Dirty Wheels

[ironhorseman]

The plasitic wheels on my HO scale freight cars get really dirty and gritty. I've been using a toothpick to scrape off this gunk, but some reminds behide. Is there a better way to remove all of it? Same way with the metal wheels on my locomotives and the metal tracks, they get dirty, too.

Also, is there a way to prevent this all together, or at least reduce the amount of dirt and dust collected on a layout? Maybe an air filter?

I'd appreciate any suggestions

Thanx

[ironhorseman]

The plasitic wheels on my HO scale freight cars get really dirty and gritty. I've been using a toothpick to scrape off this gunk, but some reminds behide. Is there a better way to remove all of it? Same way with the metal wheels on my locomotives and the metal tracks, they get dirty, too.

Also, is there a way to prevent this all together, or at least reduce the amount of dirt and dust collected on a layout? Maybe an air filter?

I'd appreciate any suggestions

Thanx

[thirdrail1]

To clean locomotive wheels, take a short section of paper towel and place it on a piece of track. Wet the paper towel with alcohol or TV turner cleaner. Place one truck of the locomotive on the paper towel and the other on the track itself. Turn on the power and clean one truck, then reverse the trucks to clean the other truck. For cars, place the paper towel lengthwise on the track and roll the cars along. Don't need the TV tuner cleaner here, just use alcohol. Cleaners like "Goo-Gone" will leave a residue that will just attract more dirt. If you keep your track clean, dirt should not accumulate on your wheels.

[thirdrail1]

To clean locomotive wheels, take a short section of paper towel and place it on a piece of track. Wet the paper towel with alcohol or TV turner cleaner. Place one truck of the locomotive on the paper towel and the other on the track itself. Turn on the power and clean one truck, then reverse the trucks to clean the other truck. For cars, place the paper towel lengthwise on the track and roll the cars along. Don't need the TV tuner cleaner here, just use alcohol. Cleaners like "Goo-Gone" will leave a residue that will just attract more dirt. If you keep your track clean, dirt should not accumulate on your wheels.

[Anonymous]

I've used Goo-Gone successfully to clean the track but use it with track cleaning cars pulled right behind the eng. Have one saturated with Goo-Gone and the second with alcohol to break any residue from the Goo-Gone. Once you"ve done this and gotten the track good and clean, stay ahead of any build up by having a track cleaning ritual every few hours of ops or you can run a track cleaning car in every train all the time. Roco has a nice box car as does Walthers, You may also want to use an air filter if the air quality in your train room is in doubt. If you really feel industrious, try changing all the trucks or at least the wheels on your rolling stock to metal wheels. Plastic wheels do break down with time and deposite residue of thier own onto the track. This mixes with oils and other dirt to form the hard type of grime you describe. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I've used Goo-Gone successfully to clean the track but use it with track cleaning cars pulled right behind the eng. Have one saturated with Goo-Gone and the second with alcohol to break any residue from the Goo-Gone. Once you"ve done this and gotten the track good and clean, stay ahead of any build up by having a track cleaning ritual every few hours of ops or you can run a track cleaning car in every train all the time. Roco has a nice box car as does Walthers, You may also want to use an air filter if the air quality in your train room is in doubt. If you really feel industrious, try changing all the trucks or at least the wheels on your rolling stock to metal wheels. Plastic wheels do break down with time and deposite residue of thier own onto the track. This mixes with oils and other dirt to form the hard type of grime you describe. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

You have many choices here including upgrading to metal wheel sets(four sizes)
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/197xvpbs.asp
(MR April 02 review)

Again many cleaning choices both for rail & wheels.
Goo Gone,rubbing alcohol, QD electrical contact cleaner, dnatured solvent, nail polish removal, radio shack TV tuner cleaner, "MAAS" a super paste cleaner,www.maasinc.com(MR Jan 03) which put my $99.00 Tony's track cleaning car out of business and is up for sale.
http://ttx-dcc.com/technews/clean_machine.htm for wheel/track cleaning procedures.
also www.centerline-products.com

[Anonymous]

You have many choices here including upgrading to metal wheel sets(four sizes)
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/197xvpbs.asp
(MR April 02 review)

Again many cleaning choices both for rail & wheels.
Goo Gone,rubbing alcohol, QD electrical contact cleaner, dnatured solvent, nail polish removal, radio shack TV tuner cleaner, "MAAS" a super paste cleaner,www.maasinc.com(MR Jan 03) which put my $99.00 Tony's track cleaning car out of business and is up for sale.
http://ttx-dcc.com/technews/clean_machine.htm for wheel/track cleaning procedures.
also www.centerline-products.com

[Anonymous]

My Genesis engine has the same problem. The way I have tackled that is to clean the rails with a track eraser once a week. To clean the wheels on the engine I use the same eraser. What you do is take alligator clips to your motor and plug it in to your variable voltage on your power supply. Start it up using a very low speed, say about 25 %. Take the track eraser and gently press it onto your wheels. Don't press too hard or you could damage the motor. Glide the eraser back and forth like a saw all the way around. This solves the problem of the engine. As far as the car I gently pull them off the trucks and with a very soft cloth i clean the wheels, then remount them. If this doesn't help, I tried.
Ramsi sends

[Anonymous]

My Genesis engine has the same problem. The way I have tackled that is to clean the rails with a track eraser once a week. To clean the wheels on the engine I use the same eraser. What you do is take alligator clips to your motor and plug it in to your variable voltage on your power supply. Start it up using a very low speed, say about 25 %. Take the track eraser and gently press it onto your wheels. Don't press too hard or you could damage the motor. Glide the eraser back and forth like a saw all the way around. This solves the problem of the engine. As far as the car I gently pull them off the trucks and with a very soft cloth i clean the wheels, then remount them. If this doesn't help, I tried.
Ramsi sends

[Anonymous]

I applied that same loco wheel cleaning procedure on loco wheels that were never cleaned
in thirty three years but substituted MAAS. The difference,Outstanding!

[Anonymous]

I applied that same loco wheel cleaning procedure on loco wheels that were never cleaned
in thirty three years but substituted MAAS. The difference,Outstanding!

[Anonymous]

I have found that using solvents and paint thinners sparingly have worked wonders, and last a long time for both wheels and track. If you are leary of using these materials, rubbing alcohol or other commercial track cleaners will work fine as well, but the solvents seem to keep everything cleaner longer.
As far as technique, I have attached two 6 inch long by 1/4 inch wide strips of metal on top of the rails near my loco servicing area. These will serve to provide power to my engines during the cleaning procedure and keeps the wheel treads off the rail while they spin. For the other set of trucks, a small piece of old cotton fabric lightly soaked with cleaning material is placed on the rail and held with your fingers. I place the engine with one set of trucks on top of the metal and the other on the cotton and start to run. In seconds ALL of the grime is removed from the truck. Turn the engine around and do the same for the other truck. With this set up on my layout, I find it very easy to keep my engines clean. At the first sign of any balkiness, directly to the cleaners they go.
For the track, I have found using a pliable 1.5 inch wide paint scraper wrapped in the cloth and slight soaked in the cleaning material to be an easy and very effective tool for cleaning. Just wrap the cloth around the blade once, hold it very snug, lightly soak the cloth with cleaning material and just simply run it over all the rails with slight pressure. You'll have to replace the cloth or move it around becuase you will be amazed at how dirty even clean track is. I work the trunouts first and then it is a simple matter of running all over the remaing rails in very quck fashion. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have found that using solvents and paint thinners sparingly have worked wonders, and last a long time for both wheels and track. If you are leary of using these materials, rubbing alcohol or other commercial track cleaners will work fine as well, but the solvents seem to keep everything cleaner longer.
As far as technique, I have attached two 6 inch long by 1/4 inch wide strips of metal on top of the rails near my loco servicing area. These will serve to provide power to my engines during the cleaning procedure and keeps the wheel treads off the rail while they spin. For the other set of trucks, a small piece of old cotton fabric lightly soaked with cleaning material is placed on the rail and held with your fingers. I place the engine with one set of trucks on top of the metal and the other on the cotton and start to run. In seconds ALL of the grime is removed from the truck. Turn the engine around and do the same for the other truck. With this set up on my layout, I find it very easy to keep my engines clean. At the first sign of any balkiness, directly to the cleaners they go.
For the track, I have found using a pliable 1.5 inch wide paint scraper wrapped in the cloth and slight soaked in the cleaning material to be an easy and very effective tool for cleaning. Just wrap the cloth around the blade once, hold it very snug, lightly soak the cloth with cleaning material and just simply run it over all the rails with slight pressure. You'll have to replace the cloth or move it around becuase you will be amazed at how dirty even clean track is. I work the trunouts first and then it is a simple matter of running all over the remaing rails in very quck fashion. Good luck!

[RichS1]

Goo Gone works well. I also use a metal polish for my track. It keeps it from getting dirty. Also I vacume my track. You'd be amazed the dirt that is picked up.
"Rich"

[RichS1]

Goo Gone works well. I also use a metal polish for my track. It keeps it from getting dirty. Also I vacume my track. You'd be amazed the dirt that is picked up.
"Rich"

[wp8thsub]

"...is there a way to prevent this all together, or at least reduce the amount of dirt and dust collected on a layout?"

Yes, stop using plastic wheels! The slippery plastic used for those freight car wheels naturally attracts dirt (just like most unpainted plastic surfaces). Also, as you run trains the plastic wheels wear a little and deposit tiny pieces of themselves on the rail, which collect back on the wheels as the gunk you keep having to clean off. I recall reading a chemical analysis of this type of buildup which confirmed what it comprises.

My entire freight car roster of some 200+ cars is equipped with Kadee or equivalent metal wheelsets. I have zero problems with gunk buildup since eliminating plastic wheels over 10 years ago. Another large layout in my area eliminated plastic wheels in favor of Kadees several years ago with the same results.

There are other good reasons to switch to good quality metal wheels, including eradicating the unrealistic wobble present to some degree with almost all plastic wheels, especially (from my experience) Athearn and MDC. Metal wheelsets sound nicer as they roll by too.

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

[wp8thsub]

"...is there a way to prevent this all together, or at least reduce the amount of dirt and dust collected on a layout?"

Yes, stop using plastic wheels! The slippery plastic used for those freight car wheels naturally attracts dirt (just like most unpainted plastic surfaces). Also, as you run trains the plastic wheels wear a little and deposit tiny pieces of themselves on the rail, which collect back on the wheels as the gunk you keep having to clean off. I recall reading a chemical analysis of this type of buildup which confirmed what it comprises.

My entire freight car roster of some 200+ cars is equipped with Kadee or equivalent metal wheelsets. I have zero problems with gunk buildup since eliminating plastic wheels over 10 years ago. Another large layout in my area eliminated plastic wheels in favor of Kadees several years ago with the same results.

There are other good reasons to switch to good quality metal wheels, including eradicating the unrealistic wobble present to some degree with almost all plastic wheels, especially (from my experience) Athearn and MDC. Metal wheelsets sound nicer as they roll by too.

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wp8thsub
[

There are other good reasons to switch to good quality metal wheels, .

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

Less friction, reduced wheel drag equates to longer trains.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wp8thsub
[

There are other good reasons to switch to good quality metal wheels, .

Rob Spangler
WP 8th Sub
Layton, UT

Less friction, reduced wheel drag equates to longer trains.

[Sydney]

I find cotton-buds dipped in an alcohol solution (such as lighter fluid) and rubbed on the wheels is a satisfactory method for removing dirt from both plastic and metal wheels.

"Sydney"
NSW Australia

[Sydney]

I find cotton-buds dipped in an alcohol solution (such as lighter fluid) and rubbed on the wheels is a satisfactory method for removing dirt from both plastic and metal wheels.

"Sydney"
NSW Australia

[Anonymous]

or throw ya plastic wheels out and get brass or metal ones

[Anonymous]

or throw ya plastic wheels out and get brass or metal ones

[Anonymous]

also if ya wanna clean ya wheels , shellite is the ONLY way to go

[Anonymous]

also if ya wanna clean ya wheels , shellite is the ONLY way to go

[Anonymous]

Easiest way I found is rubbing alcohol soaked into a 2 inch strip of white paper towel. Lay it in a turn so the train can run over it. It is import to use turn as it causes the wheels to scuff as the go through. 2 inches is also import as it allows locos to not loose power as one truck is alway in contact with track. Run train over it until black skid marks disappear.

[Anonymous]

Easiest way I found is rubbing alcohol soaked into a 2 inch strip of white paper towel. Lay it in a turn so the train can run over it. It is import to use turn as it causes the wheels to scuff as the go through. 2 inches is also import as it allows locos to not loose power as one truck is alway in contact with track. Run train over it until black skid marks disappear.

[Anonymous]

all the above recommendations are valid, however the only way they will work is if you clean your track and wheels consistantly. there is really no other way. it does not matter what you use but how many times you use it. good luck!

[Anonymous]

all the above recommendations are valid, however the only way they will work is if you clean your track and wheels consistantly. there is really no other way. it does not matter what you use but how many times you use it. good luck!