My track cleaning process isn't that fancy:
After I lay track and the caulk has set, I do a once-and-done "gleaming" of the rails (which has been discussed many times in these forums).
For routine cleaning, I have a Centerline track cleaning car (a heavy flat car with a big square hole in the center), which I purchased cheap from the hobby store bargin bin - because it was missing the essencial metal roller. I made my own cleaning pads in the form of a few blocks (1" x 1" x 1.5") of laminated masonite (8 layers), which fit loosely in the car's square hole. The blocks have a slight edge rounding on all sides of the ends to avoid snagging.
While the loco pushes the car around the layout, I'll pull the block out to spot-check the cleaning, once the black lines show up, I'll flip the block over and use the clean end, or change to a new block, as needed. Afterwards, I'll use coarse sand paper to renew the block ends. I figure I won't need to make new blocks for the next few hundred years!
Jim
The first track I laid on my layout was aunt underground loop for the subway, so I had always planned to get a CMX machine. I got one and it's the best for track cleaning. I actually have to MU together two subway motors to get it up and down the short connecting grades to the surface. Doing tunnels with a CMX machine is no problem at all.
It's really easier to use the 0-5-0 drive to make a couple of passes In a yard, but that's easy, too.
I use lacquer thinner in mine. I tried alcohol, but the thinner works better. One time, I briefly removed the car and placed it on unfinished pink foam. After a few minutes, I found a neat rectangular depression from the thinner. I eventually scenicked the hole, filled it with tinted Envirotex and had a tiny pond.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Someone has to be imbibing alcohol excessively to think that 'water forms a nonconductive layer' for more than a few milliseconds after alcohol cleaning, or that 'microarching' is an actual word.
About on a par with the actual chemical knowledge reflected in the polar/nonpolar solvent 'discussions' over the years.
If you want to keep the tinfoil hat on regarding alcohol, just get lab-grade absolute ethanol. But don't leave it in a CMX tank for long (it is aggressively hygroscopic) and do not get it on your skin or (worse) try to sip it, as it has a considerable exotherm as it encounters water.
Non-polar solvents do the best job by a wide margin. Published in 2019 on that other e-zine site is a list of all known and tried (and vouched for/acclaimed) fluids. Wahl's and other popular fluids were well down the list. At the very top was kerosene, followed by WD-40 Contact Cleaner (NOT the dessicant/hinge squeak spray!!!!), and then by CRC Contact Cleaner. Lacquer thinner was near the middle third if I recall.
I push a Bachmann dusting car in front of my Y6-b and tow the CMX behind it. I do this once annually, and go weeks and weeks between running trains. Seems to work. BTW, I have tried mineral spirits (high on the list), the recommended-by-CMX lacquer thinner, and am now using kerosene (clear and refined, found in the camping section for wick lamps). I can't say lacquer thinner was a poor choice, and I know Doc Wayne uses it. But the mineral spirits and kerosene both did a very good and durable job of it.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
I finally bought mine a few months ago.
Now all I need is a layout to run it on.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I bought one years ago and was sorry I waited so long.
I wash the pads in Dawn DW soap and they clean right up for re-use.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Hi all. This is my little public service address.
If you are like me, you hate manual track cleaning. I tried some different track cleaning cars, but they all didn't give great results. I have been looking at the CMX Clean Machine for a while, but the cost kept me from getting one. Then at the Saskatoon train show i got to chatting with a fellow who was running one on his club's layout. He had nothing but good things to say about this unit and highly recomended it.
So when I got home I hoped on the old computer and ordered one from Tony's Train Exchange. I gotta say, Tony's got it to me quickly, specially considering I'm in Canada. In short order I had a Clean Macine in my grubby little hands.
The first thing I noticed was this thing is built like a tank! All brass construction, metal wheels, and Kadee couplers. So far so good. The only thing I had for a non polar solvent was some CRC electrical contact cleaner. So I filled it up and let it go. And was I impressed! I did two laps on the mainlines (that I thought was clean) and this thing picked up more gunk! So I ran it around the entire layout, and that was the easiest cleaning I've ever done! If you are like me, hate cleaning track and would rather be running trains, this thing is well worth the money.