CMX vs NE Trains track cleaning car

I’ve had the NE track cleaner for years and it does the job. If you’re cleaning your track by hand it’s a great car to run occasionally to keep up. After that you shouldn’t have to hand clean it. It will do the job.

Love the NE car. 👍👍

Bob

@RSJB18 posted:

Love the NE car. 👍👍

Bob

Thanks Bob. Where I have all fast track and switches, would there be any issue with the pads going over them smoothly without getting caught going toward the swivel rail (I’m not sure of the correct terminology)?

Gene

@Genemed posted:

Thanks Bob. Where I have all fast track and switches, would there be any issue with the pads going over them smoothly without getting caught going toward the swivel rail (I’m not sure of the correct terminology)?

Gene

My layout is all tubular track. I've had no problems with the pads catching on anything. The holders float in the frame of the car and are just weighted to apply pressure on the track. I run the front pad wet (I use goo-gone), and the rear pad dry. The pads are washable and can be reused. Thin Scotch-brite pads work too.

I like the North East car……but I have two and combine them with two other cars. They work OK……but nothing beats manual cleaning with “elbow grease”……

Have a great and safe weekend.

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

I like the North East car……but I have two and combine them with two other cars. They work OK……but nothing beats manual cleaning with “elbow grease”……

Have a great and safe weekend.

Peter

Firstly, congratulations to you and your son, that’s an accomplishment to be proud of!
Thank you for taking the time and sharing your pics of the NE car. I will continue to clean the track by hand, this is just for a quick around the layout dusting.

Have a safe, enjoyable weekend.

Gene

@Genemed posted:

Firstly, congratulations to you and your son, that’s an accomplishment to be proud of!
Thank you for taking the time and sharing your pics of the NE car. I will continue to clean the track by hand, this is just for a quick around the layout dusting.

Have a safe, enjoyable weekend.

Gene

Thank you!

Peter

@RSJB18 posted:

Love the NE car. 👍👍

Bob

Bob, I ordered the base version like yours on Saturday, it should be shipped this week. I would like to add some type of body on top of the aluminum frame like you did.

Did you get a certain size car body to fit over the aluminum frame like an o scale or o gauge traditional? I would like to do something similar with either a gondola or boxcar, is that possible?

Gene

@Genemed posted:

Bob, I ordered the base version like yours on Saturday, it should be shipped this week. I would like to add some type of body on top of the aluminum frame like you did.

Did you get a certain size car body to fit over the aluminum frame like an o scale or o gauge traditional? I would like to do something similar with either a gondola or boxcar, is that possible?

Gene

It did a full frame up scratch build. The only parts that came from an existing car were the pipes on top.

Car body is a balsa frame with styrene sheet and angles. I added all the piping and other details from various suppliers. Plastruct, Evergreen, and San Juan Details were a couple.

@RSJB18 posted:

It did a full frame up scratch build. The only parts that came from an existing car were the pipes on top.

Car body is a balsa frame with styrene sheet and angles. I added all the piping and other details from various suppliers. Plastruct, Evergreen, and San Juan Details were a couple.

Thanks Bob, when it arrives I’ll decide on a plan. I was hoping I could retrofit an existing body that was close in size with a bit of kit bashing and make it work.🤔

Gene

Hi Gene, After reading your post, I decided to add my two cents worth. A friend of mine is involved with the Binghamton Model Railroad display at the Robeson Museum in Binghamton, NY. ( You can Google it and see the railroad). Its HO. That club uses a specially built car to clean track along with the CMX car. My friend Joe who is one of the main contributors to that club built a car for me. It uses a masonite pad which free floats on the track and tends to remove that black crap. I use that ahead of a CMX car and it seems to do the trick. The masonite pad comes out of the base of the car for easy cleaning with mineral spirits and a scotch bright pad. The masonite is just abrasive enough to remove that junk from the rails. If you like what the car looks like, I can email you a drawing to make one for yourself. My layout is extensive and has so many hard to get at places and this car has solved my cleaning woes. You can see the stuff on the pad.  The pad is just wide enough for the rails and is drilled and the holes for the nails counter sunk and the glued. Then the nails ride freely in the holes in the bottom of the car. I use bees waz to lubricate the nails so they will ride up and down to stay in contact with the rails. If you want a copy of a drawing contact me on my email on my profile. Bill

@Bill Park posted:

Hi Gene, After reading your post, I decided to add my two cents worth. A friend of mine is involved with the Binghamton Model Railroad display at the Robeson Museum in Binghamton, NY. ( You can Google it and see the railroad). Its HO. That club uses a specially built car to clean track along with the CMX car. My friend Joe who is one of the main contributors to that club built a car for me. It uses a masonite pad which free floats on the track and tends to remove that black crap. I use that ahead of a CMX car and it seems to do the trick. The masonite pad comes out of the base of the car for easy cleaning with mineral spirits and a scotch bright pad. The masonite is just abrasive enough to remove that junk from the rails. If you like what the car looks like, I can email you a drawing to make one for yourself. My layout is extensive and has so many hard to get at places and this car has solved my cleaning woes. You can see the stuff on the pad.  The pad is just wide enough for the rails and is drilled and the holes for the nails counter sunk and the glued. Then the nails ride freely in the holes in the bottom of the car. I use bees waz to lubricate the nails so they will ride up and down to stay in contact with the rails. If you want a copy of a drawing contact me on my email on my profile. Bill

Thank you Bill for your input. That’s similar to what I want to do but only with the NE Trains cleaning car that I purchased already. As I mentioned to Bob, when it comes in I’ll take some measurements of the aluminum base(similar to the base of a piece of rolling stock) and figure out what works best to fit over it.

Gene

Fine Gene, The track cleaning car I suggested would work in conjunction with the car you bought. You would run them both together. The masonite car would run ahead of your new track cleaning car. Like I said, just my 2 cents worth.

I use the R&L Lines car. Only issue is at switches. The rollers would lift up the rear truck slightly and then it would derail. Some added weight took care of the issue.  I do believe they corrected this by making a longer car.  But as others have mentioned, the best cleaning method I've found is several old socks and some odorless mineral spirits.

The one I would like to try would be this one.

@Bill Park posted:

Fine Gene, The track cleaning car I suggested would work in conjunction with the car you bought. You would run them both together. The masonite car would run ahead of your new track cleaning car. Like I said, just my 2 cents worth.

Okay, now I see what you mean. I’ll keep that in mind for the future. I will still occasionally clean the track by hand where my layout is only 8’x20’ with easy access all around. The cleaning car will be used for light maintenance.

Gene

Many here on OGR forum have retired our track cleaning cars.  NO OX ID spec A is a track clean treatment that will eliminate track cleaning and improve train operation by eliminating sparking. 

All you want to know and more on NO OX is in the OGR forum topic linked below.

https://ogrforum.com/...rack-cleaning?page=1

The grease or petrolatum base referred to in the specification sheet is reported below:

NO OX ID spec A is called a grease is mostly a paraffin, like in wax (reported by some as 80%.

I have not cleaned my track since application Dec 2021 and it application has greatly improved train operation on my layout.  Examination of info on NO OX will be worth your time.

Charlie

Tugboat,

What is the cleaning car you have with the purple wiping element?  I have never seen that particular car before.  Do you know who makes it?

Matt