Cleaning model railroad tracks - Do's and Don'ts
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- This is a video on best practices when it comes to cleaning your model railway track. We cover the objectives, the theory , the reasons behind the recommendations , and most importantly , what NOT to use on your track . These are the techniques i have used for the past 4-5 years, and have proven to be extremely successful .
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0:00 - Introduction
01:25 - Objective
02:25 - Why Dirt adheres to track
03:42 - What abrasive materials NOT to use on track ( Don'ts)
06:13 - What Chemicals NOT to use on Track ( Don'ts)
09:13 - What are the best products for your Track (DO's)
15:32 - Summary - Навчання та стиль
Thanks Anthony for helping me spread the word against track rubbers and IPA. You have explained it in a much calmer tone than me..LOL.
Keep up the good work sir.
Cheers Gregg.
Hey Gregg .. Thrilled to connect with you .. Your video on Track cleaning is pretty much the industry standard now .. lol .. In fact , When I saw your video , the thought that went though my head was " Finally , here is someone who really gets it ,and who knows what he is talking about " ..
And it was your video that inspired me to do a video myself and share my experiences , which was very much inline with yours , hoping that it will support the cause Lol .. I hope you didn't mind me referring to you and your video in my video .
Glad to connect with someone who is pretty much on the other side of world with the same interest ... ( I'm in Canada , and you I believe are in Australia ? Correct)
Regards, or should I say "Cheers Mate" - Anthony .
@@anthonyshobbycorner Hi Anthony , yes I'm in Australia and tanks for giving my video a shout out! One of my viewers found that the US cable and fibre assoc' states that IPA is not suitable for cleaning electrical or glass fibres! It does leave a residue and due to it's Hygroscopic nature, will quickly soak up to 40% of it's weight in water....even in a closed container?? In humid climates like mine, Inox or similar , leaves a thin film that does help with oxidation and helps remove dirt from wheels and onto the rails , which is removed when wiping the rails. I have a follow up video on that coming up soon.
Once again thanks for the video and great to catch up.
Cheers, Gregg
This was the best video on track cleaning I have seen. I ordered the electronic cleaner to try it myself.
Hi Craig , I very much appreciate your kind words .... I continue to use the Electronic cleaner for cleaning tracks and continue to be satisfied with the results .. I even use it on my home made Track cleaning car ... Happy track cleaning .. lol .
I would love to see some pics of your layout etc .. Send me some pics if you get a chance , anthonyshobbycorner@gmail.com ... Regards, Anthony .
I have been using a drop of methylated spirits on a cloth very carefully which has been successful for me for around the last 50 years with no problems at all.
Methylated Spirits should work well, since it is alcohol based (+ Additives , not water ) . The key word is "using it very carefully", as it is not foam and paint friendly , and perhaps not the best option for someone with shakey hands .. lol .. I personally have not used it . I'm glad you are able to share your positive experience with it. As long as it can remove dirt / debris, and also not impede connectivity .. it would be another good candidate for track cleaning ... Thanks for sharing ..
Regards, - Anthony .
@@anthonyshobbycorner No problem. Thanks John
Thanks for sharing, very helpful, J
Great vid, thank you.
Thanks for sharing this information 👍
You are most welcome .. Happy model railroading .. and stay safe .. - Regards, - Anthony -
99% IPA is readily available commercially, but the warnings you've mentioned still apply. It is also a paint remover/stripper, and if you're not careful you can damage paint.
And Electrical Contact Cleaner in a pressure pack can with a straw applicator is great for blasting grot out of motors and loco trucks without completely dismantling them.
hi , Definitely agree with your comments . The only cautions that I would state with regards to using Electrical contact cleaner directly on a model train motor housing etc , is that you have to ensure you are using plastic safe electrical contact cleaner and you have to first test it to make sure it will not melt or disfigure any plastic in the motor housing that it comes in contact with . Other than that , I use it on a cotton bud to clean the communtator etc , and it is awersome .. works really well .
I'll try your CRC. But I've watched a lot of these track cleaning videos, and the consensus is that solid cleaners scratch the track and liquid cleaners act as a lubricant which reduced traction, so I've been using a dry lint-free microfiber cloth.
I have never tried track cleaning, but, I have used similar cleaning of contacts to my Radio equpment where I use a pencil erasure to clean contacts on my batteries, on my VHF and HF parts
Nice one Anthony, clear and concise, lost my track rubber two months ago, been using 99.9% alcohol lately. But the electrical contact cleaner is a great idea. Will be using that now. Its easy to get, reasonably priced considering how much locos cost, seems a no-brainer. Thanks for upload and all the best. Brian @The Angels
Hey Brian Appreciate the comments. As you outlined, if you are using 99.9% Alcohol , I would stick with that, as that is one of the best options , as it is extremely safe with all modeling materials, and also does a darn good job in cleaning your track , leaving zero residue ( because it is almost pure alcohol ) . From a practical standpoint , I found that Electrical contact cleaner is perhaps the next best option ( from an availability and cost standpoint ) which can pretty much achieve the same results as 100% alcohol . However, there are some caveats in using electrical contact cleaner and some of the modeling materials such as foam.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your comments ... Truly appreciate it ... Take care Brian ...
- Anthony -
@@anthonyshobbycorner Alcohol and CRC QD are great solvents but they're polar and will contribute to oxidation. CRC Contact Cleaner and Protectant as well as mineral spirits are non polar and are much better options. Research it if you doubt me.
Hello, Anthony. Very useful and explanatory video, I used rubber and IPA by far, I would change that due to your great explanations. Cheers and best regards from Romania! / Chris
I use CRC contact cleaner and protectant. Used alcohol for years not knowing that it was not helping, just had clean looking track. I would recommend cleaning the engine wheels as well from time to time.
Hi Scott, thank you for your comments . I totally agree with you .. Contact cleaner is my stable "go to" cleaner for track, locomotive wheels , locomotive pickup contacts .. you name it .. It works so well ..... I'm glad you have been using Contact cleaner as well .. Again, as long as we use the plastic safe stuff , we are good to go ... Thanks again for your comments , I have subscribed to your channel .. I hope you start publishing some vids of your own ... - Regards, Anthony ..
Thanks. I model N scale. I been using a belt sander with 60 grit. That takes everything off the track. LOL. Seriously I been using alcohol and a paper towel. I will give the contact cleaner a shot as I have plenty of it.
Oh man .. I love the sense of humor .. 60 Grit ... LOL ...
I used to use 91% alcohol and thinking it was better than 70%. After several years, I was using Rail Zip a pink petroleum that I bought in a model train store. Last week, I just picked up a can of CRC quick dry at lowes and getting ready to try it.
Awesome .. Thanks for sharing .. Now I am very curious about this "rail Zip" pink petroleum .. I would love to try it out .. I will check our local hobby store for it .
Thanks Jerry - Regards, - Anthony .
@@anthonyshobbycorner Save the corks off your wine bottles. They are all natural and clean tracks very well. You can also save the scraps off your track roadbed cork to clean the track.
Thank you Sir I am going to test similar products to these two it should only be positive and improve things! Can you please do a follow up video to last year's video? I am running HOm scale so I have to convert my CMX cleaning wagon I am having difficulties doing so, I am in the process of figuring out things for the wagon
havent watched the whole vid yet but heres a new one ive heard of and i know it helps, buy a stainless steel washer and burnish your track rails must be stainless tho, on nickle silver rail, i refuse to use grass rail, in the 90s i had ho scale and a mix of brass and nickle silver, lol
Hi thank you for the comment . I have heard of this technique as well , on burnishing the track with a smooth stronger metal . I believe the purpose for this is to further smoothing (polish) the track so that there an even less chance of dirt adhering to smooth track . The theory makes sense , Just that I have not used that technique myself , hence I did not talk about it . I typically like to recommend what I have personally done myself. IF you have used this technique, please share your opinion .. im very curious to find out the outcomes and benefit ... Thanks again - Anthony -
@@anthonyshobbycorner i just got a stainless washer at ace this weekend, i dont get out much these days, highly at risk after chemo, but i beat it for now
@@wykedinsanity Oh wow .. That's amazing to hear that you have beaten it . Where do you live? I'm in Newmarket , Ontario , Canada. When you mentioned "Ace" , I know that in Ontario , there are quite a few Ace Hardware stores ... so wondering if you are relatively nearby .. ? let me know your experience with the Stainless steel washer . I have always used liquid cleaners on my track (non abrasive) , so i doubt I have many scratches to remove via the burnishing process . However, I am always open to anything that would improve the model railroading experience .. so please let me know what your thoughts are about the technique. .. Regards, - Anthony -
Yes, we have remember, is tracks are an electrical circuit.....I would add that polishing the rails after cleaning with a plated washer ( with the power off!) will remove and scratches from the rail...
Great tip! Dwight ...
... apply thin layer of automatic transmission fluid on my track, locos running fine. Have not cleaned my track for more than a year now. Not used with locos with rubber traction tires
Very interesting .. I've never tried ATF .. I do have loco's with Traction tires , but you got me curious ...
So you don't have any dirt build up at all on your track ? .
@@anthonyshobbycorner No liquid applied to the rails will prevent dust settling on them, and products like ATF will mix with that dust to produce a residue that will build up on rolling stock wheels, and eventually have to be cleaned off.
Hi Anthony, I have been using WD40 after watching the fish-plate video. Now I have ordered 2 types of contact cleaners online. will test it and see how they perform.
Darshan@BattiMR
Hi Darshan , Thanks for the subscription to this channel and your comments as well . I also liked Fishplates video and I do reference him on video as well . What I like about contact clearner ( And since you are into electronics, you will appreciate this ) is that Contact cleaners don't leave any residual film ( and that is by design) . So it ends up leaving your track very clean and dry , and there is no residue to oxidize . There is another school of thought , which is to use something like INOX , which leaves a protective film on the track. I'm not a fan of that , as that film will deteriorate as you run your trains , and will adhere to your traction rubber wheels and rolling stock, adding more gunk to your wheels . and you have to re apply INOX all over again ... prefer the clean , no residue method . When you look for Contact cleaner , look for ones that are plastic safe, and please test it on a spare piece of track . ALso contact cleaners, if sprayed on Rigifoam ( or any kind of foam ) it will destroy it . so keep that in mind as well .
BTW: I saw your article in the "Puffin times " .... very well done Darshan ....
Regards, - Anthony - (Rajuna)
Tracks to be clean.
Are those homes from Walthers?
The homes i got from various trains shows .. I got them used, Cleaned / fixed them up and put them on the layout .. You can get them at a very good price as the train shows, but unfortunately , Covid has put a stop to all of that ... Tks Regards, Anthony .
Hey its a Kentucky fried chicken.ooohw tiny tiny chicken.
Yepper .. It's a KFC .. I still have not finished the sigh at the front .. will need to work on that soon ..
What is your accent?
Hi , Well, I was born in Sri Lanka , and migrated to Canada 31 years ago. Been in Canada ever since. .. So I guess I have some kind of a fusion Canadian accent .. lol ..
Regards, - Anthony .
@@anthonyshobbycorner that's awesome, I'm pretty good about placing accents, apparently I was way off.
I have found contact cleaner is no good for reliable running. It leaves unprotected metal surfaces that quickly becomes non conductive due to oxide and dust. The products to use are INOX , CRC 6-26 or automatic transmission oil to name a few of the better ones. You end up with dust and dirt on your track that is conductive but your trains run reliably. If traction is not a problem, rub a bit of graphite on the layout for even better electrical conductivity. Re watch the rant at ua-cam.com/video/1r2L8NSxOnQ/v-deo.html and the follow up at ua-cam.com/video/EfwYMo42iyQ/v-deo.html
Hi Terry , Appreciate your feedback . I agree that there are different schools of though and strategy when it comes to track cleaning . I did mention in my video that I am fan of the "naked track" approach .. and I "personally" am not a fan of applying any kind of residual products on my tracks. For the very simple reason that any product that is left on the track will attract dirt and also effect the longevity of locomotives which have traction tires. Any product that you apply to enhance conduction , will eventually wear off and the only place that they get caked on is on the wheels of all your loco's and rolling stock .. I like to keep my tracks and wheels free of any kind of gunk .. ( regardless if it is conductive or not ) . that's just me .. we all have our own preferences ..
Traction is really a problem for many people who have gradients and so from a practical standpoint, I find that keeping clean , dry rails bring the best of both worlds ..
As I said , there are many different methods of cleaning your track .. I just shared what I found to be effective for me ..
I did go through the "Inox' phase , and It did ruin the elasticity of the traction tires etc... and for the marginal benefit of conduction , and the added headaches of replacing traction tires .. , is what led me to look for an alternate option.
I'm glad that the INOX method works well for you ... As i said before , There are many ways to clean track .. There isn't one right answer ...
Regards,
@@anthonyshobbycorner You have made a few incorrect assumptions. I have been using Inox for about 40 years and in that time I have never cleaned any of my wheels. I do not use any wheels with plastic treads, these are long known to collect dirt. As described in the viedos I linked in my reply, the dirt is conductive and ends on the track, which is easy to remove with a cloth wetted with Inox. I only need to apply Inox about every month or two. Also Inox does not attract dust, and the relality is clean track ends up with the same amount of dust on it. My experience is using your clean track methods, after about 4 hours running models start to need wheels cleaned. This is because the dirt on the wheels is caused by micro arking. The protective layer of Inox stops micro arking. Models with traction tyres are poorly designed. My 2 models with traction tyres are purely for my display shelf. My layout has grades, I simply tested my models ability to pull trains up hill before designing my layout . The end result is no tractive effort problems, and no need to clean wheels and reliable operation at all speeds. ua-cam.com/video/3wsDcpDoY0I/v-deo.html
@@terryflynn8830 - As I mentioned in my video , There are many ways to clean track . Some folks prefer to apply chemicals on their track ( like Inox) and some prefer not to . I have tried both , and I prefer the latter. You can't argue the fact that , when you apply a substance on your track , and you have to re apply every 6 months , well guess what , that substance is going somewhere .. and the only place it can go is on the wheels of all your rolling stock and loco's .. Secondly , i don't have any issues with running a clean track without any chemicals on it .. I have been running loco's for many many years now .. and not had any arcing or pitting of track . In fact contact cleaner is used for All kinds of electrical contactors , relays , solenoids etc .. I don't see any electrician use INOX ... Further , many folks have loco's with traction tires .. Specially if you are like me , and collect vintage loco's ... INOX will ruin your traction tires ...
Again , to each his own .. I'm just sharing the method that I like to use ... The viewers can pick what works best for them .. There is no SINGLE solution to track cleaning ...
@@anthonyshobbycorner Models with rubber traction tyres will need replacing, as they will perish any way. Traction tyres made of neoprene are not effected by Inox. The fact you need to clean your track and wheels frequently means you have micro arking. Its at a microscopic scale, not visible to the naked eye. The contact cleaners you are using are designed for silver or gold plated contacts, not brass and nickle silver. The Inox on my model wheels stops the dirt froming and sticking to my wheels, they stay conductive. The dirt ends up on my track, which does not need much cleaning. On the other hand, you are frequently cleaning your track to keep trains running reliably using contact cleaners that do not leave a protective film. There are brands of contact cleaners that also leave a proctive layer other than Inox that work just as well as Inox. Inox is a product used for electrical contacts, according to their website. www.inoxmx.com/applicationsand-uses/electronics/