How do you clean track?

[Roadtrp]

I've had my layout for 3 months now, and I think it's time to clean the track. I ran my fingers over the track and got black stripes on them... I figure that means it's time. But being a rookie, I have no idea what to use.

When I was a kid with my Lionels, my dad would get out a rag and his trusty bottle of 'carbon-tet' and go to town. My dad used his trusty carbon-tet for a lot of things. My dad died when he was 55... I wouldn't be surprised if the carbon-tet was at least partially to blame.

At any rate... what do you use, how happy are you with the way it works, and is it safe??

Thanks [:)]

[cacole]

Goo-Gone, which can be purchased at practically any supermarket or Wal-mart, is a good liquid track cleaner. I think the best track cleaning block is a Roco or Peco. Don't use a Bright Boy, which is stone and will scratch the rail and cause it to collect even more dirt. All types of track cleaning cars are available that use scrubbing pads and various liquids. Here too, avoid the ones that have a piece of stone on the bottom because they will scratch the rail. Another good option is Maas metal polish, or Magic Wadding Polish. Maas is a paste that has to be cleaned off of the rail before it dries. Magic Wadding Polish, available at auto parts stores, is basically cotton soaked in some type of metal polish. This and Maas both leave a protective film on the rail which will negate the need for future cleaning for several months.

[AggroJones]

I use ordinary q-tips in rubbing alcohol. Carefully wiping off the railheads. It works excellent. Total cost: a few cents.

[Anonymous]

There are many choices ranging from a few cents(Arggo Jones) to $125.00 for the best track cleaning car. I have owned the $66.00 centerline & the $99.00 Tony's clean machine.

It need not be expensive to clean track or loco wheels. If your layout is single deck, 200' or less and
within reach then settle on one of the cheap liquid/paste cleaners.

I have choosen MAAS,wwwmaasinc.com a $3.00 metal polish cleaner available in most
household cleaners departments, Ace, target. etc

I have also used automotive polishing compound.
There's an easy method to apply paste. Should you select the paste let us know and we will
post the application process.

After trying seven different methods I'm so convinced that if you try MAAS on you HO layout
if not happy with the results, I will refund your purchase price not to exceed $4.00

[Anonymous]

Chuck,

You must really believe in MAAS!!

My layout isn't far enough along to run a train yet but will need to clean before first run. I was looking at Tony's clean machine, pricey, but looks good. What's your experience and opinion of the clean machine?

[cmrproducts]

It is amazing that modelers love to waste money on cleaning cars when the metal polish for $3 will keep the track clean for 6 months to a year. I have 2800ft of track on a very large layout and have not had to clean the track for almost a year. And this is with working on the layout scenery and ballasting. This stuff works! I would rather spend the money on more rolling stock or an engine instead of another track cleaning car. I have a box full of cleaning cars that I would almost give away as I will never need them again. Period!!!

Bob H Clarion PA

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cmrproducts

It is amazing that modelers love to waste money on cleaning cars when the metal polish for $3 will keep the track clean for 6 months to a year. I have 2800ft of track on a very large layout and have not had to clean the track for almost a year. And this is with working on the layout scenery and ballasting. This stuff works! I would rather spend the money on more rolling stock or an engine instead of another track cleaning car. I have a box full of cleaning cars that I would almost give away as I will never need them again. Period!!!

Bob H Clarion PA

Hi Bob

I hear where you're coming from, BUT!

I have several sections of track which are very hard to get at and the CMX track cleaning car allows me from going "Fergzilla" over the fields, valleys and towns. That's where the really big bucks are saved. Building cost s are so pricey today!

[Anonymous]

cnrproducts, You never say what the $3.00 product is, I assume Maas, is this correct?

When the track needs to be cleaned, I take two track cleaning wood blocks I made, which are just larger than the gauge of the track. Then I take blue shop towels cut to the width of the wood blocks and wrap them around the blocks. I wet one of these down with Goo Gone and rub the railheads of an approximate 3 foot section of track at a time. When dirty I rotate to a clean flat on the block. Then I wipe clean with the dry block. Always rotate to clean flats as a flat becomes dirty, otherwise all your doing is spreading the gunk around. In unreachable portions I rely on track cleaning cars. These cars are used in special trains when I want to do maintenance, or run in regular trains otherwise. I have not tried Flitz or Maas, but from what I've read this sounds like the way to go.

Has anyone tried Flitz? Or, is Maas considered the better product?

Mark

[IRONROOSTER]

Well, mostly I don't. In S scale with nickel silver, it doesn't seem to need it. I used Rail Zip and No Ox when I was in HO scale and both seem to work pretty well.
Enjoy
Paul

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane


Has anyone tried Flitz? Or, is Maas considered the better product?

Mark

I've only tried (and currently use) MAAS because it was the only one of the two I could find at the time I was looking. From what I understand, they are both pretty much the same.

[ClinchValleySD40]

I use Aero Car track cleaning solution. I run a work train, one slider box car, one CMX track cleaning car with solution, a Centerline car with a dry pad. I've got 600' of mainline, 1,000' of staing and another 400' of branchline track to keep clean. So anything done by hand takes way too long.

[Eriediamond]

Hey (southern for hello) Roadtrp, I've been in this hobby 50 years or so and still a rookie. Some great advice and methods for cleaning rail have been posted above by very knowledgable modelers. I will try some of their methods myself in the future. On the serious side of things, I have, quie by accident, found a friend that does a really effecient jop of cleaning my rails for me. Bubba! Yep, Bubba (>^..^<) is quite fast and effecient in cleaning the rails of those unsightly locos and cars, and when he is finished you have a nice unobstructed view of all that bright rail and so painstakenly ballasted track work you worked on so hard to purfection. [:O][:O]

[Anonymous]

How do i clean track? Um....................Ah..................................I haven't cleaned my mainline ever and i'm running DCC. But then agian i only run cars with metal wheels. And i keep them fairly clean. but now my switching line has been claened very often becuase i run plstic wheels and the track was dirtiy to start with

[cmrproducts]

I have used Blue Magic liquid metal polish and also Mothers Mag wheel polish. It really does not matter what type you use as long as it is metal polish. As for getting into hard to reach places you could put a rag on a block of wood and attach a stick for a handle. If you want to clean your track often then that is your choice. I do not like to run cleaning trains I love to operate. This is why I went with the metal polish. Not having to clean the track but once a year (if then as I am still running everyother week) and always having the DCC engines run smooth all the time and the sound BLI engines never miss a beat.

It is your layout. When you get tired of cleaning the track try the metal polish.

BOB H Clarion, PA

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Snake

Chuck,

You must really believe in MAAS!!

My layout isn't far enough along to run a train yet but will need to clean before first run. I was looking at Tony's clean machine, pricey, but looks good. What's your experience and opinion of the clean machine?

Tony's clean machine is top notch,http://www.ttx-dcc.com/technews/clean_machine.htm I traded up from the centerline.

I had the bucks and wanted the best so I got it. The pluses over the centerline
are holding tank capacity, control flow valve and appearence. My Tony is layed off
and looking for another owner.

www.aztectrains.com makes a $125.00 car cleaner, the Annihilator

My layout does not dictate the need for Tony's abilities so I use the $3.00 paste.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane


Has anyone tried Flitz? Or, is Maas considered the better product?

Mark

I've only tried (and currently use) MAAS because it was the only one of the two I could find at the time I was looking. From what I understand, they are both pretty much the same.

They were both mentioned in the Jan 03 MR. I'm surprised it took so long to discover
that most metal silver cleaners including automotive polishing compound have almost the same cleaning/polishing capabilities.

[Anonymous]

It's not only dirt, it's also oxidation, a chemical reaction on metal surfaces.
Friction between wheel and track can also cause transfers of wheel oxidation
to the track.

You can't use car cleaners to clean wheels, use MAAS.

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cmrproducts

It is amazing that modelers love to waste money on cleaning cars when the metal polish for $3 will keep the track clean for 6 months to a year....... I would rather spend the money on more rolling stock or an engine instead of another track cleaning car.

Indeed. I'd rather put money that I would spend on a $70 track cleaning car towards a steam locomotive. [:0]

[n2mopac]

I use rubbing alcohol and an old sock wraped around one finger. works great and costs virtually nothing. Occasionally I use a bright boy as well.
Ron

[Anonymous]

I have been a H O modeller since 1965. All of my rolling stock have metal wheels [mostly Atlas and some KaDees]. The only thing I use is DD40,the bolt loosner metal cleaner product. Sometimes my layout might set a year or longer without turning a wheel.so long that little spyders build webbes between the cars.After setting all that time all I do is hit the power and we're back in business.I take a paper towel cut in to stripes the withe of the track ,fold it up till its square ,spray it good with DD40. I put it under a heavy car at the rear truck then a good loco pulls it around being careful at turnouts or any where the paper might get caught [raised track nails is always a problem]. After I have done the DD40 I take the remainder of the stripes folded the same way and drag them around frequently turning them over.
I have a lot of brass rail and some nickel silver and my trains are always ready to go. This is the cheapest and best way i've found to clean track .It works good in tunnels too. Mustache

[dano99a]

Tony's CMX Clean Machine and 91% Iso. Rubbing Alcohol, works everytime.

I clean my yard with high grit sand paper, if I'm feeling really motivated I'll get the dremel tool out with a cutting/filing wheel (be careful when doing this) run that over the yard track and everything works great!

[Noah Hofrichter]

Belive it or not, I was told by a guy at hobby shop to use baby wipes. They really work too. So far, I haven't had to buy a seconed box of wipes yet, about 2 months, but there starting to dry out. I have a recipe for cleaning wipes that I might use to re-saturate them.

Noah

[Anonymous]

sometimes an ordinary lead or ink eraser works!!

[Roadtrp]

Thanks for all the options! [:)]

I will probably start off with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol since I already have that at home, and try other things if that doesn't' work for me.

All of my cars have metal wheels except one, so I don't think that is my problem. It appears to be oxidation from the metal wheels, combined with the fact this is still so new to me that I run my trains between 1 and 2 hours EVERY day. [:D]