The B&O Delaware Avenue Branch

[peteski]

Alcohol moistened fabric will do a good job cleaning any oils from the rais, but in my experience it is not abrasive enough to expose bare metal.  Regardless of the old-modeler's tales , the nickel-silver oxidation is not conductive, and needs to be cleaned off for reliable electrical contact.

As far as Brite-Boys go, while I used them, I never really liked how coarse the abrasive was.  Several years ago, and a Springfield show, I found much better alternative: Klingspor Sandflex, 240 Grit (Fine)  abrasive block.  The abrasive is much finer than Brite-Boy, and the block is made from softer material.  It cleans the rails really well, and and when grooves eventually develop, I  can slice off the worn surface, making it like new again. I also rotate the block while cleaning to minimize grooving. Since it can be cut fairly easily, it can be used to make custom track cleaning tools.

https://www.klingspor.com/Sandflex-240-Grit-Fine-3x2x3-4-with-Sleeve-53618

[Cajonpassfan]

Alcohol moistened fabric will do a good job cleaning any oils from the rais, but in my experience it is not abrasive enough to expose bare metal.  Regardless of the old-modeler's tales , the nickel-silver oxidation is not conductive, and needs to be cleaned off for reliable electrical contact.
...

No argument there, that's why I use the Cratex abrasive. But in my experience, abrasives leave a residue that needs to be wiped off, and a piece of white cotton fabric soaked in IPA does a great job of that. A proof of its effectiveness is the black residue on the fabric. I rub it until there's zero residue transferred to the cloth. I would think running small switch engines on Bob's buried street trackage would require absolutely clean track.

I went ahead and ordered the sanding block from Amazon Prime today, it's certainly much cheaper than the Cratex, to try it out. Thanks for the suggestion @peteski. Another inexpensive cleaning tool we use is the high density purple/pink foam in 1" thickness that we cut into small blocks of varying sizes on a band saw for specific cleaning jobs (between platforms, on through bridges, etc.). These blocks seem to combine mild abrasive action with an ability to wipe the residue as well, and when dirty, get thrown out. Yea, BriteBoys are so 20th Century
Otto

[peteski]

No argument there, that's why I use the Cratex abrasive. But in my experience, abrasives leave a residue that needs to be wiped off, and a piece of white cotton fabric soaked in IPA does a great job of that. A proof of its effectiveness is the black residue on the fabric. I rub it until there's zero residue transferred to the cloth. I would think running small switch engines on Bob's buried street trackage would require absolutely clean track.

Yes, the abrasive track  cleaning leaves abrasive particles behind, One could try vacuuming it up, but usually it can just be left behind.  As for the dark residue left on very gently abrasive surface (like a paper towel or piece of white cloth), I suspect it is not dirt but nickel sliver particles.  You can clean track multiple times, and when you run a clean piece of paper or cloth over that perfectly cleaned track, you will see some dark residue.  I don't have capability for chemical analysis, but I do tink it is just particles of clean nickel silver.

Best way to clean track is using multiple methods.  Friend of mine regularly runs a track cleaning train.  it consists of a Cratex roller car, then (Centerline?) wet cleaning car filled with alcohol, then a dry roller car (Aztec?).

[dem34]

I have a lot of success essentially abandoning the use of Abrasives beyond a piece of MDF after track painting and ballasting, and exclusively using a Mineral Spirits/IPA soaked rag for quick cleans or a CMX car for full layouts.

[Lemosteam]

Many of you will laugh, but I have shared so many times now that for an open style, smaller layout like mine or boB's, the Woodland Scenics track cleaning system is really great. There are four levels of cleaning.

1: An initial semi-abrasive gray pad with 9mm grooves to stay on the open rails and can be flipped over to provide a flat surface for turnout areas with the same cleaning as the grooved side (which would work well over the street running).  This pad is not like an eraser, it does not leave any granules behind. The grooves of the pad do not allow the pad to contact the ties, and if it did affect the paint on the ties, I would simply flip it over which is a little harder to control.  When flipped, it cleans all parts of the switch, including the points. 

2: The next, less abrasive light gray pad works the same as above.

3: The next fibrous pad (flat on both sides) accepts their cleaning fluid to wipe off any residue from the previous pads and pre-cleans for the final pad.

4: The final fibrous pad (no fluid) cleans of any remaining fluid and dirt.

I will say that the rails are bright as can be when I am done 

The pivoting handle (can be used without) is quite adept at following curves and allowing reasonable (I try not to deflect bridges, etc.) pressure to the pads without the giant human hand (and mine are huge) running into stuff. Tt also clears my switch controls and signage along the row.

I can also clean fully up to the end of a siding without hand cleaning, even if there is a bumper.

I have not seen any excessive rail or point wear from this system and its no fuss/pour/wipe setup with it own storage tray.

Unless you have full hand access, it does not work well for tunnel areas though, so I would not recommend it for layouts with those or helices, etc., but it can reach to the center of a truss bridge from both ends well with the handle, so long as you can reach.  This is where a cleaning train works well.

The system prevents the need for a cleaning train, which only really works on full circuit layouts anyway, because a cleaning train would obviously fall off a terminated track layout like mine or this one. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

John, I'm with you. I really like the WS cleaner on a stick. I have a cratex and white (whatever that is) pad on it, and I'm very happy.

[TrainCat2]

Chuck is not the only one doing structure placement. I printed out a collage of the plan and taped them together so I could place it on the layout. I knew the actual turnouts were going to be different from from CadRail, but I was surprised by how much. I have one more switch to add at the module end and it will be tight. There are several things that I will need to revisit such as the width and placement of the platforms in the Perishable Produce Terminal. I will need to decide if they should be made as (A) height of the car floor where people offload using carts and hand trucks or (B) the height where the bed of a truck is the same as the car floor.



I began taping kits together to see how they will fit in the design. The Walthers Red Wing is not wide enough for the B&O Cold Storage so I will have to bash it as a double width. The double length Walthers Allied Rail looks good for the equipment mfg. I am going to add one of my overhead cranes to this scene.



A change in direction, literally, on Kenilworth Ave. I am placing a street here at 45deg and adding several new buildings. I got a Lunde Studios Bates Hotel and what a beautiful kit! This will be bashed to double the height.



On the corner, I will add a CMR Gas & Electric triangle bldg modified to a lower height. Behind that, a CMR Fidelity & Guaranty bldg. Both of these will be built with the designed footprint. Now for flats, behind the Fidelity, I will make the CMR Greene St bldg into 4 flats since the rear facing back & side are different that the front facing side & front. Behind Bates Hotel and Merchants Warehouse will be a CMR Merchants Bank & Trust. This will also be parsed into 4 various height flats. here are images of the kits as described L to R. Now all I have to do is get SOMEONE at CMR to answer the phone or email so I can place an order. Been trying since last Friday.

[TrainCat2]

The possible future of the Delaware Ave Ports/Piers in Philly. Yuch!

[conrail98]

Not sure what you find "Yuch" about it. As a Philadelphia-area resident that has seen capacity expanded in Charleston, Norfolk, Port of NY, and what Baltimore is trying to do, this is 100% needed for our area to keep it competitive with other East Coast ports,

Phil

[ridinshotgun]

Not sure what you find "Yuch" about it. As a Philadelphia-area resident that has seen capacity expanded in Charleston, Norfolk, Port of NY, and what Baltimore is trying to do, this is 100% needed for our area to keep it competitive with other East Coast ports,

Phil

Yeah I have to agree.  Very little has been done at the port to modernize from the old berths that fit ships designed in WW2 or earlier.  Lots of ships can't use the berths as is due to size.  It will be good to expand Packer too.  It was over flowing 20 plus years ago when I started working on the waterfront and it hasn't grown at all.

[TrainCat2]

Not sure what you find "Yuch" about it. As a Philadelphia-area resident that has seen capacity expanded in Charleston, Norfolk, Port of NY, and what Baltimore is trying to do, this is 100% needed for our area to keep it competitive with other East Coast ports,

Phil

Yuch may have been harsh. I am saddened about the lost of so much history as the Docks & Rails had such a dependent nature for over 150 years. Yeah, time marches on while so much has already been lost with more to come.

[John]

The possible future of the Delaware Ave Ports/Piers in Philly. Yuch!

Impressive -- now we just need to have someone build those cranes here in the US .. if we only had a place that used to build steel stuff like that nearby ...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Impressive -- now we just need to have someone build those cranes here in the US .. if we only had a place that used to build steel stuff like that nearby ...

You won't include Tradepoint Rail as the east end of your layout...

[John]

You won't include Tradepoint Rail as the east end of your layout...

I was thinking about Philly Navy Yard

[TrainCat2]

Module #4 (3ft x 5ft) is the "south" end and I am open to the Navel Yards if I can get a good plan together. I have enough ships on the layout, but I could fit a Bobtail Cruiser in there since I have the 1/160 kit.