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The other day I tore up some track on the lowest level of the layout, that's been there for some 20 years.  The track is Lionel tubular track 40-70 years old.  When removing the accumulated dust, I first ran a magnet through it to gather up [recycle] any screws I had dropped.  The magnet came out covered with a fine metallic powder and many short steel shards, finer than a hair.  Too fine to be strands of wire, and of course any wire would have been copper and non-magnetic.  The shards were about 1/4-3/8" long, and could not have been generated by any cutting.  I also have not sanded the rails.  The shards also make mean finger splinters.

I'm wondering what could have been the source.  Anybody else out there experienced this?

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Yes! A lot of metal filings get generated over time through running trains. You figure with steel wheels and steel track, whatever wears off is going to be magnetic.

I have not experienced actual shards. What I have seen is tiny metal particles being gathered into into long, thin strands by the magnetic flux. We have even had trouble with the rail getting slightly magnetized (though magnetraction maybe?) and strands of filings bridging rail gaps and messing up non-derailing turnouts. After that, my brother and I made a magnet car out of a block of wood and a neodymium magnet from K&S. After its first run, it was positively covered! We run it every few months, and it always picks up some more filings.

Track Cleaning Magnet [3)1P2230779_1

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