Cleaning Micro-Engineering "Weathered" Track

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I just realized I'm about to use some of this on a module and I haven't cleaned it yet.

Will my regular bright-boy clean it up enough, or do I need to get out some mineral spirits?

[jagged ben]

I just realized I'm about to use some of this on a module and I haven't cleaned it yet.

Will my regular bright-boy clean it up enough, or do I need to get out some mineral spirits?

Bright Boy will do it.

[peteski]

The track is chemically blackened (not painted or stained). Abrasive or mechanical cleaning (like bright boy or similar) is the only way to remove the blackening. Solvents will not affect it. But since abrasive cleaning will likely leave small particles of the blackening, metal, and/or the abrasive itself behind, it makes sense to clean the track using your favorite non-oily cleaning liquid.  If you like to protect the clean metal with somoe sort of oily film then after cleaning you can the coat it with your favorite rail protectant. 

[ednadolski]

Bright boy tends to scratch, and may leave other residues.  Suitable for 50+ y.o. brass rail, I suppose.

For the rail heads, start with #800 automotive sandpaper wrapped around a small wood block and work your way up to #2000.   That should keep the scratching to a minimum, tho if you have a lot of track it will take a lot of time (not to mention sandpaper). 

For a spot to solder feeder wire, and/or for the ends of the rail where a joiner will go, you can use a small wire wheel in a dremel.  Be sure to get the blackening off the bottom of the rail.

(Then, after using up the usual stable of four-letter words (and inventing a few new ones -- a true art, much like Ralphie's father), I decided never to buy weathered rail again.)

Ed N.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Bright boy tends to scratch, and may leave other residues.  Suitable for 50+ y.o. brass rail, I suppose.

For the rail heads, start with #800 automotive sandpaper wrapped around a small wood block and work your way up to #2000.   That should keep the scratching to a minimum, tho if you have a lot of track it will take a lot of time (not to mention sandpaper). 

For a spot to solder feeder wire, and/or for the ends of the rail where a joiner will go, you can use a small wire wheel in a dremel.  Be sure to get the blackening off the bottom of the rail.

(Then, after using up the usual stable of four-letter words (and inventing a few new ones -- a true art, much like Ralphie's father), I decided never to buy weathered rail again.)

Ed N.

I definitely use the wire wheel on the bottoms when soldering. I do the same thing on the ends where rail joiners go too.

Not gonna lie, I'm absolutely tempted to do it to the rail heads too... I won't, but I'm tempted.

And yeah, I ended up using the weathered track on this project specifically because I made the mistake of buying a pack of it 20 years ago and am trying to use it up.

[Point353]

I definitely use the wire wheel on the bottoms when soldering. I do the same thing on the ends where rail joiners go too.

Not gonna lie, I'm absolutely tempted to do it to the rail heads too... I won't, but I'm tempted.

If the wire wheel leaves a rough surface on the rail heads, dirt will accumulate in the tiny crevices and be difficult to clean.

And yeah, I ended up using the weathered track on this project specifically because I made the mistake of buying a pack of it 20 years ago and am trying to use it up.

Sell the weathered track at Altoona.

[robert3985]

Y'know, I've use a Peco "bright boy" style track cleaning pad since the mid 1980's on my Rail Craft/ME rails, and I've NEVER had a problem with it supposedly scratching the railhead and somehow making it less reliable, or attracting more grime than railheads cleaned with solvents of one sort or another.

I like the slightly flexible cleaning pad that I'm using, because it deforms slightly and polishes the corners of the railheads, the inside ones being where engines normally have the greatest wheel contact.

And, I run my Masonite Track Cleaning cars all the time on my mainlines too...smooth side down...and clean my rails only maybe once every month...maybe.

When I paint my track, I spray-bomb it with Krylon Ultra Flat Camo paint, then remove the paint on the railheads with a rag dampened with paint thinner...then I buff the railheads with my trusty Peco track cleaning pad...and over the years, I've never found this procedure to produce any problems whatsoever.

Just sayin'....

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[delamaize]

I used a bright boy on the railheads, and a tiny wire brush in a dremel on the web and bottom where I was soldering. worked well

[Doc Frankenfield]

I agree, start with 800 grit and you really only need to clean the top and upper flange area..
following with 4000grit will minimize gouging and keep rails conductive.
 

The track is chemically blackened (not painted or stained). Abrasive or mechanical cleaning (like bright boy or similar) is the only way to remove the blackening. Solvents will not affect it. But since abrasive cleaning will likely leave small particles of the blackening, metal, and/or the abrasive itself behind, it makes sense to clean the track using your favorite non-oily cleaning liquid.  If you like to protect the clean metal with some sort of oily film then after cleaning you can the coat it with your favorite rail protectant. 

[brill27mcb]

I have always used the more flexible, less coarse Life-Like track eraser instead of the Walthers Bright Boy. You can feel the difference between the two with your fingers.

Rich K.

[peteski]

Unless someone performs some scientific testing and presents concrete test results stating that"scratched" railhead due to using abrasive rubber cleaners (like Brite Boy or similar) degrades the electrical pickup quality more than the cleaning methods using finer abrasives or even the "gleam" method), I will use whatever method is easier for me.

This is one of those subjects where we have multiple views on the same subjects but without any concrete of one method being better than the other. I don't care if I see electron microscope images of the scratches. I want to see measurable proof that those scratches negatively affect electrical pickup.  Show me the proof!

This is sort of a thing like some members of the Mazda Miata Owner's club using Baby Shampoo to wash their cars, because the cleaners specifically designed  for washing cars are too harsh on the paint.   

[Chris333]

lol I used to wash my car with Dawn dish soap thinking it would wash any oil or grease away. Then I read how it completely removes any wax or protectants from the paint. I now use soap with the correct PH balance for cars.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I used my cratex pad. It worked great.

No complaints.

[robert3985]

Unless someone performs some scientific testing and presents concrete test results stating that"scratched" railhead due to using abrasive rubber cleaners (like Brite Boy or similar) makes degrades the electrical pickup quality more than the cleaning methods using finer abrasives or even the "gleam" method), I will use whatever method is easier for me.

This is one of those subjects where we have multiple views on the same subjects but without any concrete of one method being better than the other. I don't care if I see electron microscope images of the scratches. I want to see measurable proof that those scratches negatively affect electrical pickup.  Show me the proof!

This is sort of a thing like some members of the Mazda Miata Owner's club using Baby Shampoo to wash their cars, because the cleaners specifically designed  for washing cars are too harsh on the paint.   

Yeah! What he^ said!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[ednadolski]

Show me the proof!