Masonite Pads for Track Cleaning

[davidmurray]

David:

I use masonite pads with an attached piece of wood by hand.  This takes off dirt, and after 12 plus years I have noticed no undesireable side effects.

David

[GNMT76]

Still looking for a reply to the question that was asked.

[7j43k]

"wax"?

Wax is an organic, most/all of which are non-conductive.  

How does that aid in electrical pickup?

 

 

Ed

[eaglescout]

For the cost of Masonite I would have a bunch of these madeup and just throw the dirty one away.  I also use the two nails super glued to the Masonite with only the pressure of gravity.  Doesn't seem to affect its ability to pickup the dirt accumulation along the way.  If you Gleamed your track wouldn't using a solvent remove the wax from the rails as your final step in the process.  I would hate to have to rewax several time per year.

 

[floridaflyer]

I second JaBear. Use roofing nails glued to the pad. Easy removal and I just file off the black streaks every so often. Run a pad on all freight consists and that, along with having gleamed my track, allows me to go many years between track cleanings. 

[peahrens]

Here's one for $9 used, on EBay.  Not sure what type pad.  More fun to build your own with a BB kit, with features you like.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-UNION-PACIFIC-CLEANING-CAR-EXCELLENT-CONDITION-USED-L-8/282734875645?hash=item41d44fd3fd:g:uXUAAOSwH2VZ8KDb

 

 

["JaBear"]

To those who’ve “heard” this before, sorry. But living in an active geothermal area with the attendant hydrogen sulphide has made me a BIG fan of the John Allen Masonite Pad cleaning cars, in fact have just come back from running track cleaning cars in preparation for the Clubs Open Days.

 

As you can see I have no springs or added weights and you can see the results, besides I don’t think that the pad is that displeasing, visually. Personally, I also prefer to use the Masonite pads as they are nowhere as abrasive as track cleaning “rubbers”.

 

on Flickr

on Flickr

Cheers, the Bear.

[mlehman]

My Australian friend, Laurie McLean, taught me the useful trickery of CRC. Just paying it forward . More here:

IIRC, Like many narrowgaugers, I think I've seen a Masonite dragger car or two running on his layout in pics and videos. I agree, very compatible. I use Centerline cars myself, but maybe once a year, if that often.  Keep in mind that this need depends on the local environmental conditions.                    Tropical Australia is very different from the US Midwest.

 

[GNMT76]

Thanks, Paul.  Very interesting.  I'll check out the links.

[peahrens]

I generally run a John Allen masonite pad car in my freight train.  The soft side of the masonite pad picks up some black stuff.  It is directionally helpful, though I can not quantify its contribution.  I can not imagine the soft side would scratch the rails (assisting gunk residue accumulation), other than a minor effect if it is scratching the rail with hard dust.  

I built two John Allen cars, basis a YouTube video, using two BB box cars.  The pad and its bolts can move vertically, with bolt holes slightly larger than the bolts.  The pad is forced downward with a (trial and error) spring pressure.  Since the pad pressure is exerted upward on the car floor by the springs (equal and opposite reaction) it is appropriate to add weight accordingly to a normally weighted car.

The pads do accumulate dirt, so occasionally a scuffing with some sandpaper renews it reasonably.  It's not a perfect system but directionally helpful.  My "process" or "system" also includes gleamed (burnished) track, metal wheelsets, and quarterly (at most) runs with a CMX car with denatured alcohol solvent.  With DCC and sound, it's time for a CMX run when I hear a sound interruption (hiccup) due to a brief contact interruption.

Here's one google search that may add insight.

https://www.google.com/search?q=john+allen+track+cleaning+car&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS759US759&oq=joh&aqs=chrome.0.35i39l2j69i60j69i57j69i60l2.2219j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Note that the RTR track cleaning cars have a variety of methods.  For my gleamed track, for instance, I would not use the Walthers cars with Bright Boy abrasives.  It bears research. 

https://www.walthers.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=ho+track+cleaning+car

 

 

[7j43k]

I believe the masonite pad track cleaner doesn't spring-load downwards--it uses a weighted pad holder that can move vertically.

 

Ed

[GNMT76]

???

[Overmod]

I take it you mean Masonite with the ‘furry side down’ and enough weight in the ‘freight car’ to make the car track correctly even if wear grooves form in the Masonite pad.

You will need careful springing and ‘compliance’, both vertically and laterally, between the pad and the car.  I would not be surprised to find very long soft springs needed to get and then fine-tune the right range of pressure.

I personally would rather have a more disposable surface actually picking up the associated schmutz that needs to be removed, and again personally I might want some form of fine abrasive in a cleaning pad.  I don’t see a reason why Masonite can’t be ‘loaded’ with some materials, perhaps in a graded sequence (run them in your model Loram train?) and I expect some contributors here to have well-considered and time-tested approaches.

Now Mike Lehman has brought up something significant over in the conductive-lubricant thread: he uses a cork to rub on a very fine film if conductive lubricant which lasts a long time.  At least theoretically this would also keep many contaminants from sticking to the railhead and therefore relatively easily removed via periodic “Masonite car” runs.  A cork has very good physical parameters for what Mike does, and the advantages he states for their use make interesting reading.

[GNMT76]

How effective are masonite pads - permanently attached to the underside of a freight car - for cleaning nickel silver track?   Too abrasive so as to leave micro "pits" in the rails?  I realize they won't clean the inside of the rails, but how about the rail surface itself? 

And who selles them these days?

Thanks!