Track cleaning car recommendations

[peteski]

That's interesting Pete.  I did not know that.  So the only way to know if the tracks are "clean" is to run some trains and see if they stutter or the lights flicker?

Good questions.  Even plain paper, certain paper towels or even some cloths are slightly abrasive - if you rub it on a clean piece of track you might see a dark streak.  If you use soft cotton cloth and rub it along the track that would be a good indicator of the cleanliness.   A flicker-free lights in your cars is also a good indicator.

But remember: clean track is only 50% of the equation!

Clean wheels are just as important as clean track (and are often neglected).   But if your model's wheels and the track are clean then the lights will stop to flicker.  Well, I'll go one aa bit deeper: all the contact surfaces between the source of power and the light bulb/LED are important. The wheel wipers or axle-point bearing, and the metal pickup strips in the model's under-body also need to be clean and free of oxidation for good contact. But thankfully those don't need to be serviced often.

[muktown128]

I have used a Bright boy in the past, but I don't like how abrasive it is.
I have a centerline car now that works OK.
I also use handi-wipes and goo gone sometimes.
I've thought about making a car with a Masonite block
I liked Otto's fishbelly gondola suggestion and may try this with the Masonite block.

Scott

[peteski]

The Masonite pad cleaning car idea goes way back to the early electric model trains, but from my perspective it doesn't seem like a really good idea.  Just because it has been used for many decades it doesn't mean that there isn't something better now.

Why?  Masonite doesn't seem to be very absorbent. So how much grime can it absorb as it rubs against the track.  It seems to me that in no time  the grime will just sit on the surface and will get redistributed over the track.  Question for people using Masonite cleaning pads: how often do you either clean or change the pad?

Before someone asks, no I have never owned this type of a cleaning car and I'm not planning on it.  My analysis of how I think it works is enough for me not to want to use it.

[Cajonpassfan]

The Masonite pad cleaning car idea goes way back to the early electric model trains, but from my perspective it doesn't seem like a really good idea....
Question for people using Masonite cleaning pads: how often do you either clean or change the pad.

Umm, when it gets dirty?
I happen to have a large layout, and it truly works, theoretical analysis nothwithstanding. Not by itself, but in concert with a vacuum car and an ocassional googone and alcohol rub here and there....
Otto K.

[Ron McF]

Masonite doesn't seem to be very absorbent. So how much grime can it absorb as it rubs against the track.  It seems to me that in no time  the grime will just sit on the surface and will get redistributed over the track.  Question for people using Masonite cleaning pads: how often do you either clean or change the pad?

I clean my sliders almost every time I use them, along with the wheels of the locos that drag the cleaning train.  The masonite pads do indeed pick up bits of dirt from the rails, and that slowly builds up. On rare occasions, so much gunk has built up that the locos can't haul the train and it stalled. 

Also, because they're not very absorbent, they're not good at removing that oily black film. Once the train has done its work, if I'm not happy with the rails I wipe them over with the cloth and lighter fluid.

The cloth and lighter fluid do a better job than the cleaning train, but the train can get into places that I can't easily reach with the cloth (my hidden staging tracks and continuous run connection, for example).

While I'm on this subject, I also keep a toothbrush on hand to whisk away any dirt/dust that gets between the point and stock rails on my Peco C55 turnouts.

Refer here: https://gulflines.blogspot.com.au/p/track-and-wheel-cleaning.html

[Santa Fe Guy]

Construction on my SFRSD started in 1994 using ME code 55. I used the Masonite car, a Roco track cleaning car and lighter fluid on very fine lint free cloth exclusively. Once the layout was up and running I used to run an ops session once a month for 10 months of the year for almost 20 years and had very little issues using these. My layout was almost complete when we sold our house last April 2016 and the layout was dismantled and sold. I would not consider using anything else to clean my track when I get to build another layout.
Rod.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Thinking about it, it's times like this I wish we had an n scale Sperry car. It'd be perfect to have a cleaning pad attached to it. I like the idea of MOW equipment for this type of thing, since it justifies the special "odd" moves.

In fact, my dad made a really cool PRR rail grinding car to ride atop his Roco pad car years ago. I'll get a pic from him.

[mmagliaro]

This thread is the reason I can't wait for battery technology to get so good that we can stop using track power altogether.
Track cleaning, to me, is the single biggest impediment to me enjoying my trains.  We've got the motor problem solved.
I have never had much interest in putting decoders in my engines, even though I think DCC is a terrific technology.
But if they get to the point of having a wireless DCC decoder + battery that can fit in tiny spaces, I'd be on it like a dog on a bone.
And Ed, I apologize in advance for the obvious thread drift!

[MK]

This thread is the reason I can't wait for battery technology to get so good that we can stop using track power altogether.
Track cleaning, to me, is the single biggest impediment to me enjoying my trains.  We've got the motor problem solved.
I have never had much interest in putting decoders in my engines, even though I think DCC is a terrific technology.
But if they get to the point of having a wireless DCC decoder + battery that can fit in tiny spaces, I'd be on it like a dog on a bone.
And Ed, I apologize in advance for the obvious thread drift!

How much current does a N scale loco typically draw?  Current lipo battery technology can probably pack about 1000 mAh in the size of a boxcar.

[Rich_S]

Ed, If it's been awhile since I've run the layout, I use a Cratex block (Walthers Part Number 949-522)

Otherwise I run my track cleaning train with a modified Centerline Model #2 car and a Model #D12 car with the handy wipe wrapped roller.



The Model #2 car has a piece of bright boy that fits loosely in the car and just relines on it's own weight for cleaning.
If you want to add a little extra weight to the bright boy, just set the supplied roller on top of the bright boy.

I've found if you ask 10 people the best method for track cleaning, you'll get at least 10 different answers   

[DeltaBravo]

Ed I use three different cars. The old fashioned Aztec roller car, a motorised pad under a box car, and the floating pad under a box car. All work and the three combined do a good job of keeping the track clean. I also use a brightboy and a cotton cloth with alcohol on it.

[mmagliaro]

How much current does a N scale loco typically draw?  Current lipo battery technology can probably pack about 1000 mAh in the size of a boxcar.

My coreless/gearhead-powered engines usually peak out around 50-60 mA, perhaps 100mA on the bigger engines with a lot of cars.  Commercial engines could draw up to about 200mA (I'm not counting stuff going back to the 1990s and earlier that could peak out near 300 mA).
I think a whole boxcar full of battery is just too much.  That's what I mean.  It needs to get down to the size of a decoder.  The battery, motor controller, and some sort of wireless receiver all have to fit in the space that a decoder takes up now.  Tall order.

[MK]

That would be a tall order to fit everything, battery included, into the space of a current decoder.  I doubt we will see that technology in our lifetime. 

But the boxcar battery idea may work as an "interim".  Weight is not an issue as these lipos are fairly light.  I fly R/C airplanes and helicopters also (my wife says I have too many hobbies!) and they are all lipo battery powered.

[Point353]

In this thread from 2010 [ https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=21852.0 ], there was no response to the question inquiring if anyone had tried the Micro-Trains track cleaning car with the motorized cleaning head.
Since then, has anyone given it the proverbial whirl and, if so, how did it do?

[DeltaBravo]

In this thread from 2010 [ https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=21852.0 ], there was no response to the question inquiring if anyone had tried the Micro-Trains track cleaning car with the motorized cleaning head.
Since then, has anyone given it the proverbial whirl and, if so, how did it do?

I have had for years and it worked great. Just the other day though it stopped working. I haven't had time to trouble shoot yet.