ATLAS TRACK CLEANING

James...if you want to never (or only once in a few years) have to clean your track, get yourself a can of CRC 2-26.  You can find it in most hardware sections in your favorite big box store or places like Menards, etc.  You don't have to clean or even wipe your track if you apply it properly.  Just go around your layout and spray it in about a 6 or 8 inch area directly on the track.  (all rails no matter if you are a 2-railer or 3 railer).  Do this every 6 or 8 feet.  Then run a locomotive only around the track for perhaps 20 to 30 minutes.  Don't wipe down the track.  After this application, you will not have to worry about how the trains run for a long time.  I do this about once every 2 years.  I know, it sounds too good to be true but don't let anybody tell you it doesn't work.  I have been doing this for several decades now with great results and no hard to traction tires, plastic, etc.

@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:

James...if you want to never (or only once in a few years) have to clean your track, get yourself a can of CRC 2-26.  You can find it in most hardware sections in your favorite big box store or places like Menards, etc.  You don't have to clean or even wipe your track if you apply it properly.  Just go around your layout and spray it in about a 6 or 8 inch area directly on the track.  (all rails no matter if you are a 2-railer or 3 railer).  Do this every 6 or 8 feet.  Then run a locomotive only around the track for perhaps 20 to 30 minutes.  Don't wipe down the track.  After this application, you will not have to worry about how the trains run for a long time.  I do this about once every 2 years.  I know, it sounds too good to be true but don't let anybody tell you it doesn't work.  I have been doing this for several decades now with great results and no hard to traction tires, plastic, etc.

Does it cause traction tires to slip at all? 

I completely agree with Alan.  I use CRC QD Electronic Cleaner available (where else?) at Wal-Mart in the automotive section, near the Freon.  Completely eliminates blinking with no noticeable effect on traction tires. 

@WALMART TOM posted:

I completely agree with Alan.  I use CRC QD Electronic Cleaner available (where else?) at Wal-Mart in the automotive section, near the Freon.  Completely eliminates blinking with no noticeable effect on traction tires. 

I tried that CRC 2-26 on our layout (all Atlas solid nickel silver), and although it did clean the rails, it pretty much destroyed the DCS signal strength. I thus cleaned everything again with lacquer thinner, then with denatured alcohol, and the DCS signal strength returned to "normal". Never did understand what happened. I used the denatured alcohol ever since.

I use the CDC 2-26 version but see no reason why the QD would not work as well.  The key here is to improve the surface conductivity and the slight lubricant in the 2-26 version of the product protects the track from the effects of humidity.  No wheel slip will occur if you make sure to run your locomotive without cars around the track for an extended period of time until the application of the product is distributed on the track.  I will admit that one time I was in a hurry and put an entire 40 car train on the track without running the locomotive first per my instructions above and I did have some wheel slip but after about 10 or 15 loops around the slip went away.  Don't worry,  this will work and you will be amazed at never having to wipe your track again.  My current layout which will be featured in run 314 has been running using this technique since 2008.

Cool I'll have to try it out. Hopefully @Hot Water's DCS troubles were just an oddity. I wonder why that happened. 

@BillYo414 posted:

Cool I'll have to try it out. Hopefully @Hot Water's DCS troubles were just an oddity. I wonder why that happened. 

I was told by more than one person from MTH, that pretty much ANY "cleaner" that leaves ANY sort of film on the rail heads, will tend to degrade the DCS signal strength. Thus, I always used either denatured alcohol or acrylic lacquer thinner on a soft cotton rag, wrapped tightly around a piece of 1X2" pine.

Interesting and very good to know

@Hot Water posted:

I was told by more than one person from MTH, that pretty much ANY "cleaner" that leaves ANY sort of film on the rail heads, will tend to degrade the DCS signal strength. Thus, I always used either denatured alcohol or acrylic lacquer thinner on a soft cotton rag, wrapped tightly around a piece of 1X2" pine.

Well, what can I say other than DCS signal strength on my layout improved GREATLY when I used CDC.  That is the purpose for most of the CDC products since they are meant to improve conductivity.  I have a lot of track with long distances and a track plan that made it impossible to use the recommended star pattern power distribution.  CDC was recommended to me by a 2-rail modeler MANY years ago to try and I will never go back to scrubbing the rails.  Perhaps the folks at MTH never tried CDC.

Hi from Michigan: I use both QRC 2-26 and QRC Electronic Cleaner. I spray a rag and wipe down the track. My layout is tubular track, it may work on Atlas. I also spray the cleaning pads on a track cleaning car.  Both of these products work just fine along with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

Hope this helps: Gary 🚂

@trainroomgary posted:

 

Hi from Michigan: I use both QRC 2-26 and QRC Electronic Cleaner. I spray a rag and wipe down the track. My layout is tubular track, it may work on Atlas. I also spray the cleaning pads on a track cleaning car.  Both of these products work just fine along with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

Hope this helps: Gary 🚂

Where did you buy them at?

Guys...I am not sure if you get the point of using CDC product.  Let me first qualify my instructions above.  If your track is so dirty that you can actually see the black crud on the rail, then you might want to wipe it down the first time but the point of using CDC is you DON'T have to wipe the track!  I applied it when I first laid my track and have never had to "clean" the track.  Just apply it like I said in my first post above and you are DONE for at least a year and in most cases several years.

@DennyM posted:

Where did you buy them at?

Hi Denny M:

You can get this stuff at any auto parts store. I use O'Reilly Auto Parts. I get the 91% Isopropyl Alcohol at Meijer's.

Gary 🚂

You're CDC stuff may work great in the eastern USA, but there's no way I'll use anything that leaves a film here in the southwest.  One is it's very dry, I don't have humidity to worry about.  Second is this is a desert, and it's very dusty.  My problem is dust settles on the track and 'burns' off as the train goes over it, thus leaving crud on my rails.  Last thing I need is a film that'll attract that dust to the rails.  I have to replaceable my AC filters every 15 days due to the amount of dust in the air!  My almost 60 year old house doesn't seal very well anymore, and it's sstill going to take me a few years to save up the $20k+ to fix that.  All those with layouts, including clubs, that I've talked to here use isopropyl alcohol to clean their track, no matter the brand.