The two things I regret not buying early on in my return to the hobby are a soldering station and my CMX track cleaner car. To me both were worth every penny. I think the investment in the CMX car can be measured by how much track one has to clean and how often. It was a good move for me.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
"Gleaming" is carefully polishing and shaping, then burnishing the railheads. We have had a couple of exhaustive review discussions, including a post by the 'inventor' describing where he got the idea, within the past several weeks -- just look for threads with track cleaning in them!
I wonder if the Wahl clipper-oil faction has tried ACT-3753 formula, which I think has more 'lubricant' property.
I also use a CMX car. I've tried both alcohol and lacquer thinner, but the lacquer thinner works much better.
I had subways, so hand cleaning just wasn't practical. I had always planned on the CMX car, and finally got one. It's a very good product.
It is designed to be pulled around by a locomotive, but for yards, especially with a lot of tracks, just pushing it back and forth by hand is quicker.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
starmanI guess this shows just how new I am to model railroading, but what is “gleaming” your track? I have also searched You Tube, and so far, I have not found anything about a "John Allen" Masonite car. Does anybody have a specific site address for this. I have also found a CMX cleaning car on line. They are a little pricy!
Jack: A masonite track cleaning car is any, preferably not expensive, boxcar.
You drill two holes thru the weight and center sill of a diameter to let a nail slide easily in the holes. Then cut a piece of masonite of a size to fit between the wheels and rest on both rails. Epoxy the nails on the smooth side of the masonite, roungh side to the rails, so that when the car is moved, the pad rubs the rails ligthly. Then just use the car in regular service, so that it goes everywhere. Occasionally rub the masonite with something to remove dirt.
Larger layouts might need more than one car.
As also noted above, the more you operate trains, the less cleaning needed.
My CMX works very good but you are correct about it being pricy. I bought mine about 10 or twelve years ago and the price back then wasn’t to bad. I think I gave about $40 for it back then.I tried several cleaners in it and I got the best results using the Auto Car Hobby Lubricants ACT-6006 so I have stuck with it. They claim it has a non slip residual contact film to improve conductivity and it works very good for me.
Here is a link to the John Allen Site.
http://gdlines.org/GDLines/index.htmlMel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Jack
There is not enough weight on the pad to cause it to have fibers come off.
There is a masonite track cleaning car running at Gulf Coast Model Railroading in Sarasota 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, and its pad still has no real visible wear.
On a layout that runs that much, I doubt the track cleaning car is needed.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
In using masonite, how to prevent the wood fibers from getting stuck on the track? This topic has reappeared a few times in various places. Intersting ways others make their own track cleaning cars.
The CMX has worked great for me, I use Aero Car Hobby Lubricants ACT-6006 cleaning fluid in mine. I push it twice around my layout about once a month and in my yard after a dust storm. I have a long hidden siding and the first trip is the mainline the second gets the siding. One pass works very good.I bought two 8 oz bottles of the ACT-6006 ten years ago and the first bottle is about almost gone.Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I do not have a CMX car, but other than that, I do everything as Paul descibed.
I gleam my track, everything has metal wheels, and just use the home made "John Allen" Masonite car.
1. CMX car, occasional, with denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner
2. Routine running of "John Allen" masonite par in freight trains. A BB boxcar with weight and pad added. See related YouTube videos on making one. Two shown here:
IMG_7628 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
Besides that, I had "gleamed" my track when installed in 2012. Plus add metal wheelsets to most cars. The overall system works well for me.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Do track cleaning cars really work? If so, can you suggest one that works for you. Thanks.