Spring (track) cleaning

[Rene Schweitzer]

When did you last clean your track? Maybe it's been a while and you can't remember (in which case, this might be a friendly reminder!)

[vsmith]

Havent had much time for running'em, but I did run the cleaning pad over the track last month after redoing a section of track. I use an mild abrasive pad for cleaning, works better than the cleaning car which tends to derail all the time.

[ghelman]

I find that if I run my cleaner car once a week I don't have to hand clean.

[Anonymous]

when my engines start acting strange i run my cleaning car about once a year.

[Anonymous]

I CLEAN MY TRACK once a week ,plus run cleaner car around the track 2 times before i start runing engines, so it makes good contact. ben

[powlee]

If I don`t run regularly, I have to clean certain parts of the track before I run. Near foilage. As Vic says, the cleaning car seems a bit light and doesn`t clean it properly. Alright for a quick buff -up. Had to give it a good scrub this week due to the frog incident.

[Anonymous]

We clean every week.First the children do a track check,then the cleaner car runs for 10 minutes.
Last week my neighbour asked if I'd found the plant cuttings I asked for.He'd left them on the track where I was bound to find them.Red faced children.More cuttings being delivered.
No frogs yet Ian.I did have a cow problem last week.The new calves in the field are a little bit too interested in what goes round the bottom part of the layout.I tried to warn them off and ended up with the whole herd expecting something to eat[:O]
My wife said it was a classic moment when watched from a distance.
All she heard was "right.You lot can bugger off too!!"

[Capt Bob Johnson]

The beauty of ss track is no regular cleaning. It is running fine this spring without having to clean. Last cleaning was last July, the day before an open house tour for the pond! over the last 3 years I've found I only have to slip the cleaning car around if i want to run soon after a driving rain has splashed sand particles up onto track & they dried there! Usually ensuing rain or wind cleans the track.

[cabbage]

I bru***he leaves of the track after I have cut the hedge -or remove 'objects'.

Other than that -I ignore it!!!

regards

ralph

[CandCRR]

I try to run once a week. Before running a quick check for leaves, and sticks then I run the track cleaning car for a few minutes.

[Anonymous]

I clean my track once at month and bevore i starting ,the scratchbuilt Caboose-Trackcleaning-Car runs for a few minutes.

[vsmith]

Last couple months I noticed my trains running slower and slower no matter how much I cleaned track, then they all but stopped...took me a while to figure out it was the battery in my Basic Train Engineer controller that petered out, D'OH!

[Anonymous]

Since my LGB track cleaning loco has been sent back for repairs 6 weeks ago I now usually run my 3 USA geeps around for a while and that seems to do a good enough job . Soon I am going to pick up all the track and clean all the joints and replace them with rail clamps . I can't wait to get my cleaning loco back . That thing really does a great job .

[Marty Cozad]

I should not even go here, but I clean the "track" everytime I run. Twigs, leaves, cat poop.
But I can't remember the last time I cleaned the "rails"!!!

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Is Marty an Engli***eacher also? I loved it! I could just hear my high school Engli***eacher saying that back in 195???

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by blue aster

Since my LGB track cleaning loco has been sent back for repairs 6 weeks ago I now usually run my 3 USA geeps around for a while and that seems to do a good enough job . Soon I am going to pick up all the track and clean all the joints and replace them with rail clamps . I can't wait to get my cleaning loco back . That thing really does a great job .

i wished i had never sold mine!

[John Busby]

Hi all
That should be autum track clean.
I run opposite to every one as the summer is to hot for train running.
Autum spring train running winter heavy engineering summer retire inside for the cool.
regards John

[tangerine-jack]

I can't remember the last time I cleaned track, sometime in the fall I think. I run track power and haven't run the layout in a while. I ran my loco around just to see what would happen, it ran fine, so I figured if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


[oX)]

[Anonymous]

I don't know why you had to put spring into this debate it just annoys all Australians and most people from the southern hemisphere.

It is onkly 3 weeks to winter here and why would we bother about spring at this time.

Try to think a bit more other people in other parts of the world and abit more circumspectly in general please!

Regards

ian

[Anonymous]

Mine is track powered and actual cleaning is a once a year thing, in fact I did it about 2 weeks ago. I pick all the bits off before the trains run but I don't have a problem with contact between the loco's and the track.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[hobbyfossi201]

My last cleaning was about 1 month or so ago; it was the Spring-initial-cleaning for starting the new season (i did it with the LGB-Bloc).Since that the locos run very well.
regards
Klaus

[jtrost]

Answered several months ago. But that isn't as bad as it sounds. After a dry February and March, the rain that should have come then has been dumping on us since[:(]. Not a chance to work on needed spring maintenance, let alone operate. Hope to get some dry days SOON so I can get the track cleaned and get operating[:p].

[Curmudgeon]

I have over 1400 feet of track and 70+ switches......all outdoors is aluminum.....and other than the occasional blow of leaves, I NEVER clean it.
Why would I?
I just turn on and run.
TOC

[Gavin Sowry]

I let my trains clean the track (rails). A couple of drops of 3 in 1 oil onto the rail in a few places and then let the train spread it around. The oil stops the rail and wheels from letting dirt build up, so don't clean the oilly residue of the rails and wheels. This has worked for over 5 years on my brass rail, track powered layout. It will soon be the middle of winter here in New Zealand, and as long as it is not raining of blowing a howling southerly, I keep running trains all year.

[SandyR]

When I ran my RR for the first time this year, I just brushed the debris off the track, put the old LGB 2010 out there, turned up the power and let it run for an hour. No rail cleaning needed, and this is LGB SECTIONAL brass track! Later, I did clean the few places that always get a bit dirty after running for a few hours. And I use plastic wheels, too. But I don't have to clean rails on a regular basis.
SandyR

[majnnj]

I clean with a Pole Sander with emery cloth at one end
once around the track works good for weeks
always good ideal to walk track to check for obsatacles
mike

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by iandor

I don't know why you had to put spring into this debate it just annoys all Australians and most people from the southern hemisphere.

It is onkly 3 weeks to winter here and why would we bother about spring at this time.

Try to think a bit more other people in other parts of the world and abit more circumspectly in general please!

Regards

ian

Ian,
The sad fact is that Garden Railways Magazine is set up for Americans only. The market is large enough they don't have to worry about anyone else. The free prize draw each month is only available to people who live in USA. It is only by their generosity that they will post the magazine to places outside USA.

This is why I find myself spending less and less time visiting this forum. I am happy to accept that most of the English speaking people interested in Garden Railways do happen to live in USA, and they need a forum to discuss things. However there are also some very talented people who live outside the USA (look at Phil Creer, who ran the building class here a while back). There seem to be lots of them on other Large Scale forums, but not here. I wonder why that is? Sad Really.

Glen.

[Gavin Sowry]

I have a dislike for using abrasives for cleaning track. I reckon, no matter how fine the grit is, it only causes the rail to scratch, thus encouraging dirt to build up in the minute crevices. Even worse is using an abrasive that uses some form of carrier (ie rubber). I find that the carrier deposited on the rail only speeds up the build up of dirt, which spreads around the track, and gums up plastic wheels real quick (which is why I prefer metal wheels).

[Anonymous]

Brass rail + Florida humidity = oxidation. I have easy access to my right-of-way as it sits 40" above ground level. Using my old B & D palm sander with a Scotch-Brite pad clamped unto the shoe makes cleaning as painless as possible. I almost always make a "run" before operating sessions, if only to kep the metal wheels cleaner. Maybe the best prevention is avoiding plastic wheels? Yes Ian, people can really be insinsitive when refering to seasonal conditions. You know- -like hurricanes, etc. lol
Regards

[Anonymous]

Fair observation Glen. Yet, it amazes me just how many of these Forum "special" discussion Topics are nearly monopolized by Canadian and U.K. Posters. The "free prize draw" and other offers are subject to the laws of each country for those whom watch the Site. If indeed: "There seem to be lots of them on othe Large Scale forums, but not here."; it begs the question- -why not go "there?" Happy rails.