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Originally Posted by CoulstonR:

as anyone ever heard of using Automatic Transmission Fluid? I watched a video of an HO Scale club that just put a little bit on their tracks and it supposedly kept it clean without any scrubbing. I'm curious as to whether it would work or not with O gauge as many engines have traction tires...

I think I would stick with the proven track cleaners. There have been horror stories here about new ideas for un-proven solvents used to clean track. There are many threads here on track cleaning and cleaners to use.

Originally Posted by CoulstonR:

as anyone ever heard of using Automatic Transmission Fluid? I watched a video of an HO Scale club that just put a little bit on their tracks and it supposedly kept it clean without any scrubbing. I'm curious as to whether it would work or not with O gauge as many engines have traction tires...

Please remember that the HO folks use DC for track power, and actually oiling the track works extremely well for them. We 3-Rail folks use AC for track power, thus ANY type of film/deposit remaining on the rails seriously affects DCS and TMCC command signal strength. 

 

I therefor use ONLY denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner to clean my track.

 

as anyone ever heard of using Automatic Transmission Fluid? I watched a video of an HO Scale club that just put a little bit on their tracks and it supposedly kept it clean without any scrubbing. I'm curious as to whether it would work or not with O gauge as many engines have traction tires...

 ATF is a great cleaner. They used it a lot in the GM transmission factory

 for cleaning parts ect.

 I tried it and it left a film. Chemically I was told it has a wax  base to it.

 If you use it, you will have to remove the left over film. It did do a great job though...

 

 

I have used good old WD40 to clean my tracks for years. If you do it in a two step process it works very well. I first apply some WD40 to an old cotton sock and simply wipe the track with out too much pressure. It leaves a slight film. After just a few seconds I wipe with another clean sock.  I re-wipe a section at a time until I no longer see black residue on the sock and the rail is dry. I'm not sure why, but once I use this method I have fewer signal problems with DCS. I became a believer of using light oil from my HO days in the 50's when Model Railroaders used "clipper" oil (as in barber clippers)  for the same purpose. 

Conductor Earl     

Originally Posted by Conductor Earl:

I have used good old WD40 to clean my tracks for years. If you do it in a two step process it works very well. I first apply some WD40 to an old cotton sock and simply wipe the track with out too much pressure. It leaves a slight film. After just a few seconds I wipe with another clean sock.  I re-wipe a section at a time until I no longer see black residue on the sock and the rail is dry. I'm not sure why, but once I use this method I have fewer signal problems with DCS. I became a believer of using light oil from my HO days in the 50's when Model Railroaders used "clipper" oil (as in barber clippers)  for the same purpose. 

Conductor Earl     

Use the above Procedure, but with "GOO GONE"!!  Works for me for the past 18 years!!!

(WARNING... THIS IS A JOKE.... DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT ON TRACK!!!!)

 

Hey has anyone thought about something like Simple Green?

 

(Now back to serious content....)

 

I'd be afraid to put anything like transmission fluid on the track just because it would attract dust.  I'm all for a great track cleaning car, but the cleaning fluid is a different story!  It needs to clean and then GO AWAY so as not to attract dirt.  Hence I use the alcohol (denatured not Vodka).

Last edited by tackindy

The Mole Skin tip from Kerrigan sounds like a good idea to me and I made a note of it in case I ever get a track cleaning car. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I have heard of it. I am going to look at some next time I get my meds refilled at Walgreens. I don't clean my track very often, but a track cleaning car might improve my cleaning schedule. On the other hand, haven't really had any problems with dirty track and it has to be pretty dirty before it gets a cleaning. I will be sticking with the proven track cleaning solutions with the track cleaning car, no new untested solvents for me.

Originally Posted by D500:

Again.

 

WD40. Recommended by Mike R. of Lionel. I don't know how one could get a better

authority, but this is the InterWeb age, so there are numerous Authorities. 

 

Use works well.

Obviously Mike R. of Lionel would not care if the WD40 trick negatively affected the DCS signal strength on the center rail.

Originally Posted by Hot Water:
Originally Posted by D500:

Again.

 

WD40. Recommended by Mike R. of Lionel. I don't know how one could get a better

authority, but this is the InterWeb age, so there are numerous Authorities. 

 

Use works well.

Obviously Mike R. of Lionel would not care if the WD40 trick negatively affected the DCS signal strength on the center rail.

Hehe, you might be on to something here.

ATF is used by the railroad industry as triple valve oil.  I believe the reason it is used is the viscosity is fairly stable ofer a wide range of temperatures and it is compatiable with the rubber gaskets used in air brake equipment. It will leave a light oil film which is hard to clean off with out a solvent. It is very thin.  It is probably not too bad of a choice for a track cleaning material. It would be particularly good for tubular track to prevent corrosion. It probably would have little impact on traction tires. There are many different types of ATF, the railroads use the type F and type GM. 

I've expermented with a lot of different cleaners.  The best I've found is a mixture of: 25% Goof Off & 75% hydrogen peroxide.  I've used this mix for years. 

 

1 warning for those of you from the "more is better" camp.  Use not one drop more of the Goof Off.  At the 25/75 mix it cleans well.  I have soaked plastic parts in it for up to 24 hours with no ill effects.

 

Increasing the Goof Off mix greater than 25% WILL result in paint and/or plastic damage should it get on rolling stock. Using straight Goof Off is insane.

Plastic = petroleum distillate

Petroleum distillate + plastic = deteriorated plastic.

 

Or so it went with all my 1/32 scale Eldon race cars when I didn't use plastic compatible lubricants.  It took time, but they started to disintegrate.

 

I would avoid any product that is not plastic compatible. By the time you notice a change, it's too late.

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