cleaning your track. best ways?

Charlie, I don't know if you mean better ways or easier ways, or do they mean the same thing.  Over the years I have had my layout the best way is terry cloth pad with alcohol to get the dirt, oil and grime off (cloth turns black).  Then I take a piece of scotch brite greenie and polish the track, going very lightly.  My trains run great after doing this. 

I have a couple of track cleaning cars, but nothing gets track as clean as the method above.  I wish there was an easier way than elbow grease but I have not found one.

Steve, Lady and Tex

I use a Walthers Bright Boy Abrasive Track Cleaner (eraser).

Gilly

If you use the search engine you can find gobs - literally dozens - of threads on this subject.  Everyone has his favorite.  

Again, the concensus of opinion will be:

- don't use Simple Green.  It rots track like sugar rots teeth.

- iso alcohol works well and no one has ever seen any bad side effects

- a Brightboy eraser works wonders, too

- there are at least a dozen other recommendations that will come from well meaning people who use their particular favorite.  Most of those seem effective and are reportedly benign as to side effects, but use them at your own risk: it was through the forum and recommendations like that that I first learned of Simple Green, which does clean track very well, but slowly corrodes it over a period of weeks, too.

Isopropyl Alcohol on a rag or the Trackman 2000 with a Scotchbrite pad on it.  Never needed anything else.

Charlie, your method seems fine to me. As Lee Willis has stated, everyone has their own favorite method.  I use a scotchbrite pad cut to size and attached to a Tidy Track rail tracker by Woodland Scenics.  I use the scotchbrite pad dry.  For stubborn areas I soak the scotchbrite pad in liquid track cleaner by Life Like Trains then dry with a clean cloth.  As you probably know the pickup rollers on your locos and lighted cars need to be cleaned periodically.  A bright boy eraser and the Life Like liquid track cleaner will take care of this task.  For really dirty rollers I use Goo Gone soaked on a Q tip on the rollers and follow with a Q tip soaked with the liquid track cleaner followed by drying with a clean cloth.

That method works for me.

For rollers and wheels, I use my Dremel with a home-made Scotchbrite polishing wheel, does a great job.

I use a pair of cars made using Dennis' plans.

1) Take old cheap Gondola or similar car, 3 X 3 Piece of 1/4 Ply or similar flat part, 2 small dia bolts 2" or longer, Nuts to fit the bolts, misc weight, and 2 springs.

The springs provide the down pressure on the pad so choose as needed.

2) Drill 2 holes in the flat part/wood along the center rail line.

3) Place wood on bottom center of car w holes aligned along car center, Drill car floor.

4) Optional - Counter sink the wood for screw heads, I didn't bother.

5) push screws through wood, add springs on screws, then screws go thru car bottom, Add nuts on inside of car. Adjust nuts to give desired pressure on track with car on the rails pressed down firmly.

6) Add weight to car to keep it pressed down on rails, to little and you derail often.

7) Cut and attach scrub surface you prefer, I use Green Scotchbrite Retained w Duck Tape.

8) Optional again - Cut down a paint brush and screw to end of car to catch odd items on track. This becomes a push car. (I didn't do this)

9) Make another car. I run one as above and one with paper towel folded under it.

    When the paper towel comes back around clean, you are done cleaning for the day.

Future project, Car Vacuum/ dust buster on flatcar, Angle to make suction above rails.

The techie at English's Model Railroad shop INSISTS that track cleaning cars are worthless and that the only effective method is with a good track cleaner and the ELBOW.

I respect his opinion but would very much like to hear some anecdotal evidence to disprove him. (I have wanted to get a track cleaning car but have held off because of his disclaimer)

We routinely clean the modular layout with a Trackman 2000 track cleaning car with Scotchbrite, and it works very well.  No offense to your "techie", but he's a sample of one, we find the track cleaning car very effective.

No, it won't clean stuff like plaster and paint from landscaping work unless you run it a LOT, but for ordinary running grime, it works very well.

Here's where he's wrong:  IF you clean your track on a regular basis and don't let dirt build up, a track-cleaning car is a fine way to make the task easy and fast.

Here's where he's right:  IF you put off track cleaning until the trains start hesitating and the lights start flickering, you're likely going to need some good old elbow grease to get things back in good order.  Then, however, you can keep the track clean by running a track-cleaning car over the pike before or after every operating session or on some other regular basis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4IEAh7-cR8

I hope this posts. This is my version of a Gondola track cleaning car.

 SRChris, very simple and ingenious!!! Will give it a try> Tom

Guys,

I have Fastrac. I've been advised that the best way to clean is to take Isopropol alchohol and a clean rag. The guck comes right off.

Mike Maurice

Hey, Chris!  Put together a series of hi-res still shots along with some descriptive text and I can use it in the magazine in the "Here's an Idea" section.  Could make you more than enough money to buy a new gondola or two and a year's supply of those cleaning pads.  

Any problem with using windex?  Less toxic, and has some ammonia content so it dries quickly.  Can get generic version at HD along with cheap microfiber rags.  Or should I switch to alcohol?

thx, Don

I confess I used Simple Green on my Fastrack, but I never had negative issues with it.  I never really had to clean the track much so maybe that had something to do with it.  I am using rubbing alcohol and that works fine.  The kids were filling my MTH units with too much smoke fluid at times and the track got really messy.

Thanks Allen for the suggestion of doing a article for OGR.  I have already benefited greatly 

by being a member of this great forum. I have learned so much from all of the posts of everyone here. Thanks again,Chris

Chris, Thank You.

I use my OLD (but washed, LOL) White Socks and Three fingers with GOO GONE for years!!

Works great!!!

I've had excellent success with WD-40 sprayed on paper towels, and then wipe the track.   The residual light oil helps to protect.

I clean twice a year, with the trains running.   Working well for seven years now:  all track looks good, conductivity good, no traction problems.

Everyone has a favorite that works!!

I use goo Gone on a scotch brite pad follow up with a dry old sock and the trains run like poop through a goose!!!

I also like SUPER QCG(Quick Clean Guns) it's a cleaner, lubricant rust inhibitor and moisture disipator. The stuff is awesome. I clean and lube the moving parts on engines and rolling stock wheels roll almost effortlessly!! I use it on my road biles as well as my guns it is really great stuff!!! Try some.

I used it on the door hinges in the house and no more sqeeks

TMack, please refer to Lee Willis' nightmare involving Simple Green.

     Hoppy

In Lionel Track & Power catalog Lionel recommends all-purpose cleaner with crtric base.

No alcohol base. Have been using alcohol for years.

Nice.  Copying that one.