Track cleaning fluid for centerline and CMX cars

[bogp40]

Wonder if any ones had any bad experiences with a spark from the track and a car full of lacquer thinner running around?

I hear a lot of people say to use home brews to clean track but no one ever says to use the commercial track cleaning fluid. Any reason for this??

The commercial stuff under all various brands won't work any better and for the $$/ volume are way more costly. Laquer thinner appears to be the favorite. Great solvent and leaves all but no residue. Shure automotive acrylic emamel reducers and PrepSol would probably work best of all, but they aren't cheap by any means. They may even evaporate too quickly before the pad can wipe the track.

[loathar]

Wonder if any ones had any bad experiences with a spark from the track and a car full of lacquer thinner running around?

I hear a lot of people say to use home brews to clean track but no one ever says to use the commercial track cleaning fluid. Any reason for this??

[D&HRR]

  I use laquer thinner and have not any problems, it works great with a CMX car and a centerline car in tow dry.

[Mr. SP]

I use paint thinner to clean the track. The Longview Kelso & Rainier Club used Goo-Gone and we have a dirty track problem now. Seems like we are always cleaning track.

Never have theat problem at home with my layout after using paint thinner. Lacquer thinner will attack plastic so caution and discretion with that stuff.

[jrbernier]

  Goo-Gone leaves a residue on the track!  I use lacquer thinner in my CMX - have not melted any plastic ties or stuck up the house.  Others have used isopropyl alcohol with good results.  The Centerlince car needs to have the kitchen towel material 'soaked' and I suspect that alcohol or lacquer thinner may evaprorate rather fast.  The owner of Centerline usually included a small bottle of Goo-Gone with his product as shows.  I had a Centerline car, but cutting the kitchen towel material and tieing the small thread to keep it from 'flapping' in reverse was a real drag.  A friend bought the expensive CMX car and I tried it out on my layout - I was sold.  The small corrugated material wipers are easy to replace, and I got a 18" by 12" piece of the material at the local yard goodd store for something like .79 cents.  It took about 10 minutes to cut them up into 'wipers' and I and still working on that initial purchase 3 years later.  I also use only metal wheels on my trains.

Jim

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Goo Gone leaves a sticky film on the track, which will eventually attract more dirt. 

It becomes a dust magnet.

[cacole]

Goo Gone leaves a sticky film on the track, which will eventually attract more dirt.  If you want to see what it can do, pour some onto a countertop, wipe it off with a cloth or paper towels, and then run your fingers over the area after letting the residual Goo Gone evaporate.  Your fingers will probably feel sticky afterward, and the section of countertop may also feel sticky.

[Blind Bruce]

I have read several posts on the various virtues of laquer thinner, acetone, and isopropyl alcohol and about a 50-50 split on Goo Gone. I want to know what is wrong with Goo Gone?