The layout i'm working on right now was my dads and mine from almost 20 years ago, its a 8x12 layout with 2 main loops. When I got it I bought a brite boy and cleaned the track. I've had the layout now for just over a month and it seems I have to clean this thing almost 2 times a week or the locomotives start to hiccup and sometimes even stop on the track. I've been out of the hobby for a while so i'm not sure if this is how things are now but when I was a kid and had this layout at my parents house I don't remember cleaning it that often. Incase it matters i'm running the locos with DCC with a digitrax zephyr and at the moement I only have 2 locomotives running. My rolling stock is all old stuff from the 80's & 90's and I have about 20 total on the track, 10 on each train. Just looking for some suggestions on the best way to keep the track clean, or not have to clean it as much if thats possible.
Did you clean the wheels too? I guess they have collected dirt and distribute it now over your new cleaned track. Wolfgang
I have not cleaned the wheels, they don't seem to have any grime on them at all. My issue is with my loco's getting the wheels out is not easy, there are no screws on the bottom so i would have to go about it from the inside.
JE78, Leave the loco wheels on to clean them. Using the liquid cleaner of your choice, and there are many different opinions on what is the best choice, dampen a paper towel enough for the moistened part to lay across both rails. Place a loco on the track just behind the paper towel and slowly run it onto the paper towel. When it stops, physically move it back until the wheels start turning again. If all goes right, one set of wheels will be on the wet part and one set will be making contact with the rails. Hold on to the loco enough to keep it from advancing and turn up the speed control. The back wheels should be spinning, but still in contact with the rails. The front set will be spinning on the cleaning fluid dampened paper towel. This will clean the set of wheels. Repeat for the other set of wheels. For the rolling stock, removing the wheelsets from the trucks and manually cleaning them works for me. If the wheels are plastic, as your time and budget allows, you could consider replacing them with metal wheelsets. They attract and retain less dirt, grime, gunk, and stuff. Plus they make that nice clickety-clack sound and add a bit of weight to the cars. As far as cleaning fluid of choice, I like Isoprophyl (rubbing) Alcohol. Searching the boards, you will find many other opinions. I'm in the testing stages of CRC 2-26. Good luck and have fun!
Unfortunately, I think you should resign yourself to the requirement to suspect a number of things, and to try to eliminate each of them one-by-one. Even very slight disparities in metallurgy in two or more metals that are in contact with each other will result in some ion exchange, and that means oxidation. You may have faulty/intermittent contact at the joiners due to weak mechanical contact and also due to corrosion or dirt. There is a cure, a by-pass of sorts, but it means soldering a 22 gauge wire feeder to each of the rail elements. We have covered dirty wheels and track surfaces, but how about linkages and wipers, and power-routing via points rails? That may yet be a problem to discover...who knows? Also, wipers on axles or at the backs of metal wheels can be dislodged, bent, corroded, worn through.... Solders can let go inside locomotives.
I treated all my track with No-Ox ID. I haven't cleaned it in over a year, just a vacuum now and then. I haven't had a problem since then. Having to clean the track every time I used it almost drove me out of the hobby. This is some great stuff. You can get it from Bar Mills now, I think. I have PLENTY. Let me know and I'll send you some.
you can also use a SMALL amount of gun cleaner (available at your sporting goods store). My club out here and the San Diego Model Railroad museum use this to clean both engine wheels and track. Just remember that a little goes a LONG ways. I usually apply some to a cloth and go over the tracks before every show (only to keep out flukes, you should only have to clean it once a year on a personal layout.) and we haven't had any issues. This in combination with metal wheels keeps the layout spotless. WARNING, too much gun cleaner will dissolve the rails, do not let it pool on the tracks or engines.
Velcro & magnet Take a dummy engine like a Athearn PA glue Velcro pad on bottom of fuel tank. Place a good size magnet inside on top of fuel tank. Have a power engine push non power engine around track cleaning and picking any metal objects along the way. Wipe off with alcohol. Thats what I did for cleaning.
