Track cleaning ???

[Anonymous]

What's a good way to clean track? How often should it be cleaned?

What if I wheather my own track using an air brush, is there a safe way to remove the paint from the tops of the rails?

Thanks,
Scott

[Anonymous]

There's probably a hundred ways to clean track. I use metal polish if it's real dirty & then I have to rub off the polish. If your layout is big, that takes a long time, but last's a long time. I run a box car right behind my loco's w/a scrap of masonite attached to the bottom that keeps my track super clean all the time. If you read some of the recent Model Railroader mags there is a "How To" story about how to make that easy to build car as a one nite project. I have one behind all my units & the cost is almost free.

Larry

[Anonymous]

Forgot the painting part. I use Acetone to clean all the paint off my rails. You need plenty of ventalation using this product. You can also use paint thinner w/the same safety precautions. Some railroaders rub a small amount of oil on the top of the rail w/your finger before painting. You have to be careful not to let it get on the part that you are going to paint. LIke I said, there's at least a hundred idea's.

Larry

[bogp40]

Scott,
Coat the railhead with a light oil. Immediatly after spraying wipe off the rail head. I would use a cloth wrapped around a small block of wood. If using solvent based dampen the rag with turps or thinner- if water based just dampen the rag. I have had better results with solvent paints. Acrylic paint does not seem to have the same bite and can scratch or peel off the ties. This problem first showed up during ballasting, and worstened when cleaned . Many areas had to be touched up where the paint had come off. The Walthers flex track may have had more mold release on the ties than normal, however, this is not a problem with solvent base paint. Experiment on a piece to find what works best for you.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ukraine

What's a good way to clean track? How often should it be cleaned?



Thanks,
Scott

There are many cleaning methods & cleaning products from the $99.00 Tonys clean machine to .99 cent rubbing alcohol. There are many liquids, the bright boy and metal paste cleaner/ polisher.

There is one forum member that has 2600 feet of track and he uses MAAS, metal polish cleaner.
My layout is less than 200 and I also use the same product.

How about your loco wheels? They need cleaning too.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes it depends on what kind of 'dirt' is on the track. If the track has corroded spots, a brightboy might clean it up but avoid using sandpaper or anything else which could scratch the track and leave a rough surface. That will just attract more dirt and make it harder to clean the next time. I airbrushed my track with water based paints, wiped the rail with a wet cloth and used a bru***o touch up a few places afterwards.