Clean the track surface but what about the joiners?

I have 100' of multi conductor trailer cable running under my mainline and attach a feeder to every 3' track section.  This means I don't need to depend on the joiners for power and I have no voltage dropouts.

That's the way I used to do it and no problems. So now I guess I've learned the hard way, dad used to call this "The School of Hard Knocks". Back to multiple leads

I don't have any answers for you Doc but jumped in to share misery with you!

I use tubular on a seasonal layout.  I clean each and every piece of track before storing for the off-season.  One year, about 5 years ago, I pulled all of the pins (no easy task on newer tubular!) and was stunned by all of the black crud hidden on the pins inside of the rails!!!  

I took pipe cleaners and Goo-Gone to the inside of the rails and it came out black, and I mean black.  I used a rock tumbler to clean the pins.  I'm surprised that electricity was able to make it thru all that gunk.

Where does it all come from, he asks retorically.

- walt