I did a test run, and I started a new thread to discuss the performance of the CMX Cleaning Car. Here is the link.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/261619.aspx
Rich
Alton Junction
Good idea. I will do it.
I had planned to pull the cleaning car.
So, I will pull it around the layout and then reverse direction and push it around the layout.
I also like to clean in both directions. Could make a little but helpful difference in how the cleaning pad contacts areas like slight rail joint height differences, turnout ralls, etc.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
zstripe Rich, I would try to make it all the way around the layout at about a scale 40mph....You may run into some spots that will require You to turn it up some to keep moving depending how dirty Your track is. Check pad after first run. Also keep an eye on it, to make sure You don't have a sharp set of points that the fabric gets snagged on. You may find some ruff' spots in Your trackwork, that You didn't know You had. Take Care! Frank
Rich,
I would try to make it all the way around the layout at about a scale 40mph....You may run into some spots that will require You to turn it up some to keep moving depending how dirty Your track is. Check pad after first run. Also keep an eye on it, to make sure You don't have a sharp set of points that the fabric gets snagged on. You may find some ruff' spots in Your trackwork, that You didn't know You had.
Take Care!
Frank
I didn't want to hear that part, Frank, about the fabric getting snagged.
OK, I will keep an eye on it, and 40 MPH it will be. Thank you sir.
I am ready to go. Picked up a fresh can of denatured alcohol at the hardware store and read through the operator manual.
One last question. How fast or slow do you run the car around the layout?
Rich, I use 91% alcohol. Anything less than 90% often has lanolin (sheep oil basically) added to keep skin from drying out too much. There are other additives used also in various brands. I had some mysterious loco stalling, slowing when I used 70% last time because it was what I had on hand.
I have a windowless room and am chemically sensitive anyway, so no nasty solvents for me. The alcohol does a fine job for me and it's not scary/toxic like acetone, brake fluid, etc. Not exactly a single malt scotch, but you can get a bit drunk with alcolhol in a windowless room (I use a box fan to blow it out into a hallway and up the bathroom ceiling fan.)
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Selector,
That old cliche, is worn out .....When You vacuum or mop a floor...do You push it or pull it......just curious!
Push vs. pull = Six of One & Half-a-Dozen o' t'Other.
Pull: The loco leaves untreated rails behind and no further crud on its treads because the car is TRAILING it, and thus cleaning the rails after it. It means the rails are left to dry as-is, but much cleaner than when the towing locomotive passed over them. You don't need to clean the loco's drivers until after the cleaning operation...probably necessary anyway.
Push: The loco may pick up sticky guck left over from the scrubbing CMX/other cleaner car that precedes it down the rails which will possibly stick to its tire treads or be deposited back onto the rails further along when it dislodges. Or, if the loco's treads are not spiffy-clean at start-out, the still-wet rails might encourage the tires to leave crud behind. But the tires will be cleaner if that happens.
Thanks, Frank. Great info.
The idea for pushing the car around rather than pull it, is really quite simple....the cleaning car hits the dirty/dusty track before any rolling stock or engines do. If You pulled it like many do, your rolling stock and engines are just spreading the dirt/dust around, including what You just dragged the car through. I found no need to have any car after the CMX, it's clean and dry before the engine wheels hit it, with lacquer thinner anyway. I replace the pad when it shows two black lines. If it is not damaged in any way, I will wash it and reuse it. Like I said above, if You have the drip rate set correctly....You hardly smell the lacquer thinner and the cloth is Not supposed to be fully saturated with it to work properly.......#1 problem with people using it and saying it smells bad or damages things...they have too much dripping out!
richhotrainI am leaning toward denatured alcohol because the warnings on the laquer thinner can scare the heck out of me. I have a basement layout and there are open flames on the furnace and water heaters.
I think you would have to get pretty sloppy with the laquer thinner before you would reach enough saturation in the air for your furnace to cause an explosion. Certainly if you were to knock an open container of it over and have a large spill you would have cause for concern, but the amounts that you are putting into the CMX car aren't nearly large enough to explode.
I just wish I had bought a CMX car a few years ago when they were less expensive than Vancouver real estate. What I have scored are a couple of old Ribbon Rail track cleaning cars. One has a tank for cleaning fluid. The other came with some really knarly looking hard abrasive 'pads'. Pad is hardly the right word. They are the same material as your average grindstone. I replaced the abrasive pads with felt wipers, so if I can get the liquid dispensing car to work properly I will put it in front of the felt wiper car and push them with whatever motive power is required.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks, guys, for the replies so far.
If I counted correctly, I get two votes each for laquer thinner, acetone, denatured alcohol, and 91% rubbing alcohol. One vote each for ACT-6006 and CRC-26. No votes for 70% rubbing alcohol.
I am leaning toward denatured alcohol because the warnings on the laquer thinner can scare the heck out of me. I have a basement layout and there are open flames on the furnace and water heaters. There are also warnings on the denatured alcohol can, but the warnings seem less severe.
Your comments raise two other issues in my mind.
First, the instructions say to either push or pull the CMX car, but your comments seem to indicate that pushing the CMX car from behind is preferred. Do you add a car behind the CMX car with a dry pad to aid removal of the liquid?
Second, do you remove and clean the pad on the CMX car after each use?
91% Isopryopyl (Rubbing) Alchohol
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.
My prior readings on this led me to conclude that many regard lacquer thinner as the best cleaner, but I settle for denatured alcohol with my CMX as it does the job well enough for me and I believe it to be considerably less toxic regarding the vapors. (If using lacquer thinner I would open the windows).
The solvent is only one component of the system or process. I also run masonite pad John Allen cars routinely, have "gleamed" my track and have metal wheels on most rolling stock.
I looked again at a July 2014 Model Road Hobbyist article "My Experiments WIth Track Cleaning" by Brent Ciccone. Using just a cloth with multiple wipes, he ranked the items he tried from least to most effective; i.e., water, Windex, windshield washer fluid, rubbing alcohol, paint thinner / mineral spirits, acetone, lacquer thinner, Goo Gone and Varsol. He comments that the Goo Gone leaves a residue that should be cleaned off, and that Varsol is not readily found in retail.
Lacquer thinner for me. I tried alcohol, but I think the thinner does a better job. I wait for a nice enough day that I can keep the windows open in the train room, but the odor is not a big deal.
I do notice that it's easier to push the CMX car around with lacquer thinner than it is with alcohol. The thinner seems to lubricate the pad better.
When cleaning my yards, I use the 0-5-0 instead of pushing the car back and forth repeatedly. It's just quicker.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I use two CMX cleaning cars, one for each main pushed by two P2K GP7's, filled with what they recommend, lacquer thinner....Automotive general purpose that contains Acetone. I get it in a 5gal size for 34.00, but I use it for a lot of things. That is the only thing I use to clean My air-brushes and My Pro gun's. No matter what kind of paint I use in My air-brush, I still use lacquer thinner. As far as the CMX car goes, if You get the drip rate correct, you hardly smell the thinner at all. I was doing the track twice a yr., but now only do it once a yr. Part of the CMX performance I believe is their use of corduroy cotton cloth on the pad. I experimented a couple of times and put it on a drag car and the results were great. I since then cut up an old corduroy blazer I had and use the strips from that, rather than buy any. I have been using the CMX cars for a couple yrs. after they came out. Tried others, Centerline, dual motor scrubber ones and nothing in My opinion beats the CMX. Also most of My rolling stock have Acetal plastic wheels and don't have a problem with them either.....they produce less friction on the rails, compared to metal. To each their own on that point.
Acetal Plastic:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene
I love my CMX. Most times I use 91% alcohol but from time to time I have used CRC-26 ?? That electrical cleaner / lubricant in the blue spray can that I can get at most big box stores or hardware stores. Both seem to work fine.
The rest of the time I have a couple of slider cars and a Aztec car with a cratex roller that I run occasionally on a frieght. I also have a couple of old Centerlines, but they mostly are mostly Shelf Queens.
Never have to give my track much thought if I do this. The Loco wheels need attention every now and then but it is pretty obvious when they do. But not often.
Johnboy out..................till next time
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
I watched a You Tube video reagng the CMX car. The man in the video used acetone, and it worked well. Since then, I use acetone, and it does well cleaning the rails.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I prefer Acetone...nastier than alcohol but not nearly as obnoxious as lacquer thinner. Does a better job than alcohol and thinner in my experience. I use a fan and leave the trainroom door open to dilute the fumes. My cleaning train is the cmx, follwed by a centerline roller car followed by a dragger car.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
The only time I noticed an odor was when I had the valve open too far, and as it went by me, everything was soaked. I was afraid all my ballast was going to loosen up ! No problems since.
Mike.
My You Tube
I use a Centerline Products cleaner car on my layout. I contacted Centerline as to a replacement for Goo Gone. They recommended denatured alcohol.
mbinsewi Well Rich, I don't have one of "them thar fancy cleanin cars" ( sorry, trying to do my best Doc Wayne, from the spurs thread) , but the cars that I do have, I use the 91% alcohol. I've got the familiar little covered hopper cars. Mike.
Well Rich, I don't have one of "them thar fancy cleanin cars" ( sorry, trying to do my best Doc Wayne, from the spurs thread) , but the cars that I do have, I use the 91% alcohol. I've got the familiar little covered hopper cars.
P.S. Love the docwayne accent.
It's only been 8 years since I bought my CMX cleaning car, so I decided that it is time to try it out for the first time.
I see four choices for the cleaning fluid: lacquer thinner, denatured alcohol, 91% rubbing alcohol, or 70% rubbing alcohol.
What is your preference for those who use the CMX car and which is the least toxic while producing the lowest level of odor?
Thanks for you help.