Never done it, but seems like a spanking good idea. The shop vac is anything but perfect and another way of getting rid of short-inducing crud can only be a good thing. Thanks Mel!
Stu
Streamlined steam, oh, what a dream!!
That's a good idea, I have never run a magnet over my trackwork. Being hand laid, I'm sure there is a bunch of metal gems laying there.
Thanks
The other Mel
Each train of LION has a magnet on the bottom. And yes, they do pick up stuff. But the Reason for the magnets is to trip the reed switches that contrtol the reolays that control the signals that control the trains.
Youd think that there was a control freque on the railroad.
Now as for "junk" between the rails, you will find peices of rail every few hundred feet just sitting there between the rails. Thes on purpose are placed there. We are talking of surse of SUBWAY trains, and in the event of a broken rail, you would not be able to get a new rail down there because of all the blocked trains in the way. So rails are left every few hundred feet. The track gang only need ot go and find one, carry it to where it is needed, cut out the broken rail and install the new rail. This can all be done, including welding the rail, with man portable tools in just a few hours.
Other junk between the rails include the tripper boxes, drains, and rat traps.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Doggone it, what a marvelous idea. The main thing that I would like to pick up are small metal screws that I have lost on the layout over time.
Rich
Alton Junction
Mel:
That's a really good idea!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Marvelous Idea!
I had just bought an assortment of "supermagnets" to have on hand if I ever decided to re-power one of the open-frame motors found on vintage brass.
Then I thought about what to use for the actual car. I had something in mind that would have the magnets at a slightly higher height off the rail than 1/8".
I pulled open the drawer of stored rolling stock and this Atlas covered hopper jumped out at me! And in your honor, Mel—it's S-P!
After clipping the door hardware off the magnets fit just fine against the hoppers and center sill.
After only a few passes over a portion of the layout look at all the gunk I've accumulated! (No hardware... yet)
I'm thinking of a way to tack a thin piece of acetate or Saran Wrap over the magnets so I can hold the car over a dust bin, pull the plastic away and "dump" the debris.
I'm with you, I'm sure glad this gunk is on these magnets instead of in my speakers!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Ed
It is common on airports to hang magnets under ground handling equipment to eliminate FOD (Foreign object damage) to aircraft engines. It seems logical that the same system would work on a model RR. Thank you for sharing.
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Do a search for "junk between the rails" and see the warnings that gets thrown up..
Run a small handheld vacuum over your layout once in a while, it will pick up all the dirt and dustballs that accumulate around or between the tracks.
Must have been, oh, at least 30 years ago that out of curiosity I took apart a
defunct headphone. The conus has arather powerfull small round magnet. What to do with it? Then in a brainwave (we model railroaders are excellent brainwavers)
why not stick it under a caboose and pick all sorts of metal debris. Since then all
my cabeese have small magnets glued to their bellies.