Clean track?

Siskiyou Dec 24, 2010

  1. mathi

    mathi TrainBoard Member

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    Hi!
    I found this photo the other day and created my own cleaning track. Combined with a 100 Ohm resistor I can use it for checking and programming my DCC locos.

    Regards
    Mathi

    [​IMG]
     

    Attached Files:

  2. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    I don't understand what the resistor does?
     
  3. mathi

    mathi TrainBoard Member

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    Hi!
    Since I have not a programming track outlet at my DCC central the 100 Ohm 5W resistor protects from to high current while testing a new decoder installation. It's just enough for sending and reading commands.
    I just wanted to say that I can use my DIY cleaning track for more than this.
    BTW, the cleaning track works very nice!
    I place a strip from a coffee filter under the three clamps and if they are black dirty I move the strip I move it a tad into white.

    Regards
    Mathi
     
  4. bandit59

    bandit59 New Member

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    I use a product call DeoxIT from Craig Labs. Clean the track by your favorite method then wipe down with denatured alcohol and then apply DeoxIT. Apply VERY THIN. I use a small steel block with a piece of cotton from your favorite T-shirt wrapped around the steel and saturated with DeoxIT. I think you will have great results.
     
  5. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    I have a pet theory that rail with a higher concentration of nickle will stay cleaner longer than track with a lower concentration of nickle. However, I have not done the necessary metallurgical testing to confirm my theory nor do I wish to spend the money to do such testing.

    Back in the days I was in HO the worst thing in model RR was brass track. Brass would form an oxide when exposed to oxygen that was nonconducting. Certain atmospheric conditions would hasten the oxidation process. Track had to be constantly cleaned for reliable operation. Along came nickle silver track and the constant cleaning was eliminated. If anyone can remember when brass flex track came with rail stapled to fiber ties you will remember the constant need to clean track. When N scale came along the conversion to NS rail was in full swing. Very little N scale track was brass but there was some N scale track made of steel [Model Power and maybe Bachmann]. Today all track [at least in the smaller scales] is NS. I think there is some O and G steel track still being made.

    Initially the switch to NS track seemed to have eliminated the need to clean track as the subject seemed to disappear. Lately however, it is back and the two popular culprits seem to be DCC and/or lower nickle content of track. My theory is that it is the latter due to wide fluctuatiuons in the price of nickle on the world markets. The price of nickle on the world market has seen wide swings in price from about $10,000 per long ton [2,200 lbs] to over $56,000 per long ton. It is now around $26,000 per long ton. That's about $11.82 per lb.

    Some people attribute the black residue they clean from the track as coming from plastic wheels and think a change to metal wheels will eliminate it. I think what they are seeing is the brass oxide from the track. Like I said, this is my theory and I could be all wrong.
     
  6. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    What about it being nickel oxide or whatever oxidizes from nickel oxide track? This would be electrically conductive as opposed to the oxidation from the brass track.

    I have thought this material was just detritus accumulating on the track. I certainly do not know this to be a fact.

    I don't know much about all this chemical stuff either, but gleaming, No-Ox or whatever has allowed me to run trains without cleaning my track before running each time. Right now I haven't cleaned my track for 10 months and it operates just fine. That was never the case when I used an abrasive cleaner.
     
  7. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    I do not think nickle oxide is black. Brass does change to a dark color.
     
  8. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    As with most things in this hobby the right answer is what you are comfortable working with.

    I break my cleaning tasks into preparation, treatment, and maintenance.
    Preparation
    • I Prepare my track using the "Gleam" method to polish the rails. This includes sanding the rails with sand paper or a block/sponge twice. The second time I use fine paper. Then I polish with Flitz followed by burnishing with a stainless steal washer. All this sanding, polishing, and burnishing will find those minor snags in your track work and give you a chance to smooth them out. I do not use the wax as my last step.
    Treatment
    • I then treat all the rail with "No-ox". I use my finger and I can hardly tell if anything is on my finger when applying. I do not allow it to ooze down the sides of the track so paint will still stick. This includes running "all" my non traction tire equipped locos on the freshly applied no-ox to treat them as well. I remove all plastic wheel sets to. I go back a day later and wipe off all the track and clean the loco wheels with alcohol. The no-ox penetrates the rails and does not ride on it so any excess is just that, excess. Wait a week before introducing any traction tires to the layout as any no-ox you may have missed will cause them to roll off the wheel. They go back to normal in time, at least mine did.
    Maintenance
    • Maintenance on my layout consists of vacuuming from time to time and wiping the rails with alcohol. The loco wheels need some attention here and there to. The black residue is conductive, but I have found that if it is allowed to sit for a long period of time I may have to wipe more rail. Usually I can run a consist of locos to break it up so to speak and all is fine from there on. The consist used does not need cleaning after this either which makes me think it returns to a liquid conductive form. Most of my rolling stock is equipped with metal wheel sets which seems to help, but I have only my experience to back that up.
    My Results
    I did the Preparation and Treatment steps 2 years ago. I have vacuumed as needed as there has been construction in the same room(garage), and I use alcohol to occasionally wipe the rail on seldom used areas like sidings and yard tracks. Much of the hesitations I have been experiencing are a result of the need for more feeder wires as solder joints have come undone over the years. I am not saying the layout is as smooth as silk but I sure do enjoy walking out into my garage and powering up the layout to run trains and away I go. In the past I had to spend 1/2 an hour to clean track before I run anything. I sold off all my track cleaning cars but I do wish I had kept my Centerline roller to allow the alcohol to be spread around easier rather than my finger.

    This is only my experience so value the info as you like.
     
  9. billmtx

    billmtx TrainBoard Member

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    Well said John.. Well said!


    Something that a lot of people don't know about "No-OX-ID" Is that this stuff has been around since 1908. The Navy used this to prevent rust and oxidation on Battle ships. They use this stuff when they mothball Battleships. One of the reasons why The Missouri, The New Jersey, and Wisconsin are still around.

    Bill :thumbs_up:
     
  10. Siskiyou

    Siskiyou In Memoriam

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    Thank you! Old steamers?

    Gents, thank you all for your comments on track cleaning, especially dealing with tarnish. Clearly, many have had opposite experiences using some cleaning tools and liquids, probably account all the variables involved. You offer a lot of technical info and excellent theories. Weak on genius, think I'll run trains, then grab my cleaning stuff if performance deteriorates.

    Has anyone 'invented' an easy way to clean the wheels of the older steamers (Atlas, Rivarossi) that use one-sided electrical pickup - tender picks up from one rail and loco pickup from the other? Cradling such a loco upside down while holding 2 wires in place - while holding Q-tips or such to drivers - depletes hands and becomes a 2-person job. There's gotta be an easier way!

    Thanks again.
    Scott
     
  11. Cajonpassfan

    Cajonpassfan TrainBoard Supporter

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    Scott, if only everything was this easy...:)
    Two alligator clips; one on the loco frame, the other on the tender pickup stud on the loco: look ma', no hands!
    Regards, Otto
     
  12. SleeperN06

    SleeperN06 TrainBoard Member

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    Ya! That’s what I need to do.:thumbs_up::plaugh:
     
  13. Siskiyou

    Siskiyou In Memoriam

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    Thanks, Otto - on my way to Radio Shack for alligator clips.

    Scott
     
  14. The Toolman

    The Toolman TrainBoard Member

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    Lotta good ideas here to try/use. I wanted to give my new setup a good cleaning, since a lot of the track was used an some new.
    I had super good luck just using a small piece of a note pad paper folded over an rubbing it along the track. I did this a coupla times until the black quit coming off

    Just take a small post-it note an fold it double (glue side in) an give it a try. You'll be surprised how much black will rub off on it
     
  15. seanm

    seanm TrainBoard Member

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    I want to reccomend against q-tips. The cotton fibers can really make a mess of things when they get wound around axles or valve gear. Best to use lint free paper wound around the end of a toothpick. I use coffee filters and they work very well.
     
  16. jhn_plsn

    jhn_plsn TrainBoard Supporter

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    A good option are a bunch of these make up applicators.
    [​IMG]

    Don't tell the three ladies in my house.:tb-embarrassed:
     
  17. sd90ns

    sd90ns TrainBoard Member

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    We clean our track to keep our wheels clean and clean our wheels to keep our track clean.

    It’s the Ouroboros of model railroading.

    For a whole host of reasons I haven’t been doing anything with my layout for quite some time. Now my interest is slowly returning and I am not looking forward, or backward, to cleaning my long neglected track.

    I can’t even use a track cleaning car on the mainline as I can’t get a locomotive to run sufficiently well to pull it.

    It’s looking grim folks.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 3, 2011
  18. seanm

    seanm TrainBoard Member

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    Clean the wheels on about 4 or 5 engines... prefferably 6 axle desiels.
    Clean a 3' section of track with a brightboy.
    Lash up all the engines and push a wet heavy track cleaner up front followed by some absorbant track cleaner after. Place them on the clean track and push away! This should get you running.
     
  19. The Toolman

    The Toolman TrainBoard Member

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    Get ya a little block of alum or hardwood an wrap a piece of wet or dry 2500 sandpaper around it an give the track a quick once over with it.

    2500 grit is almost like face powder, so your not gonna hurt the track, just take the oxidation or corrosion off of it
     
  20. webskipper

    webskipper TrainBoard Member

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    How a battery powered loco?

    Just connect a 9v battery to tender wires.

    Otherwise, do like I did. Run the cleaner car ahead of the loco and run it both ways until it stays running.
     

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