Hard Knox Valley Railroad in HO scale http://photos.hardknoxvalley.com/
Yeah! And this is the umpteen gazillionth time plus one! Thanks for the informative reply.
You might want to see my post on this thread
http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=119178
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
This must be the umpteen gazillionth time this topic has come up. Do a search and see how many times it has come up.
Only car I've used is the old John Allen special, boxcar with a masonite pad underneath to rub on the rails, kept in place with two roofing nails epoxied head down to the pad, running up through loose drilled holes in the car body. Cheap, effective and a neat way to honor the old boy. I'd "gleam" the track to give you the best chance of keeping it clean. Make sure the rail head is free of paint, solder and other gunk, burnish it with a smooth hard stainless steel washer or similar and then apply some "Flitz" or "Simichrome" or some other metal polish. Them trains'll scoot down the rails smoother than sausage through a goose.
Lou
I like the walthers 40' boxcar track cleaner with the masonite block. It rolls good and hasn't got caught on anything between the rails as of yet. I got it from trainworld when they were on sale a few months ago....chuck