Since it sounds like you have the steel rail vs nickel silver, you may want to know that it is hard to keep clean vs the nickel silver. Perhaps consider selling that track and replacing with the nickel silver which is much easier to maintain. That's what I did after a couple of years of cleaning the steel track often. The nickel silver is on a grey roadbed.
Richard
Use the "search our community" feature in the right side margin and type in "gleam" {as in the GLeam method} under the "entire community" menu link and you will get a TON of links about this method...it will serve you well to read, and follow it thoroughly!!!
There is even a thread about how a scientific report "backs up" the gleam method ideology for metalurgy!
Basically you polish and burnish the rails so all nicks and tiny grooves are eliminated and therefore all "dirt collectors/electrical interrupters" are gone and your track will not need nearly the cleaning that an un-gleamed track will!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
sw1500railfan The two other replies are perfectly fine, but I have read that using sand paper leaves little microscopic scrapes in the track, allowing bacteria and junk to get stuck in there, totally wrecking good locomotive-track connection in the long run. Whether that's true or not, I use a track eraser (Bright Boy, etc.) which is found at your local hobby shop. Slide it over the rails (especially easy with E-Z Track) rubbing the dirt off. Plus, if this is for your grandson, a track eraser is safe and sturdy enough that you could give him the "job" of keeping the track clean. I did that with my 5 year old little cousin and he had a blast helping me clean the track. Enjoy your Thomas and Friends train set!! Full Speed Ahead!!
The two other replies are perfectly fine, but I have read that using sand paper leaves little microscopic scrapes in the track, allowing bacteria and junk to get stuck in there, totally wrecking good locomotive-track connection in the long run. Whether that's true or not, I use a track eraser (Bright Boy, etc.) which is found at your local hobby shop. Slide it over the rails (especially easy with E-Z Track) rubbing the dirt off. Plus, if this is for your grandson, a track eraser is safe and sturdy enough that you could give him the "job" of keeping the track clean. I did that with my 5 year old little cousin and he had a blast helping me clean the track. Enjoy your Thomas and Friends train set!! Full Speed Ahead!!
There's nothing wrong with being a Teenager. As a matter of fact, 60 years ago next May 31st. I became one myself and I think that I turned out OK. So do my 2 kids and my 5 Grand-kids. Of course, I blame it all on my love of trains which I got from my Dad.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. That's how we learn.
Remember, the only stupid question is the one that you don't ask.
Blue Flamer.
I think you will find most of your rust is on track with the black roadbed. That has steel rail, the gray has nickle silver track. The steel will rust, but if you keep after it, should do for awhile. If your grandson sticks with model railroading, I think you would find it best to replace that track eventually.
You should also make sure all the pick up wheels on the locos and tenders are clean. If the wheels are dirty, no amount of track cleaning will make the train run better.
Good luck,
Cody Opsitnik
Yeah. I'm a teenager. I'm a Model Railroader. Your point? I guess I'd rather have fun with friendly people that want me to succeed as apposed to my drug experimenting, smoking, premarital love making peers that want me to slouch down to their level! I'm proud to say I'm keeping the hobby alive for years to come!
Thank You for dealing with me. I realize I may ask some common sense questions to you guys, but I don't have the experience that a lot of you do. I try to do some research first before asking questions, but sometimes it's easier to just ask the experts!!
Mich153 Good Afternoon Everyone, I am in the process of building a layout for my Grandson and his Thomas and Friends set and have alot of the Bachmann Snap Track in both black and gray. My question is what is the best product to use to clean the track and improve the connectivity of the engines? Some of the track and small specs of rust on them, but not all over. Any suggestions? Thanks,
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I am in the process of building a layout for my Grandson and his Thomas and Friends set and have alot of the Bachmann Snap Track in both black and gray. My question is what is the best product to use to clean the track and improve the connectivity of the engines? Some of the track and small specs of rust on them, but not all over. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mitch153.
Go to the "Search our Community" box located on the right side of this page under your PROFILE INFO. Type in Track Cleaning and highlight "MODEL RAILROADER FORUMS" and then click on search. You will find all manner of different ways to clean the track.
You can also pick up a track cleaning abrasive pad at your local hobby shop or just pick up a couple of sheets of 400 Grit or higher sandpaper at a hardware store or Home Depot. Make sure that you vacuum up any metallic debris so that it is not picked up by the motors. Afterwards, wipe the track down with a clean pad soaked with some Isopropyl Alcohol to clean off the residue. You can also use the same stuff to clean any junk off the train wheels. Just put a soaked piece of paper towel on each side of the track with the power on and let the wheels of your Loco's spin on the paper towel while you hold them in place. (Don't press down, just hold in place.) For the Rolling Stock, roll the cars back and forth over the soaked cloth on the track and then use a QTip soaked in the alcohol to finish cleaning the wheels.
I hope that this helps.
Sand lightly with 600 grit paper and follow that with a general wipe down of mineral spirits on an old Tee shirt
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”