Track cleaning question

[Nick]

So really they're selling bottles of track dirtier... ;-)

[N-Gauge-US]

Woodland Scenics do a complete range of track/wheel cleaning items but I'd suggest you don't use their cleaner as it leaves a slippery residue on the track

Have you used the Woodland Scenics wheel cleaner for any of your locos or rolling stock? I'm thinking about buying one but I wanted to see if anyone on here has used them with British locos

[Newportnobby]

I haven't used one in anger as I went with the more simple (and a lot cheaper!) method as described here. It has the added benefit most of us have the necessary items to hand:-
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=913.0

[Railwaygun]

Fleischmann do a little track cleaning loco with track cleaning discs, and I also own a Tomix rail grinder which has wheels made from lighter wheels( apparently) .

It beats as it. Sweeps as it cleans! And may scallop your rails!!

[Hyperion]

I find 80 grid sand paper to be quite adequate and then use the dremel polisher attachment afterwards.

80 grid sounds way too harsh. I'd be thinking around the 240 grit or more if you do plan to use sandpaper.

[msr]

I find 80 grid sand paper to be quite adequate and then use the dremel polisher attachment afterwards.

And there was me wondering how to fit a dremel under the bridge without disturbing the scatter . . .

You should have posted this on April 1st !

[N-Gauge-US]

I haven't used one in anger as I went with the more simple (and a lot cheaper!) method as described here. It has the added benefit most of us have the necessary items to hand:-
http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=913.0

I feel like I should have thought of that.... Especially after watching how the WS one works... Thanks very much! @newportnobby to the rescue again!

Also, @Railwaygun , I'd love one of those little Fleischman locos but I'm terrified of having to buy replacement pads for it from the US! If it is the little tram I'm thinking of, it is adorable on a layout though!

[Caz]

You can buy the pads quite easily from eBay.   

[Railwaygun]

Also, @Railwaygun , I'd love one of those little Fleischman locos but I'm terrified of having to buy replacement pads for it from the US! If it is the little tram I'm thinking of, it is adorable on a layout though!

Any Fleischmann dealer should be able to help, or DM Toys / Modellbahn Lippe in Germany. Also seen them on eBay


http://youtu.be/UW_5IJOaVWs

Loco 7969

Fleischmann SPARE 357969 (S) Spare cleaning pads for track cleaning loco (N GAUGE)


Pads UK

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=FM357969
60p ( 1$)

I could always post a set.

[Nick]

Thanks for all the input, guys.

If I go with the Dremel and the 80 grade sandpaper solution, I suppose I'll have to buy one of those Flex Shaft things to get inside the Engine Shed... 

I've bought some of the pads to attach to axles, and I'll give those a try.

In my heart of hearts, I think I'd be best served by keeping the buildings removable, as was suggested by Ensign Elliot. I just quail a bit at lifting off the quarry building repeatedly. I knocked some stairs off it this afternoon, and I haven't even attached the conveyors yet. This is what it's supposed to look like finished:

[MikeDunn]

If I go with the Dremel and the 80 grade sandpaper solution, I suppose I'll have to buy one of those Flex Shaft things to get inside the Engine Shed... 

Aye, that's certainly the way to go ...  You may want to think about one of these too, for helping to drill through the track webbing; it only tears & melts a little, you can hardly notice it at 2 metres away.

Suggest you practice with both of these add-ons on Only Me's layout, I'm sure he wouldn't mind, but would welcome the assistance.

[Nick]

Very welcome to come to my house in Syria and have a practice

Thanks for the invite. I'll be round as soon as the Taurus Express starts running to Aleppo again. I gather it's been halted because of a high volume of unplanned demolition works. 

I'll bring my Dremel to help put your pictures back on the walls.

[Les1952]

If, like me, you use Setrack on hidden curves I would caution VERY strongly against using ANY solvent to clean your track. 

I don't care whether this is isopropyl alcohol supplied by your local school chemistry dept, Track Magic or Slaters.

On three layouts, each cleaned with solvent at the ends I have had Peco Setrack disintegrate on all three.  On one of these (Furtwangen Ost) two generations of Setrack failed before I worked out what the cause was, having gone from proprietory to neat Isopropyl Alochol between the generations.

Sods law applied as usual.  Each time it happened in the middle of a show, the layout only keeping running by applying superglue to the outside of the track where we could reach then not touching anything in the hope it would hold together until the layout got home.  In each case some rolling stock that would not run over the affected part needed to go back into the box.

I now use a Peco track rubber or a piece of wood (square section small dowel will reach a long way into a tunnel or engine shed and do one rail at a time.

Les

Added a pic- this is the most recent failure, under the town on Furtwangen Ost.  You can see bits of the failed track piece- it failed on day one of the three day GCR event this year. Note that to repair it I had to take the end of the layout off - or rather half of it as the other was held in by a carrying handle with a failed thread. An access hole has now been added in case similar happens again.  Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?