Cleaning brass rail

[Anonymous]

I laid the track on my layout the other day(Atlas Brass SnapTrack) I tested it by rolling a car around the layout and had no problems.I Installed Kadee between the track magnets for uncoupling and they work great. I would lie to test my engine but I currently don't have a way of getting to the nearest hobby shop which is over 20 miles away and can't find any of my old Brite-Boys that I thought I had. Can anyone suggets a way of cleaning brass as well as the wheels on my diesel? Thanks Bob

[Anonymous]

You might try an old typewriter eraser, if you have one. Most of them are no more abrasive than a Brite-Boy.

[BR60103]

One of our club members brought around free samples of the new track cleaner he was "planning on marketing". Turned out to be a wine cork cut in half vertically. Works nice with a good track cleaning fluid.
Might try a piece of masonite or the end of a piece of wood (1x2 or so).

[Anonymous]

Put some Rubbing Alchohol on a T-shirt type rag, Use your fingers on the inside of the rag and wipe down your rails. (one finger on each rail) REPEAT until when this is done with a clean part of the rag and no dirt is coming up anymore. For your Deisel wheels, Rubbing Alchohol on the same rag or a paper towel laid on top of the track. Crank the transformer to full and place the engine One truck on rag, One truck on track. Your engine is spinning wheels but getting clean on rag. Move a little forwards and back and side to side to clean flanges of wheels. Now repeat for other truck. If you run your trains a lot, do this once a week. You can clean the car wheels the same way. Just roll them back and forth on the rag on the track. Keep the rag prety wet too, no matter what you are cleaning. Best of all, the price is right with the Alchohol. ...........Jamie

[Anonymous]

I'm in that process right now reconditioning brass track for a retired senior citizne who has a LIONAL HO Set dating back to 1963. That's right,"LIONAL HO"

1) I'm using the liquid brass cleaner, BRASSO from the hardware store.
2) Following up with an old old piece of brite boy. The older the brite boy, the harder it is. The newer stuff is just to soft to do a though job.
3) Depending upon the severity of the oxidation you may also consider wraping a small piece of dry wall screening/ sanding material around a small block/piece of wood and LIGHTLY run the block across the top of the rails.
4) Pay entra cleaning attention to the track ends,
top & bottom where the rail joiners connect each track.
5) You should use NEW metal joiners if possible.
6) The rubbing alcohol T-shirt is a final application removing any prior cleaning liquids(brasso) still on the track.
7) Once the initial cleaning application is completed, then a regular scheduled brite boy cleaning should be maintained.

Lots of work, nickel silver track is easier to maintain and conducts electricity much better.

Wheel cleaning is another issue. There's a couple different procedures on that and I will get back to you.
Charles.
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I have not tried the following recommended procedure.
Rolling stock plastic wheels, on a saturated old T-shirt with methanol(methyl alcohol) on a track,
roll you car back & forth.
Some other solvents contain lacquer thinner that will soften and distort some types of plastic wheels.

Diesel wheels, again T-shirt soaked with commercial alcohol, lay on power track with power on.
Place one truck set at a time on cloth, power up loco to spin wheels on cloth. When one set done, turn loco around to do other truck.

There are many solvents to do cleaning jobs.
Water soluble type, Alcohols and slow solvents, Fast solvents.

Goo gone is used but MUST be wiped off, otherwise too much slippage.

Clean track/wheels is absolutley manatory for superior electrical conductivity and is a time consuming job.

[Anonymous]

what about glass cleaner...

[Anonymous]

David...was the cork from home made wine ? Red, white, or rose? [ My guess would be the one that worked best on the track is the one not to drink !]
regards/Mike

[Anonymous]

Haven't tried glass cleaner, but don't see why it couldn't be used the way Charles described on an old T-shirt....Jamie

[BR60103]

...all he brought was the corks...