We all know that clean tracks are essential to reliable and pleasant operation of our layouts. With a little bit less than 200 linear feeth of tracks (not an empire, but not a simple oval either) my actual cleaning method witch involve almost exclusively the use of the well known Brightboy pad has become an unpleasant task. I am still to find an efficient (excellent results with the lower level of effort possible) strategy to do the job.
Please, let me know what is your best track cleaning strategy.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
Ive heard it said that brite boys put tiny scratches in track that attracts dirt and such( but I have never tried it ) I use super fine wet/dry 1200 paper and alcohol or cr-2 and buff. I have also polished (gleamed ) in side of helix with good results ,but I ALWAYS wipe down with Cotton T-shirt to get dust off before I run ...Jerry
Guy,
Be prepared: You will end up getting a whole boat-load of answers and techniques for cleaning track.
With that said, I do not like nor care for any sort of abrasive for cleaning track. Abrasives like sandpaper and Bright Boys end up leaving tiny little scratches in the polished rail that attracts more dirt; thereby increasing the frequency of cleaning your track. Instead of abrasives, I prefer chemical cleaning.
91% Isopropyl alcohol does a good of cleaning track. Still better is lacquer thinner, which is what I prefer. The downside to lacquer thinner is the odor.
It's best to use lacquer thinner in a well-ventilated area. To help minimize the odor, I clean my track with a CMX car:
Although it's not inexpensive, it does a very good job.
The knurled knob in the center controls the amount of "drip" onto the cleaning pad that contacts the track. And being made of brass, you can use a number of different cleaning solutions inside the tank. If you do use a cleaning car like the one pictured above, I've found that you need a fairly hefty locomotive (or powered A-B F-units) to pull the car around the layout. A single yard switcher just won't cut it.
This may not be as practical a solution for a switching layout. However, it works very well. You can also use 91% Isopropyl or lacquer thinner on a piece of the lent-free cloth and wipe it along the top of the rail. You can then take note what parts of your layout tends to get the dirtiest the quickest.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
You might try the "gleam" method of track conditioning.
It involves cleaning the track thoroughly {various ways may be recommended}and then "gleaming" the track with a stainless steel washer. By rubbing a stainless steel washer over the track, you smooth out any grooves or scratches in the track's surface, which collect dirt, hindering electrical conductivity.
If you go to the right side margin here, and scroll down, you will find the "search our community" box and if you type in "gleam method" or "gleam" or anything "gleam", it will turn up many threads on the subject and you will find out how to use the gleam method to condition your track for fewer cleanings.
Those of us who use it, swear by it!
-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.
Guy.......... All of the above ideas are good.
Yes microscopic scratches cause dirt collection. The scratches offer more surface metal to be exposed to the air. Yes, nickel silver rail does oxidize. Most texts will tell you that the oxide is conductive rather than brass oxide which is an insulator. The real world result is somewhere in the middle. Yes NS oxide is conductive but in DCC it causes resistance. DCC doesn't like that and will show up as missed commands and flickering lights and splashy sound.
Clean track is a must but it can be too "dry". It will form oxidation from small arcing the goes on unseen.
Consider a track preparation liquid after the polishing of the rail with the above mentioned 1200 grit emery paper. NOT flint or garnet paper. There are a number of treatment options out there and each have their followings. Stabilant 22, Rail Zip, ATF, Wahl oil. See what modelers use in your area, dirt and humidity may be a factor and one product may work better than others.
see ya
Bob
Gidday, My favourite, "The John Allen Track Cleaning Car".
Local policy is that all trains must have at least one cleaning car per consist. A quick light sand of the masonite pad when required, (and it is required on that pad !!).
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Do a search on GLEAM. It involves a bit of effort on your part but you only have to do it once with an occasional touch-up. I GLEAMed my layout in 2006 and didn't have to clean the track again (aside from a quick wipe with a clean cloth once in a while) until late last year when I tore down and rebuilt over half of my layout.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Guy, while many will go Yuck, I run Train Line track cleaning cars in all my freight trains. Not great looking being they look a little small but they do the job. Plus they are cheap compared to other method's at $19.95.
I started having problems with dirt track when I went DCC. Talk to my LHS and asked them about high end tracking cleaning cars. (saw some around the club layout at the shop) He told me they where a waste of money and a bright boy was the best way. Then I spotted the Train Line cleaning cars on the layout and asked him about them? His answer was "we use them in the tunnels and under the mountain's".
I was sold with having around 30 feet of tunnels. I now have 4 and they work like a charm.
I have not had to clean the track except a few turnouts for a few years now.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Of course lots of good ideas. Even after years and years in the hobby, I learned about the gleam method on this blog, so I will try. We have tried metal polish, etc but eventually a contact medium is helpful after cleaning.
So far for us(about 350' & 15 years on this layout) synthetic automatic transmission fluid works best. You can use, wipe it off and reapply. I've had it last over a year or two in a not so clean environment. There was a good article in MRR May 2011 magazine on this method. But, I can certainly see an advantage to cleaning, gleaming and then using atf for maintenance. Gleaming should help burnish the metal which is different than polishing.
Richard
Gleamed my track, about 300', four+ years ago, haven't had to do it since. i do have three masonite pads under three boxcars because two of my locos don't like the oxidation. Clean the pads now and then and everything runs fine. I consider using a briteboy a capital offense.
Guy:
As I posted last year and the post has reappeared right here on the forum this date 4-13-12, but I use a few drops of automatic transmission fluid on the rails and as the trains run they drag and coat the track with the fluid and clean the wheels as well.
Some "experts" say it does not conduct electricity, well my engines run a whole lot better since using it and that has been for several years. It works.
Robert Sylvester, WTRR
I also favor the John Allen track cleaning type car. I also prep my track after doing any scenery work in any area.
First I use a bright boy to clean the track. There are different grades of Bright-Boy blocks. I favor the softer ones. Perfect makes one that is yellow and has a finer abrasive than most.
After cleaning with the Bright-Boy, I run my finger over the rails to remove the grit left behind.
Next I apply some WD-40 by spraying some on a finger, then rubbing it on the rails for a foot or so.
Next I run a train through it to distribute it around the layout. This helps with the conductivity and does away with the dry track, but does not oil it. (I have used Rail-Zip before and do not recommend it as it builds up.)
Once this is done, I keep the track clean from this point on by running the Masonite pads on some box cars. I try to have one cleaning car in each train. I also have a Masonite cleaning pad that is weighted that I use "once in a while".
Since adopting this method, I have not had to do a complete layout track cleaning in over two years. I run my trains at least once a week. I do have a propane heater in my train room, and I have found that when it is on for a period of time, the track around it does get dirty and requires extra cleaning. To do that, I usually use a heavy or weighted Masonite pad that has some WD-40 applied to it. I push this car first, then a loco, then another car with a clean weighted pad. This takes care of that track area.
Now, as almost fool proof as this method is, there are times that some turnouts require a small wiping with a Bright-Boy and then the afore mentioned prep work. I think cleaning with a Bright-Boy in different localized areas is also common with any track cleaning method. Certainly the Masonite pad cleaning system is inexpensive and is something that you can build yourself.
"JaBear" Gidday, My favourite, "The John Allen Track Cleaning Car". Local policy is that all trains must have at least one cleaning car per consist. A quick light sand of the masonite pad when required, (and it is required on that pad !!). Cheers, the Bear.
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.
So I went out to Wiki to see what I could find about ATF. I never thought much about it. I was the automatic transmission guy here in Boise for Mercedes Benz and Volvo when I worked for the dealership in the 70's and 80's. I never had dirty hands at the end of the day. ATF has a lot of detergent in it along with a kerosene (at the time) base.
I rather think that Rail Zip is a synthetic ATF with some other stuff that Pacer has added. It really smells just like a transmission.
So here is what I found...... among other stuff
From Wikipedia:
Modern ATF typically contains a wide variety of chemical compounds intended to provide the required properties of a particular ATF specification. Most ATFs contain some combination of rust inhibitors, anti-foam additives, detergents, dispersants, anti-wear additives, anti-oxidation compounds, surfactants, cold-flow improvers, high-temperature thickeners, gasket conditioners, and petroleum dye.
I've tested the conductivity of Dexron ATF with a meter. Didn't EVEN make the needle twitch. Not even a tiny bit! I checked the meter by putting the probes in water. Water made the needle go almost half way up the scale. Salt water even higher. Oh, I already know what you're thinking. You tested Dexron/Mercon, not regular ATF, that's different. Well the regular ATF and ATF+4 had the very same reading. Zero. With 91% alcohol the needle had as much life as a rock competing in a footrace with a fish. Zero! Now, in a test with Krud Kutter the needle went almost halfway up the scale. That stuff's conductive in a big way! Brake fluid? Zero. Goo Gone? Zero. So as far as ATF being electrically conductive? Hah! Big time MYTH BUSTED! My acrylic paints are much more conductive. That doesn't mean I'm going to try cleaning my track with them.
floridaflyer Gleamed my track, about 300', four+ years ago, haven't had to do it since. i do have three masonite pads under three boxcars because two of my locos don't like the oxidation. Clean the pads now and then and everything runs fine. I consider using a briteboy a capital offense.
So does ATF really need to be conductive or only hold oxygen away from the nickel silver so the wheels can crush through it and find real metal that is clean?
Boise Nampa & Owyhee So does ATF really need to be conductive or only hold oxygen away from the nickel silver so the wheels can crush through it and find real metal that is clean? see ya Bob
Boise Nampa & Owyhee So does ATF really need to be conductive or only hold oxygen away from the nickel silver so the wheels can crush through it and find real metal that is clean?
One of the big advantages of nickel-silver over brass is that the oxide of nickel-silver is conductive, while the oxide of brass is not. So, keeping the oxygen away from your rails isn't all that important.
I have subways on my layout, so track cleaning in the tunnels is a real issue. My solution is also the CMX track cleaning car, best used with lacquer thinner. 3 or 4 times a year is about as often as it needs it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
At Boothbay Railway Village, we use Centerline cleaners; one wet and the second dry to pick up the liquid and gunk
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Track cleaning is a topic that comes up almost weekly, so you can find discussions by scrolling back through the messages.
The forum supposedly has a 'search function' but I've never tried using it.
People here swear by any of the following, and in no particular order of proven efficacy they are:
Wahl's Hair Clipper oil spread on the rails, a light drop or two and let the rolling stock spread it around.
I have tried Dextron III Mercon auto transmission fluid just for giggles. I put a lot of it here and there and let the cars and locos smear it around. No deleterious impact, but then I wasn't having problems either.
Lacquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol, paint thinner, Goof Off, Goo Gone...WD-40...you name a product that should at least wet the tops of the rails, it has been tried and people claim it ressurected their hobby for them. No, seriously...
I have tried a light buffing with 600 grit paper. It works. Don't know if it's the best idea, but it gets me running again if I encounter a bit of spotty track.
Then there is a host of "appliances." This car, that roller or pad, that cleaning solution....they each have armies who attest to their efficacy. Larger armies reply in the hundreds of discussion threads archived here that they tried 'em all and they were a flat out bust.
One that seems to have few detractors is the Gleam method. In a nutshell, you buff the rails rather heavily with 600 grit paper, then switch to 1100-ish grit and repeat. (Some don't bother with the second grade of sand paper and move on to the following important step...) Next, you take a quality one inch or wider stainless steel washer and place the 'rounded' side down against the rails. You then proceed to burnish the rails, back and forth (not side to side) to get a shiny and uniform appearance to all the rails. Final step is to lightly polish only the top surface with a mag wheel cleaner, something like Blue Magic or Mothers. Go light because you don't want it coating the webs of the rails if you have already painted them, or if you have yet to paint them. If done well, this Gleam method seems to buy you several years of good running, provided you do run some metal tired cars and locomotives a couple of times a month at least.
I don't find the search the community function in the right column very effective. It tends to make a backward chronological list of anything containing one of the words (e.g., track).
A goodle search is often helpful if prefaced with "site: cs.trains" (your topic). Here's a list basis site: cs.trains track cleaning
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=site%3A%20cs.trains%20track%20cleaning
I went with "gleaming" the track plus periodic use of a CMX car using denatured alcohol. I've got DCC and that increases the importance of continuous contact to avoid sound "hiccups". And metal wheels on most equipment presumeably helps reduce crud pickup on the wheels and re-distributing it around the layout. And the loco wheels need periodic cleaning (I spin the wheels over an alcohol wet piece of paper towel). EDIT: I also run a masonite pad ("John Allen") box car in my freight train typically, which dusts the rails, picks up some crud, and perhaps re-polishes a bit.
So, your results depend on the "system" (several things) you adopt.
Suggest to read lots of theads for a good perspective as there are different approaches, results reported, and opinions.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
CMX car, slider car, and centerline car in my "work train", plus a WS "Tidy track" rail cleaner kit for when it's really bad.
Mostly, just run my "work train" with CMX running with 91% Isopropyl and centerline dry, slider car last. Just enough there to keep rails polished good enough. When I have issues, I break out the WS Tidy track kit, use the pads it came with (light grey cratex style, then cloth pads with Isopropyl.) No issues that way.
And, DCC and Sound.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
Greetings,
On this topic, model railroaders are like grannies talking about their favourite recipie for oatmeal cookies. Everyone has their preferred goop or gizmo.
I've had the best results with the cleaning solvent Goof Off (website here). It's the kind of product you use to remove sticky material from a surface, like when your toddler puts a sticker or glue where it shouldn't go (another story).
Anyway, I wipe it on the rails with a clean cloth (often a piece of a discarded, shirt or pillow case, etc) and a good bit of downward pressure. I go over the rails a few times and make sure to do one cleaning pass while pressing against the inside flange (an important contact point). I also use it for the loco wheels using the paper towel method. In my experience it works great. Much better than rubbing alcohol which is what I was using before. My layout is in an unfinished basement of an old house with exposed beams. Regular cleaning is essential or things stop running well pretty quickly.
Give it a try ... even if you dont like it for rail cleaning it's handy stuff to have around the house.
That's my suggestion anyway, best of luck.
I also seem to recall reading that unicorn urine works really well ....
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
I'm with Rick W. on this one most of my cleaning is as well done by running my MOW train which is made up with a CMX car with alcohol and a centerline running dry, On a couple of other trains I have a couple of sliders and an Aztec car with A cratex roller that run every now and then. For ten years on this layout I have not done any other cleaning of track. I do, however clean my locomotive wheels about every four months.
Works for me.
Johnboy out................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
I have been asked by my club to recommend how we should clean our HO track. There are lots of gizmo's for sale. Is anyone aware of an article or website in which the various options for track cleaning have been compared in some objective fashion?
What amazes me is that as far as I can tell there has been no systematic scientific assessment of track cleaning strategies. It's all "this is my experience...." With all the incredible technical ability of the model railroad community, isn't there a way to testing the conductive properties of clean track vs. dirty track? I think it is a matter of testing its electrical resistance -- but I am not an engineeer -- by far. If we could come up with a measurement, then it seems the various systems could be tested. I have tested 11 pieces of used flextrack, comparing a clean section with an uncleaned section with a multi-meter testing for resistance and the dirty track seems to have a higher resistance -- but I am worried about the procedure. The differences are between 10/ths of ohms -- .-1-.3 typically for clean and .5-1.0 on dirty.
Rather than have both this new thread and a recently resurrected one on the same topic, these threads have been merged.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
selectorLacquer thinner, isopropyl alcohol, paint thinner, Goof Off, Goo Gone...WD-40...you name a product that should at least wet the tops of the rails, it has been tried and people claim it ressurected their hobby for them. No, seriously...
Cleaning solvents are not "all the same," though. I would never use materials like Goo Gone or WD-40. They do not evaporate cleanly or fully, and leave a residue on the track. This residue will not only interfere with electrical conductivity and reduce traction by making the track slippery, but it will attract foreign stuff and your track will get dirty again very quickly.
I've tried both isopropyl alcohol and lacquer thinner, and I use the thinner every time now.
The last time I cleaned my track, I did everything, including the yards. For my sidings, I used my CMX machine powered by the 0-5-0 - my hand, because it's faster than doing them operationally with a locomotive or two.
I use the other kind of IPA, India Pale Ale, to keep the engineer lubricated while cleaning track.