Track cleaning.

[Anonymous]

Recently, i have recieved a box of track in good condition. I have gotten the track from my recently deceased uncle. I would love to include this track, but it is pretty dirty. Does anybody have a clean, way to easily clean track. MY track cleaning car from walthers just smears more dirt and grime.

Bill

[cacole]

Invest in a track cleaning block such as a Peco or Kato, or go to a hardware store and try to find a very fine grit sanding pad. A 3M green pot-scrubbing pad can also serve the purpose. Try to avoid a Brite Boy or other stone scrubber, because these can scratch the rail and cause it to attract more dirt.

[MAbruce]

I'd clean the majority of the gunk off with Goo-gone, then follow up with MAAS metal polish. This should leave them looking like new, and keep them clean for a while.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Conrailfan11

Recently, i have recieved a box of track in good condition. I have gotten the track from my recently deceased uncle. I would love to include this track, but it is pretty dirty. Does anybody have a clean, way to easily clean track. MY track cleaning car from walthers just smears more dirt and grime.

Bill

If your track cleaning car uses a pad, replace it. That should solve most of your problems. Also, use an eraser-type cleaner for the basic cleaning, run the track cleaner every now and then. When the track is clean, put the MAAS or other such metal polish on to keep the track clean. With the polish, a track cleaning car should not be necessary except for maybe a once a year run-through.
Reed

[daschilling]

I've made a track cleaning train of 2 gondola, a flat car and a work caboose. The flat has a scotch-brite pad under it, the 1st gon has 2 "Brite-boy" blocks, the 2nd gon has a felt pad, and the caboose is biult over a Centerline track cleaning car.

I use the Centerline car to distribute Goo-gone, the flat picks up dust, big chucks of crud, etc., the 1st gon scubs the track (only use the weight of the block, or it WILL scratch the track), the felt pad under gon #2 picks up everything else, and the Centerline puts down more Goo-gone.

After 6-7 passes, the track is clean, and ready to use. I've made all of the pads, blocks, etc. removable, because after a cleaning session, you'll want to change or clean everything, or you will end up just spreading the dirt back.

Sometimes, after cleaning the track, and changing/cleaning the pads, etc. I'll run the track cleaning train around again, chasing it with t train of cars whose wheels need cleaning. The Goo-gone disolves the dirt and puts it back on the track, and the next pass of the cleaning train picks it back up.



At least this works on my S gauge layout. As I model the Chicago & Northwestern, my cleaning train is done in CNW MOW colors and markings. Look behind the SW-1200 in the center of the photo. You can see the gondolas and the Centerline, with the caboose body removed. [2c]