I have been trying to clean my track but still have some black stuff coming of the rails when I wipe it so I tried Goo Gone but the track continues to be dirty. I was wondering if I am not leaving the Goo Gone on the track long enough as I was leaving the Goo Gone on for a couple of minutes then wiping the rails off. So how long should I leave Goo Gone on the rails?
Thanks Billy21
GooGone works well for me. I just dampen a rag and rub the railheads with the damp rag until they are bright and shiny.
If you want to keep your rail clean, you have to clean the wheels of your rolling stock at the same time. Otherwise the dirt from the wheels comes off on the clean rail, making it dirty, which is where you started at.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Goo Gone leaves a sticky film on the rail that just attracts more dirt if you don't go back and thoroughly clean it off. A metal polish used to clean mag wheels and chrome on your car is better.
Get some mineral spirits (paint thinner). It works fine and dries quick. I have used it for over 15 years on N scale, Ho scale, and G scale and also cleaning and soaking antique clock movements. Cuts the grease and oil.
Bob
I would not recommend using Goo Gone. I've tried it, and while it cleans pretty well, it leaves behind a residue that's difficult to remove.
I have long since switched over to using metal polish.
I have a track cleaning car I built with a masonite pad that drags along the rail head.
I soak the pad with some rubbing alcohol, then run it around the layout, along with some MOW cars with metal wheels. It does a pretty good job of keeping things burnished.
Of course, nothing keeps the rails clean like running your trains regularly.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
http://electrical-insulators-and-copper-ground-bars.com/no-ox-id-a.html
John
spidgehttp://electrical-insulators-and-copper-ground-bars.com/no-ox-id-a.html Works much better and you will have years free of track cleaning rather than days.
Interesting, but I noticed that this product was described as an "electrical contact grease". Does this degrade loco performance by creating slippery rails?
As mentioned, Goo Gone leaves it's own crap behind. Something like Goof Off that is mineral spirit based works better and doesn't leave residue behind. I prefer CRC 2-26 electrical contact cleaner. Keeps the rails cleaner loonger. Just make sure it's dry before you run trains.
MAbruce spidge http://electrical-insulators-and-copper-ground-bars.com/no-ox-id-a.html Works much better and you will have years free of track cleaning rather than days. Interesting, but I noticed that this product was described as an "electrical contact grease". Does this degrade loco performance by creating slippery rails?
spidge http://electrical-insulators-and-copper-ground-bars.com/no-ox-id-a.html Works much better and you will have years free of track cleaning rather than days.
It can, but use about a teaspoon per 500' of track by rubbing on with your finger. Then allow it to penitrate the rails for 24 hours then simply wipe any excess off with a piece of scrap t-shirt or cloth. There will be a black film. Allow your locos to run on the treated rails to penetrate the loco wheels to. Then run trains for about four years and repeat.
I also treated the contacts that ride above the trucks on my n-scale locos.
hey fellas
I thought I would add to this thread instaed of starting another.
Anyway I like using running alcohol and sometimes goo gone ( depends on what I have in the house ) but I was wondering what you guys think is the best to put on the tracks after cleaning to slow oxidation? I see some people say wahls clipper oil and others say railzip or labelle oil. Anybody have any thoughts?
JeremyBAnyway I like using running alcohol and sometimes goo gone ( depends on what I have in the house but I was wondering what you guys think is the best to put on the tracks after cleaning to slow oxidation? I see some people say wahls clipper oil and others say railzip or labelle oil. Anybody have any thoughts?
Our club used the wahls clipper oil for years. We switched to a product called LPS-1 which worked great for a while and then for some reason seemed to have the same probems of leaving more crud behind like goo gone and WD-40. We then discovered that LPS-1 has a shelf life. So now we replace the can once a year even if it means throwing more than 1/2 of it away.
I also purchased a product from the hobby store specifically for leaving a tiny electrically conductive film on the rails. I don't remember if it is the RailZip that you mention or not. It also seems to work well.
If you are actually interested in preventing oxidation, as someone earlier in this thread mentioned there are products in the electrical section of your hardware store made specifically for this purpose. Of course, I've found that Mothers Mag Wheel Polish works pretty well.
Since every model railroad's environment is unque, it might be best to select a few of these people's ideas. Try them out on YOUR railroad and work down to one that is best for your situation.
The only situation where oxidation is a problem is if you have brass-railed track. And even then, if you run your trains a lot, the issue doesn't come up. The oxide of brass is non-conductive of electricity; the oxide of nickle silver is a conductor. I would avoid using an oil of any kind unless your track is brass, and then maybe 1 drop on each railhead no closer together than 150 feet or so.
---
Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
===================================
"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
I have used the Wahl's clipper oil for many years and like it. I have a three deck layout with a lot of hidden and hard to reach track. The track cleaner car, with Wahl's keeps the railroad in pretty good operating shape with little additonal effort from me.
One thing I have found in comparing with other modelers in the KC area is that results can differ depending on the room(s) the layout is in and how well insulated and sealed it is from dirt and dust. I include a work train which has two of the cleaner cars, one with Wahl's in the tank and the other just the pads cleaning up behind and seldom ever have any problem.
But again, location, temps, humidity, etc. will cause havoc and the best protection is keeping the railroad room clean.
I've used Goo-Gone and even did an experiment for one of my friends to gauge it as a good track cleaner. While it cleaned the track well it left behind a film that attracts more dirt. I did the same experimant with a product called Krud-Kutter and it worked as well and didn't leave a film. It does however have a somewhat strong odor. Now for cleaning the track and keeping it clean with very little if any maintenance I recommend the GLEAM method. I used it in 2006 and didn't have to clean my track again until last year when I tore a good part of the layout and built a new one. I had to GLEAM again but not since then. Cleaning if any is limited to a quick wipe with a clean cloth if the layout has been idle for a couple of months or I dropped some plaster powder on it. Here's a quick search I did on GLEAM.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Lacquer thinner does a very good job of degreasing and evaporates quickly. However, you do have to be careful with the fumes. 91% Isopropyl alcohol is my 2nd choice. Very little odor but it doesn't do as good a job at cleaning as lacquer thinner.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I personally use a rag cut from an old T-shirt dipped in denatured alcohol. A quick trip around once a month is all it ever takes.
I've only seen one person hit the nail on the head, though. If you're using nickel silver track, why are you trying to eliminate oxidation? That's one of the huge advantages of NS track -- it's oxide conducts electricity and doesn't interfere with operations. Just because your rag / track cleaner / whatever has black gunk on it doesn't mean your track is dirty.
If you're having connectivity issues, look elsewhere.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
a cheap, suede palm work glove works great. just wipe the rail heads with your fingers and then clean the glove when needed with a wire brush. you can use a solvent if you want but i find that is unnecessary.
grizlump
cheers guys, I didn't know that nickel silver rails didn't oxidize.
RTV you said that just because you have black gunk on the track that doesn't mean its dirty, what is that black gunk then??
JeremyB cheers guys, I didn't know that nickel silver rails didn't oxidize.
They DO oxidize as other metals do, but the [black] oxide film conducts electricity - so it doesn't interfere with electrical pickup.
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
That's what I meant, that the oxide is there but doesn't pose a problem as far as electrical pickup is concerned.
JeremyB cheers guys, I didn't know that nickel silver rails didn't oxidize. RTV you said that just because you have black gunk on the track that doesn't mean its dirty, what is that black gunk then??
I think you're referring to my post above.
The "black gunk" is nickel-silver oxide. Some of it will be there within seconds of cleaning the rails, but the point is, since it conducts electricity, the "black gunk" isn't keeping your trains from running. If you're constantly wiping your rails and seeing black gunk and thinking your track is dirty, you're mistaken. You'll never eliminate it, nor do you need to. All these products and ideas to keep your rails from oxidizing are holdovers from the days of brass and steel track. Neither of their oxides conduct electricity, so you have to get rid of it.
Give them a rub down with a rag soaked in solvent once in a while to eliminate other crud (dust, mostly) that accumulates on your rails (yes, you will see black stuff on the rag, but most of that isn't dirt, it's nickel-silver oxide.
I would only worry about the accumulation of black gunk if you get so much of it that chunks are falling off the rails, or you've go so much that you can't see silver color on the rail heads.
ahh cheers CTValleyRR. Thanks for clearing that up
billy21 I have been trying to clean my track but still have some black stuff coming of the rails when I wipe it so I tried Goo Gone but the track continues to be dirty. SNIP Thanks Billy21
I have been trying to clean my track but still have some black stuff coming of the rails when I wipe it so I tried Goo Gone but the track continues to be dirty.
SNIP
Billy,
Just my opinion -- by now you know you've touched the third rail of model railroad politics here -- but my experience is that the black stuff IS Goo Gone, plus some other stuff it picks up and dissolves.
I like to think of it as similar to the scary black oil that kept bubbling up mysteriously in the X Files. Don't want that stuff around, it's bad news, if you know what I mean.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
tstage Lacquer thinner does a very good job of degreasing and evaporates quickly. However, you do have to be careful with the fumes. 91% Isopropyl alcohol is my 2nd choice. Very little odor but it doesn't do as good a job at cleaning as lacquer thinner. Tom
Lacquer thinner is a bit too strong for cleaning track. It can dissolve plastic ties, and in fact, any other plastic it gets on. Alcohol is strong enough for track cleaning purposes and won't attack plastic. Alcohol evaporates completely, which is why it is recommended for cleaning lenses. Or "mineral spirits", sold in the US as "paint thinner" or "charcoal lighter". Mineral spirits does not evaporate as cleanly as alcohol, but the slight oily residue it leaves behind is about the same as you get for oiling your track. I have used both alcohol and mineral spirits with good results. But I am about to break out the GooGone for my annual track cleaning exercise.
When I absolutely have to wet-clean track, I use denatured alcohol and a rag. I've got an uninsulated garage railroad here in the Central Valley of California, which is known as the Pollen Belt. Goo-Gone just leaves me with sticky pollen on the rails no matter how carefully I wipe it up.
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
dstarr Lacquer thinner is a bit too strong for cleaning track. It can dissolve plastic ties, and in fact, any other plastic it gets on.
Lacquer thinner is a bit too strong for cleaning track. It can dissolve plastic ties, and in fact, any other plastic it gets on.
I'll agree with you in part, David. Lacquer thinner is strong but it works just fine for cleaning track as long as you are careful and don't spill any onto the rail ties and rail holders. I use mine with a CMX cleaning car and a proper drip rate and it evaporates quickly.
mlehman billy21: I have been trying to clean my track but still have some black stuff coming of the rails when I wipe it so I tried Goo Gone but the track continues to be dirty. SNIP Thanks Billy21 Billy, Just my opinion -- by now you know you've touched the third rail of model railroad politics here -- but my experience is that the black stuff IS Goo Gone, plus some other stuff it picks up and dissolves. I like to think of it as similar to the scary black oil that kept bubbling up mysteriously in the X Files. Don't want that stuff around, it's bad news, if you know what I mean.
billy21: I have been trying to clean my track but still have some black stuff coming of the rails when I wipe it so I tried Goo Gone but the track continues to be dirty. SNIP Thanks Billy21
Sure, when you do your monthly track cleaning, some of the black stuff that ends up on the rag is dirt and other junk, but MOST of it is oxide off the rails. The only way to eliminate this is to remove the rails, and that kind of defeats the purpose.
Billy21: I posted this several years ago to show how I clean my wheels and track with the "Goo". Some were ok with it others not so much. I have use it for a long time and it works. I always wipe my track clean after using it.
This the cleaning car that can be purchased with the GOO.
The other substance that I us is Automatic Transmission fluid and that works very well, again I wipe the tracks clean, I also use it to clean wheels as well. Chuck Hitchcock of Argentine fame has talked about using LaBelle 101 oil that seems to improve conductivity of the tack; it works well to. Not so much for cleaning ut to improve the electrical contact.
This may help.
Robert Sylvester, WTRR