Cleaning Track Inside A Bridge

[BCR751]

I have the through-truss bridge shown below.  I have painted the track inside the bridge, with the exception of the surface of the main rails.  This track, along with the rest of the layout is going to require cleaning at some point.  I'm afraid if I use my track cleaning car that dispenses alcohol on a pad, it's going to remove the paint from the guard rails.  Anyone have suggestions on how to clean the main rails of the bridge track without ruining the guard rail paint job?

Doug

[Spades]

Bright boy attached to a dowel or stick.

[peteski]

Personally I think that sacrificing the realism of the guardrails is something you will have to live with, but you can try to preserve their weathering for as long as you can.

If the abrasive block on a stick does not appeal to you (I've seen it used on many layouts) then you could a track cleaning car which has a abrasive Cratex rubber roller. I don't recall who makes it but my friend has coupe of them.  They very gently clean the track (they do not develop a groove where they contact the track).  Another possibility is a cleaning car with a flat pad (either abrasive or just Masonite).  But with those you will have to replace them when they start developing a groove at the track location.  That actually holds true with the abrasive block on a stick as it will eventually develop grooves.

[John]

I build my bridges so that I can take the "top" off and clean the tracks ..

[peteski]

I build my bridges so that I can take the "top" off and clean the tracks ..

Seems that the concern is with accidentally cleaning off the guard rail's weathering(which should have rusty top surface).  I don't think that the fact whether the bridge is accessible or not from the top makes much difference.  The way I see it, special cleaning methods would have to be utilized even on a deck girder bridge.

[wazzou]

I build my bridges so that I can take the "top" off and clean the tracks ..

This. 
I have friends that do this same thing. 
I have several Central Valley bridges that will be converted to pin connected versions and have struggled with how I'm going to accomplish some sort of removal.

[wazzou]

Seems that the concern is with accidentally cleaning off the guard rail's weathering(which should have rusty top surface).  I don't think that the fact whether the bridge is accessible or not from the top makes much difference.  The way I see it, special cleaning methods would have to be utilized even on a deck girder bridge.

The guardrail should be Code 40 Rail if you're using Code 55 for track.

[John]

This. 
I have friends that do this same thing. 
I have several Central Valley bridges that will be converted to pin connected versions and have struggled with how I'm going to accomplish some sort of removal.

It's really easy to do it with the Kato bridges ..  I haven't tried the atlas or CV ones yet

[davefoxx]

The guardrail should be Code 40 Rail if you're using Code 55 for track.

Bingo!  This would eliminate the problem.  Unfortunately, it doesn't help for preserving the weathering of frogs in turnouts, though.

DFF

[peteski]

The guardrail should be Code 40 Rail if you're using Code 55 for track.

I guess I'm simply looking ahead.   
If some sort of cleaning block is used repeatedly, grooves will wear out  in the areas where it rubs the rails (speaking from experience).  If the grooves get deep enough then the the abrasive block's area between the rails will be below track level (and eventually will start abrading the tops of the smaller code guard rails.

[wazzou]

If that happens, then you're doing it wrong. 

[peteski]

If that happens, then you're doing it wrong. 

I guess you haven't been in this hobby long enough to wear grooves in a BrighBoy.    I frequent several N scale layouts (and an NTRAK club) where multiple BrightBoys have grooves or depressions worn in them.

[Paradise275]

Does anyone use the Atlas track cleaning car with the spinning abrasive pad for areas like this? I have a decoder installed in mine so I can regulate the speed it spins at.

Rick

[BCR751]

I neglected to mention this is an N-Scale bridge so getting inside is going be tough no matter what manual method is used.  And, I didn't think to use Code 40 rail for the guard rails either .  I guess I'll just use the track cleaning car and try to figure out a way to replace the rusted rail tops if the paint does wear off.

Doug

[peteski]

My friend used Micro Engineering's code 55 bridge track. IIRC, it comes with code 40 guardrails.  But if your guardrails are the same height as the track then there is no good way to leave them untouched while cleaning the track.  Not unless you get really fancy and come up with a cleaner on a stick which will have small cleaning pads over the tracks and some sort fo flanges to prevent the cleaning pads from touching the guardrails.  I think it is doable.