I remeber seeing an article where someone is using a non-model railroad fluid to clean track.
But I don't recall what it was called.
Automatic transmission fluid
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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Amazing .... Add yet another product to smear on the rails to attract dust and dirt turning into more wheel crud for your engines and cars to spread around.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I use denatured alcohol. It cleans great and evaporates quickly.
Rich
Alton Junction
We actually use laquer thinner in a CMX car to clean the modular layout each time it gets set up, since the modules don't live in a climate controlled area when not set up. No it does not eat the plastic ties - this would only happen if you opened the valve too far and it ran out the bottom. It evaporates quickly and leaves no residue - plus the CMS car is followed by 2 other cleanign cars with handi-wipe pads to wipe off the loosened gunk and dry the rail.
At home, well, I've never had to clean my track other than to clean off the little oops when paintign the sides fo the rail. Yes, if I wipe my finger on the track it leaves a black streak on my finger, yet my locos can roll along at creeping speed and the headlightws don't even flicker. I currently own no track cleaning device - no brite boy, no cleaning car.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I'm with you on the home layout Randy. I gleamed the track four years ago and have been good to go ever since. I do have two locos that do not like the black residue left on the tracks by the locomotives so I run three Masonite pads under three box cars and those two locos run fine. Except for filing down the pads to remove the black residue now and then, it is maintenance free.
I use the CMX car too with laquer thinner or alcohol. About 1 a month.
Can't belive someone would put automatic transmission fluid (ATF) on a layout.
The article was in a recent issue of MR. Funny Labell makes a lubricant (#108 I think) that indicates it can be used on the rail to promote electrical conductivity.
Modeling a railroad hypothetically set in time.
The article was on automatic transmission fluid. Personally, I wouldn't put ANY type of oil on my rails because oil collects dust and grime. Too much trouble for what it's worth. Go with either lacquer thinner or 91% alcohol.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage The article was on automatic transmission fluid. Personally, I wouldn't put ANY type of oil on my rails because oil collects dust and grime. Too much trouble for what it's worth. Go with either lacquer thinner or 91% alcohol. Tom
In very humid or very dry climates, a very thin coating of some kind on the rails helps prevent rapid oxidation (very high humidity) or excessive sparking (very dry climates). In the Midwest, with middling humidity, there is probably very little gain from a coating. And the likelihood of having too thick a coating with attendant dust and grime problems makes it probably not worthwhile unless at the humidity extremes.
I have proven to myself the value of a coating (CRC 2-26 - an electrical contact cleaner and dressing - is my favorite) in both Florida 100% humidty and in the 10% humidity of Colorado high country. The GLEAM method uses a metal polish for the coating. Others have successfully used No-Ox, Wahl Clipper oil, electrical contact cleaner, and now apparently ATF. I would be dubious of ATF myself, but having used ATF as a lubricant in the tracks of a minivan sliding door, I was amazed at how clean those door tracks stayed while being lubricated by the ATF. The ATF was certainly a 10,000% improvement over any grease or other lube I had tried. Minimal to no cleaning required, just reapply to the door tracks every 6 months.
That doesn't mean I'm going to apply ATF to my layout. I'm quite happy with the CRC, and I'm sure I will be with the metal polish if I ever get around to gleaming my track. Alcohol definitely leaves the rail too "dry" for my climate after it evaporates. I've never tried lacquer thinner so I can't comment.
just my experiences and thoughts
Fred W
CRC 2-26 works well. Keeps track basically clean and prevents oxidation. You'll only have to clean the layout once a year. All it takes is a quick spray at one spot and tun the train over it. The wheels will distribute the oil.
Springfield PA
Someone also mentioned Mineral Spirits lately.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
I use Klean Strip Odorless Mineral Spirits. (purchased at Lowe's) I pour it on a lint free cloth and rub it on the rails. I reapply until the cloth is clean when I rub. I got this information from an article by Dick Webster of Centerline Products Inc. Here is a link to the article.
<http://www.rjftrains.com/sales/centerline/dirtytrack.htm>
My layout sat in my basement, in pieces, for 17 years. The mineral spirits made the clean-up very easy, had very low odor- but not entirely ordorless, and is not an explosive hazard. Also, Dick discusses that some of the products mentioned in this thread are harmeful to plastic and dangerous to use.
I use a MOW cleaning car to keep the track in tip-top shape.
Glenn
From what I have read recently Dexron ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) has essentially the same chemical properties as RailZip. But at a lower cost. Its all over the net as the slot car racers swear by it. And with rail zip listing for $5.49 an oz. I would rather pay $5.00 a quart for ATF.
Note; 1 quart [US] = 32 Fluid ounces [US]
For a quart of rail zip it would be $178.68
1 fluid ounce of rail zip =$5.49 X 32 ounces = $178.68 A quart.
I read that article and seriously thought it was an April Fools joke for a bit, lol. ATF is full of detergents, which (guessing) is probably why it cleans. But many times, electronics are submerged IN the ATF in automotive/truck applications, so I seriously doubt it has any conductivity to it.
It's the nastiest stuff going, IMO, right on par with GL90 gear oil. Just getting it out of clothing in a washing machine w/ soap is nearly impossible. It stains concrete & asphalt alike. No way is that stuff coming inside my house - nevermind on my layout. I'll clean the tracks daily before that happens, lol.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." -Aristotle
Hi I am building my layout out side. Using Peco. From time to time I use WD40 to wip along the rails, just to give them a bit of a clean. I also picked up a very useful hint in using WD40 to spray on a paper towel and allow the loco wheels to come into contact with it (you hold the loco as the wheels come into contact with the paper towel ) wonderful job.
I have a small layout and it gets used about ounce a month.The use of transmission oil was recomended by Roy Spurlock of Loy'sToys about 2 years ago. I have been using it for about 1 1/2 years, and things couldn't be better.
There are always areas on a layout that are problematic. Try it there, a small section of the layout that you can compair with the rest . What do you have to loose. If you like it fine,if you don't, you only have a small section to clean.
One thing I would like to mention, when you put the transmission fluid on the applicator pad, rag, or whatever,use it sparingly. The rag should only be damp with the fluid not dripping wet.
Enjoy smooth carefree operation and clean wheels.
Nscalefan
I believe auto transmission fluid has been used, not for cleaning, but running long term displays. Sorry, I don't remember what was used for cleaning.
I don't think there's anything in ATF that would do any cleaning. POSSIBLY protect afterwards. I'm in the keep the track dry camp, any dampness, conductiver or not, is going to cause dust to stick. Maybe it works fine, but I put no substances of any kind on my track and I NEVER have to clean it (except when painting the sides, paint does not conduct power),
TA462 I use alcohol in my CMX Clean Machine and then follow it up with a few drops of Wahl's Clipper Oil spread very sparingly over the layout. A tiny drop about every 20 feet is all you need. I can go 4 to 6 months between cleaning.
I use alcohol in my CMX Clean Machine and then follow it up with a few drops of Wahl's Clipper Oil spread very sparingly over the layout. A tiny drop about every 20 feet is all you need. I can go 4 to 6 months between cleaning.
Which reminds me, I have to start using that CMX Clean Machine that I bought over a year ago and still have not taken it out of the box. LOL Several forumites, in the past, have suggested using lacquer thinner. Any thoughts?
richhotrain Which reminds me, I have to start using that CMX Clean Machine that I bought over a year ago and still have not taken it out of the box. LOL Several forumites, in the past, have suggested using lacquer thinner. Any thoughts? Rich
Rich, I use lacquer thinner using HO CMX Cleaning Pads 20-pack ( A corduroy upholstery fabric with backing ) for the CMX brass tanker ( clean machine ).
Some text from Tony's about the pad.
Cleaning Pad Material: Tony's Train Exchange has found all cloth type cleaning pads, supplied by hobby stores, to be inferior. Your best bet is a corduroy type of upholstery fabric with backing. This will not unravel and the ribs can be oriented perpendicular to rails to assist scrubbing action while minimizing pad loading.
Rest of the info page of cleaning cars at Tony's:
http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/clean_machine.htm
Although you really do need a lot of ventilation when using the lacquer thinner. I have three large fans sucking and blowing out through a screen door to the outside. No headache here yet.
Lacquer thinner disintegrates the dirt/crud.
Wadda ya mean I'm old ? Just because I remember gasoline at 9 cents a gallon and those big coal burning steamers.