Of all the stuff mentioned, I still think that Isopropyl Alcohol still works best, and would certainly remove the Goo-Gone residue.
Tmack,
Doesn't Simple Green leave a residue behind? I've used it on other items and as I recall it left a residue.
So now we need to know what cleaner to use to clean the Goo Gone.
At our club we also found that GG was not good for rubber tires.
Track needs a degreaser, some use alcohol and some use other flammable materials. I assume that the flammable materials are being used because any residual evaporates.
I mentioned before I use Simple green, which is an excellent degreaser. Since it does not have the evaporative properties of flammables, I spray it on a towel and wipe the track. If you mix it 1:4 or stronger, there is no elbow grease required to get the track clean. I think you can stop using the Goo Gone altogether.
I use WD40 on a rag. It does an excellent job of removing grime and preventing rust.
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:
Originally Posted by Forest:
A friend of mine uses nothing but acetone. From reading about it, it is probally saver than Denatured or Isopopyl alcohol.
You're kidding, right? From the MSDS for Acetone:
Emergency Overview:
Danger! Extremely flammable liquid and vapor. Vapors may cause flash fire or explosion. Harmful if inhaled. Vapor concentrations may cause drowsiness. Causes skin and eye irritation. Harmful if swallowed. May cause target organ or system damage to the following: Eye, skin, respiratory system, central nervous system.
Sorry, but in addition to the above, acetone attacks most plastics and paint!
According to the Wikipedia, Acetone is a natural substance that our bodies produce.
"Toxicology
Acetone is believed to exhibit only slight toxicity in normal use, and there is no strong evidence of chronic health effects if basic precautions are followed
do not worry about the toxicity - worry about the fire,.
acetone is extremely volatile and more flammable than gasoline.
the vapors quickly travel and have a low ignition point
It is dangerous to use indoors.
Originally Posted by BradFish1:
Tmack,
Doesn't Simple Green leave a residue behind? I've used it on other items and as I recall it left a residue.
So now we need to know what cleaner to use to clean the Goo Gone.
At our club we also found that GG was not good for rubber tires.
Track needs a degreaser, some use alcohol and some use other flammable materials. I assume that the flammable materials are being used because any residual evaporates.
I mentioned before I use Simple green, which is an excellent degreaser. Since it does not have the evaporative properties of flammables, I spray it on a towel and wipe the track. If you mix it 1:4 or stronger, there is no elbow grease required to get the track clean. I think you can stop using the Goo Gone altogether.
BradFish1,
Simple Green is a degreaser and GooGone is a solvent. Many solvents like Goo Gone are oily and you need to clean them up with a degreaser. The only thing left behind from Simple Green that I can think of is the smell of the product, but as a degreaser it should not be leaving a film behind. In my limited experience, my track needs a degreaser to clean up the smoke fluid and/or chasis lubrication that gets on the track. My Polar Express has traction tires so it will be interesting to see what kind of mess that creates, but I suspect nothing that a degreaser can't handle.
I am thinking that if my trains are leaving behind stuff that needs a solvent, then I got other more serious problems, because I know what I lube the chasis with and the only other thing out there is the smoke fluid and those products dont need a solvent.
I reserve the right to be wrong, but after reading this thread it sounds more like people trying to kill a fly with a flamethrower.
If I was in a high humidity area and/or a basement, I'd probably switch to rubbing alcohol or maybe even Windex. Something that has better evaporative properties.
-Ted
I use an automotive product. CRC Brakleen. Make sure you use the RED can version. It is non flammable. It is basically a degreaser that does evaporate. Most of the gunk on the rails is either oil or smoke fluid. It is harmful to some plastics and possibly traction tires. I use it in track cleaning car that drips the solvent on one pad and the dry one behind cleans up the residue. I usually empty the contents of the spray can into a small plastic container and then add it to the car. This can be done outdoors if needed. Basically the pad just becomes damp. The speed of the drip can be adjusted on the car. The trailing pad cleans off the gunk. Never had a traction tire issue. My rails are painted with Poly Scale paint and no issues there as well. I do use it to scrub the rail surface clean after painting by hand. A little effort is required and the side rails are unaffected. With a little caution it seems to work well.
Originally Posted by TMack:
...after reading this thread it sounds more like people trying to kill a fly with a flamethrower...
-Ted
Ted, I tend to agree! 
A couple of swipes every few weeks with an LGB track cleaning block does it for me. No liquids - no fumes - no mess - no toxicity - no real abrasion to speak of (not as abrasive as a Walthers Bright Boy).
Been working fine for me ever since I got back into 3-rail in the early '80s.
Jim
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So I don't need to use the gasoline and sandpaper anymore?
Honestly... I like using paper towel and isopropyl alcohol. just wipe as needed...
I use electrical contact cleaner sprayed onto a paper towel and throw them as I go. A fairly large can at Lowes lasts quite a while ( meant for electricians)..not the Radio Shack stuff..it has a lubricant in it. For real caked on stuff I use a "scotch bright' sponge..several years now and works good. Works on goatees.
Originally Posted by romiller49:
I've always used a dry white sock. I put three fingers inside and place each finger over the rail. A little elbow grease and it works great. I used to use a liquid but noticed that when I took the track apart the liquid worked its way between the pin and rail.
romiller
That's the way to do it. Nice and simple.
I have about 1800 LF. of track with some being hard to reach. I have been operating and building the layout for 30 years, and I have never made an effort to clean the track. I operate with DCS & TMMC with no problems. I do not operate the smoke units in the engines because of poor basement venlation. I use Gargraves Track, and Ross Turnouts.
Happy RR to all!!!
This might be a side effect of living in California, but it is very difficult to get an appointment for hazardous waste drop off day around here. Alcohol is easy enough to deal with, but all the other products are just too much garbage I am tired of storing in my garage that can't go in the landfill.
Another vote for isopropyl alcohol.
Been using it quite a while, and except for this occasional twitch.......
I always use my ventilation fan while track cleaning, and an hour or two thereafter.
Rod
