This is my (2 rail) interpretation of Lee Willis’ “Vacuum Cleaner Car 2.0”
The concept is simple: A "MooSoo" battery powered hand held vacuum with a modified nozzle is mounted in a drop-end gondola and pushed around the track. It does a remarkable job picking up debris and lost parts. For Lee's original embodiment, see this link:
https://ogrforum.com/...cuum-cleaner-car-2-0
The MooSoo Vacuum looks like this:
It is available from Amazon. It is lightweight, powerful, easy to maneuver, and does a very good job cleaning up your layout. Particularly because there is no hose to wrestle with. When you are done, you rotate the integral clear collection tube an eighth of a turn, and dump it out. In my particular case it does an excellent job eliminating all those teeny spider webs that seem to grow out of my catenary. But we digress…
The MooSoo has a brush that can be rotated into position, that helps with general vacuuming:
It also comes with a detachable rubber nozzle, which is what we will use here:
NOTE THE ABOVE PHOTO DOES NOT SHOW THE PROPER CUT LINES: SEE THE CORRECTED VERSION BELOW
I cut the nozzle along the two red lines, then rotate the right half 180 degrees and glue the two resulting flanges together using Gorilla Glue Super glue gel After that is cured, I seal the joint with Alex Plus black Latex caulk.
The MooSoo sits in a brass drop end gondola, which has been prepared as shown below:
The blocks of wood locate the MooSoo fore and aft, and are held to the gondola base with 3M #410 double sided tape. Two pieces of foam (O Scale roadbed) locate the MooSoo sideways, as well as prevent it from rolling around. Note one of the drop ends is down to allow the MooSoo nozzle to sit out over the end. You will also notice the wings. We’ll get to them a bit later on.
I fashioned a pick up nozzle from basswood sheets. The inlet is made wide enough to span the rails on curves. With the MooSoo in place, the pick up nozzle is glued to the rubber nozzle so it literally rides the rails. It takes a bit of trial and error to get it right. Tack the pickup nozzle in place with Gorilla Super Glue Gel, and when you are sure you got it right, seal everything with black caulk
Here is the aerial view with the MooSoo installed in the gondola:
Now about those wings… they have a real function, in addition to providing a bit of futuristic whimsy, ---they direct the rather substantial exhaust flow from the MooSoo upwards. And thus save people, trees, and other scenery items from being blown away as the car passes.
Note the MooSoo is not modified. This enables you to use the supplied docking/charging station. You simply take the MooSoo off the car, unplug the pickup nozzle assembly, and then plug the MooSoo into the docking station. Since the MooSoo is so easily removed, it can also be used to vacuum the rest of my laoyout
My vacuum car is pushed by an Atlas RSD 7. The idler car is one of those Lionel 40’ flat cars, with the deck replaced with board by board construction, converted to two rail with Kadees, the gaps vacated by the three rail coupler filled, and suitably weathered:
It does quite a good job. After one lap you can see the debris that was picked up
And dumped on a piece of cardboard (Note the glad hand/angle cock/air hose):
As it goes around the track, it sounds like one of those NASCAR jet dryers. Which adds to the effect.
I realized I had to decorate the pick up nozzle. I thought of shark teeth (too obvious), the dragon from Dr No (not artistically consistent) and finally settled on this:
I sure hope Lord Helmet doesn’t mind
My girl hates my spending already. 
)
