Grey 'Coating' Appearing in Patches on Rails After Bus Wiring

[latestarter]

I finished the bus wiring on my layout yesterday. It's a combination of 8 pairs of Peco Track Joiner Droppers and 3 pairs of soldered wires, all connecting to a 'horsehoe' shaped bus wire, with a Chinese version of Scotchlok connectors. The bus wire is 16 AWG and I'm using the standard Hornby transformer (1amp) through the Select controller. 

I was painting the rails today with rust-coloured acrylic paint, and after cleaning the tops of the rails with a track rubber, and running a couple of locos, I noticed patches of a matt grey coating appearing in some areas of the layout, on the top rails. It's appearing in places where I did and didn't paint, and it's not all over the track. But, the loco's stop on it (sometimes) and I'm fairly (but not absolutely) sure it's coming back after I clean it off. You can see an example of it in the photo, on the nearest rail, between the 2 recessed sleepers. In some places it's lighter and more patchy.

I wondered if it might be something to do with the wiring - sort of like grey emulsion paint. if anyone has any thoughts, I'd be very grateful.
 

[RobinofLoxley]

Did you have the power switched on while painting? Very unlikely I know but you have to ask. Even if you say yes Im not sure what it means, except to say there would be some kind of chemical reaction take place between the paint and the rails. I asked as from the description the events happened close together. As if still wet paint could have been forced from the inside of the rail edge up between the wheels and the track. Then you have got more possibilities for electrochemistry.

[latestarter]

Thanks  Robin. No, I didn't have the power switched on. There's been a lot of dust, including saw dust, in the room over the last few days. I wonder if something has been attracted to the metal. I found something on another forum about electrostatic charges from metal wheels, but it's a bit beyond me.

[Nearholmer]

I’m not at all sure what your grey deposits are, but I do know that doing woodwork in a room with a layout is a serious recipe for dirty track, from bitter experience.

 

Its easy enough to Hoover-up most of the visible wood dust, but I’m convinced that very fine particles get into the air, and then lead to conductivity problems that take an age to clean-up.

 

Question 1: is there any hint of high-humidity in the air in the room?

 

That is often a cause of oxidisation, which can be pale greenish-grey, and before anyone says they are, oxides of nickel are not conductive under normal ambient conditions.

 

Question 2: you haven’t rubbed anything rubbery along the track at any point, have you? 
 

I ask because it looks almost as if the grey is a smear, as if an ordinary drawing eraser had been rubbed on it. I think I might even see crumbs of something grey too.

[latestarter]

Thanks @Nearholmer . I've been using a Hornby track rubber on the top of the rails. It's light grey and now has black residue a bit like pencil lead on it.

 

The room has a dormer window and it's only for the layout. So it's been getting very cold in there and then I've turned the heating on when when I've used the layout for an hour or two each day.

[Michael Hodgson]

I have seen such residues after using track rubbers.  I think the people who say don't sue them are probably right. 

[Nearholmer]

I reckon it might well be track rubber.

[RobinofLoxley]

Some track rubbers arent hard all through, there is a soft core inside.

[latestarter]

Thanks for the advice @Nearholmer and @RobinofLoxley the more I look at it, the more I'm sure it's the Hornby track rubber, which is softer than I expected - not unlike a large pencil eraser.

I need to get it off somehow without roughing up the track too much and then find a way to keep the track clean. I saw something called 'Inox' on YouTube, an Australian liquid/spray product that gets good reviews for cleaning and maintaining track, but as always, I can't get it in Ireland.

@Nearholmer You would be horrified at the amount of sawdust I threw up this week, around the layout. It will be in my latest 'Branchline' Video on YouTube after 12 noon Saturday (4th December).

[RedgateModels]

Others may throw up their hands on this but I use a Gaugemaster track rubber and finish with Deluxe Track Magic. Works for me

[fulton]

I have been pleased with track rubbers from the EM Gauge Society, some 40 years now, how the time goes, I did try one from Maplins which looked the same but left deposits behind, much as above.

[SamThomas]

33 minutes ago, RedgateModels said:

Others may throw up their hands on this but I use a Gaugemaster track rubber and finish with Deluxe Track Magic. Works for me

Second that - the GM ones are relatively soft compared to the one from ****. If you use any rubber & end up with grooves in it you are using it too hard.

 

I've found that Track Magic takes a little time to "condition" the track & then gets superb results - it's also quite effective on contact wipers.

[latestarter]

Thanks again guys, I'm pretty sure it was the track rubber, now. @RedgateModels I looked at 'Track Magic', but the postage costs from the UK to Ireland are prohibitive. One dealer wanted £30 postage, which I think is about 5 times the price of the bottle.

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, latestarter said:

I looked at 'Track Magic', but the postage costs from the UK to Ireland are prohibitive. One dealer wanted £30 postage, which I think is about 5 times the price of the bottle.

I am quite happy with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).  I'm sure you will be able to get that in Ireland without rip-off postage charges.

[Tim123]

Track magic contains a by-product of the petroleum industry. Prohibited from being sent by Royal Mail, so a courier is the only way of sending it. £30 from mainland UK to Ireland is the going rate unfortunately. With customs / VAT changes the business I work for no longer sends anything “abroad” ie no Royal Mail postcode (plumbing supplies)

[latestarter]

23 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I am quite happy with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA).  I'm sure you will be able to get that in Ireland without rip-off postage charges.

Even buying that seems to be an issue. The Irish pharmaceutical authority has taken a 'nanny state approach' to most things. My local pharmacist no longer has a licence to sell it. I'll try the hardware shop when I'm next in town.

[Crosland]

2 hours ago, latestarter said:

Even buying that seems to be an issue. The Irish pharmaceutical authority has taken a 'nanny state approach' to most things. My local pharmacist no longer has a licence to sell it. I'll try the hardware shop when I'm next in town.

 

Somewhere like Farnell will sell you IPA. It has to be sent by courier which does push up the cost a little unless you spend enough for free shipping. They operate/ship worldwide but I don't know what their particular terms might be for Ireland.

[Andymsa]

Ipa is not the best thing to clean track with as discussed in another post. There has been some resource into this subject of track cleaning. Google polar and non polar cleaning there are some you tube videos on it. But if you must use IPA try a printing company as they use it in printing I got around 20 litres of it a a good price from such a place, and no I don’t use it for track cleaning or drinking  hic

[latestarter]

2 minutes ago, Andymsa said:

...and no I don’t use it for track cleaning or drinking  hic

My understanding is that IPA is 99% alcohol, for a reason. The remaining 1% is something that tastes nasty, to stop you drinking it.

[ColinK]

I’ve used meths for years to clean my track.