"Bright Boy" track cleaners??

[BigDaddy]

In the context of this thread BB is a Bright Boy track polisher.  BB is a term also used in conjunction with Athearn Blue Box locos.

This thread is 12 years old, but there are no stupid questions, so it's OK to ask if you don't understand even if it's an old thread. New information (unlikely on this particular topic) is always appreciated as well.

Answering a question Anymouse (sp) asked 12 years ago or posting to say "me too" is less useful.

Welcome to the forum.  You will notice that your posts are monitored for the 1st 10 posts.

 

 

 

[FRANK MILES SR]

What is a BB

[Don Gibson]

MOST polishes contain an ABRASIVE - generally pumice - otherwise the applications cloth wouldn't become black
They also contain a WAX - which is a frozen oil.

SO someone explain to me how a waxed metal (while shines) is beneficial to passing electricity, and does not collect on plastic wheels. (Yes, I know about metal wheels - having had them 10 years).

Or - since some TARNISH remover's contain an acid. Is that the benefit at work?

I would rather NOT hear 'testimonials' as ones 'Perception' is in play, and varies greatly from individual to individual. I would like to know what is really going on.

I know that the goal is to eliminate a CHORE, but there must be a chemical engineer out there, somewhere, that know's what's what, and can 'put the podietry pedal to the metal'.

[icmr]

I polished my track yesterday and the trains ran fine. Today I ran the trains only to discover that the stupid track is dirty again. Now I am back to cleaning the track and locomotive wheels about every day.



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[BRAKIE]

Again BAH HUMBUG! LOLROF! Those "pits" are real threats to our operation since they need to be blown up to 10,000 X before we could see 'em..

I suspect the real threat to smooth operation is everyday household dust,pet and human hair,body oils,electric residue,Wahl clipper oil, etc and not from using a bright boy boy.

Now,I suspect the unknown thousands of us that still use the old fashion bright boy instead of falling for every gimmick that so called "experts" tells we need are in the minority? Wait! On the other hand both Walthers and PERFECT still make bright boys!! Imagine that!


Again BAH HUMBUG!.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone still make a track cleaning car like the old MDC box cab? Did those things actually work?

[jeffers_mz]

Well, first off, I don't really have a scanning electron microscope, they're pretty expensive. That image is the minute hand from a watch some university took that I found in a quick search.

Second, I can't actually see any scratches in the 16X image either, which is why I just posted the pic and didn't make a call either way.

However...

I'm running this monitor at 1280 x 1024, and when I click on the image to see the full version, the difference in the surface between the two rails is very obvious to me.

The untouched rail has a very smooth, glossy finish, almost a mirrored polish.

The rail I scrubbed with a brite boy is much duller, like brushed aluminum or stainless steel.

No matter how you slice it, turning a mirrored polish into a brushed finish has to involve abrasion at some level.

That's not saying the scratches are deep enough to collect more dirt, I just don't know the answer to that.

What I do know is that the metal polish clan is claiming once a year, and the brite boy clan is claiming once a week, and that seems like cut and dried math to me.

Next time I'm at the store, I'm going to get some rubbing compound and see if I can get my original mirror finish back, and I'm getting some metal polish and forget all about dirty track until 2007.

Edit: One more observation while I'm here. Look at the insides of the rails in the 16X picture. All that grub on the inside of the right rail is stuff the track scrubbed off the brite boy. Unless I go over that with compressed air, that stuff is going to be picked up by my wheels, and probably find its way into my locomotives, possible even the bearing points on my truck wheels. To tell the truth, that worries me more than any abrasion on the surface of the rails.

[Anonymous]

Although that last pic is sort of interesting, we need a comparison pic to tell the difference between polished and unpolished (due to resolution, etc., I can't tell a difference in the first set of comparison pics)

[jeffers_mz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE
Bah Humbug! I don't see any pits!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by cmrproducts

Try 10,000 X.

Sorry it took so long, scanning electron microscopes more than 5 years old take a while to warm up.

The pits in this image are clearly visible at 10,000 X:

[icmr]

Thx for the info cmrproducts.



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[cmrproducts]

Try 10,000 X.

Like I said WE research the problem and find solutions.

It is up to YOU to make a decision if you want to use the info.

I on the other hand have better things to do with my time than clean track.

The choice is yours. And others are beginning to see the light, as they do not like to clean track any better than I. If that is the only reason one has to run a train then keep on doing what you have been, as it will continue to be there to do!

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[BRAKIE]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffers_mz



^ worth 10,000 words

:-)

Bah Humbug! At 16x they must be tiny I don't see any pits!!

[cmrproducts]

But the thing to remember is NOT to have to clean the track at all. This is the real reason to use the metal polish once period. Two plus years now and counting!

I know it is hard to believe but IT works. It also is hard to think that something as simple as metal polish would do this but for me and many, many others it works just as I state.

I have the layout in a basement and it has minimal heat in the winter and I do run a dehumidifier in the summer. So there is nothing special about the location of the layout.

I also have operating sessions every 2 weeks and I do nothing between sessions to the track or engines. When Ops night rolls around I just go down and turn on the DCC system and the sound engines come alive and away we go. Others bring in some of their sound units and they also work great.

To each his own, but not having to clean the layout (all 2700 feet of track) weekly just to run an engine around for testing or Ops is the only way to go. For me anyway!

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[jeffers_mz]

^ worth 10,000 words

:-)

[BRAKIE]

Guys,The best solution is to run your trains more and worry less about all this hype over cleaning your track continually.I clean my N Scale industrial switching layout about every 3 months-it's usually more like 4 months[:0]-and when I do I use a old fashion "PERFECT" Bright Boy.

Once a year I use Radio Shacks"Channel Turner Cleaner" for a complete track cleaning and like I said I use a PERFECT bright boy the rest of the times.

[cmrproducts]

icmr

I just spread some of the polish on an old piece of HO cork roadbed and then rub the rail heads with it. I do about 6 to 8 feet at a time using a back and forth movement.

This takes all of about 10 seconds and then I use a clean (as in NO polish on the cork) to buff the piece of track that I have just done.

Now I do not know how long it takes the MAAS to dry but the Blue Magic (Liquid) that I use it dries in about 30 seconds. I usually do 2 sections 8 feet long of polish and go back and buff the first section with the dry cork. You can use a clean cloth but be aware that the cloth will leave fuzz at most of the rail joints unless you have used a file to make sure there are no sharp edges at any joint. That is why I went to using the old HO cork and also I had a lot on hand.

As for as when to use the polish again. It is now going on 3 years since I have had to clean the rails. YES 3 YEARS!

This is what I have been preaching about, NO need to clean the rails ever again!!!!!

Unless your layout location is a dust storm you should see a real improvement to the engine wheel cleaning or really the lack of having to clean the engine wheels.

Having a fairly dust free environment to run your trains is what is needed. The dust will not only cause running problems but will get into the gears and motor bushing and wear the whole unit out faster.

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[icmr]

I got some MAAS poli***oday. How long do you have to leave it on the rails and since my layout is in a garage how often will I need to clean the rails?



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[cmrproducts]

Remember everyone that Flitz and MAAS are not the only metal polishes that will work.

You do not have to pay a high price to get these name brands as any metal polish will work.

Mothers Mag Wheel Polish and Blue Magic are ones we have used personally and they work very well.

Remember there is no best when it comes to this stuff. Just go to your local Wal-Mart, K-Mart or Auto Parts Store and look in the Auto Cleaner aisle or in the department stores in the cleaning section for real Silver Polish and try a tube or bottle.

IT WORKS! Period!

Brasso metal polish leaves an oil coating and should not be used as it will collect dirt and you will be back to the same old problem again.

As for Bright Boys and 1000 and 1600 grit sand paper you are just making more scratches in the surface of the rail heads and making places for the dirt to cling to as the scratches have ragged edges (just use a really powerful microscope and you can see these scratches. Again believe me! They are there!

The metal polish will fill up these scratches and keep the dirt from sticking to these ragged edges.

If you have to clean your track more than once when using any other method of track cleaning you are using the WRONG method, period!

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[cmrproducts]

warhammerdriver

I would believe that it would work on brass track as we use it at our club on the Brass G Scale track made by Aristo Craft. Because it is metal polish it will polish any metal and Brass should be no exception.

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[cmrproducts]

rbterhune

Using a motor tool will throw the polish all over the ties and probably anything within 10 feet.

If not having to ever clean the track again, I would think that doing it by hand would be easier as you would not have to completely redo the entire layout once the buff pad quit throwing the polish around.

I believe that this is one time you do not have to use some sort of power tool, Trust ME! ! !

BOB H – Clarion, PA

[icmr]

I use Brite Boy's and their just fine. I am going to try to get some MAAS metal polish.



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[wgnrr]

I saw someone on this thread who said they use 1000 grit sandpaper. What I use is a Brite Boy, and I also use 1600 grit sandpaper. The 1600 grit works just as good as a Brite Boy, if not better, at a great price.

[Anonymous]

Not every rail cleaner is a "Brite Boy."
Walthers rail cleaner is the original "Brite Boy" and it DOES scratch the track! It's way to abrasive and too expensive.
But if you can find the small yellow track cleaner put out by the"PERFECT" Co. they are great for cleaning rail heads. And they only cost about $2 bucks. And you can clean these using the end of a piece of wood benchwork that has a rough end to it. Just the dirty part of the track cleaner back and forth over the wood and you will remove all of the crud that has built up on the end of the track cleaner.
Just be aware that all track cleaners are "BRITE BOYS." About the only thing these are good for is removing rust or paint from the top of the rail. After which I would still use one of the yellow PERFECT track cleaners.
gtr

[ChessieFan13]

well now I have a qusetion.....................Flitz? how well does it work?

[warhammerdriver]

Does Mother's Mag Wheel Polish and this MAAS stuff work only on NS track or will it work on the older brass as well?

[Train 284]

No they are not erasers. I have one and it works great!

[Don Gibson]

Guys:

'Scratches' you need a Magnifying glass to see, polish out with metal wheels. With .070 of rail, .083, or .100 ", you'll not have to worry about rail loss.

Have you ever heard of anyone running out of rail - even with softer brass?.

[Anonymous]

Anyone tried using a Dremel tool and felt polishing spool to apply the metal polish?

Your thoughts on that?

Brad

[Anonymous]

I used Flitz metal polish from Micro-Mark. The trains do run better. The track was Life Like nickel silver with gray ballast base. Even track right out of the package was tarnished. The stange part is I have a loop of old (very) Atlas nickel silver and it still seems to be ok and has never been cleaned. Maybe the compsition of nickle silver has been changed over the years.