Remove Black coating on Atlas center rail

I use Scotch-Brite pads and "elbow grease" to good effect.

Peter

3M or equivalent 400 grit wet/dry abrasive paper. No need for Scotch Brite or other proprietary products. If you want you can finish with 600.

Dremel-Stainless wire brush. Use a light touch and clean afterwards with alcohol.
goes really quick

David

A track cleaning eraser works like a charm, and with very little muscle power.  Available at most any hobby shop.

Burnish off the black, and then give the rail a cleaning with some track cleaning fluid.

Works for me every time.

I just did a large box of track recently, all with a pretty thick layer of the black stuff.

It was really quick with the track eraser on center rail quick rub of all 3 rails then a soft rag to wipe it all down. Works great now with DCS

I had some track that I had not scrubbed down that I had tried to use at a show set up quick set up of a loop could not get any power to the center rail rollers on the engines I was running (not DCS) a quick scrub with the track eraser and all was fine!

Scotch Brite on a Dremel with a very light touch. Stop when you see copper....

it amazes me that they could not have figured out a better way to blacken the middle rail.  it didn't take me long to realize that it had to go.  it is worse on their switches.  NO current would get through there.

i had some LBG eraser pads and used those.

Thanks for all the suggestions.  I tried a 320 grit sanding block, track eraser and the Drexel with wire brush.  All worked great.

George

Goo Gone

A little on a pad and the black dissolves.

Wipe up with a paper towel.

Forget about sanding and rubbing.

Scrappy

I use 400 grit sand paper on my random orbit sander, cleans all three rails. makes them nice and shiny for that 100% electricial contact and NO signal problems.