Wheel and track cleaning

[Major Clanger]

Here in the UK I have yet to come across Methylated Spirits that uses pyridine. Every bottle I have used either in work or have purchased for track cleaning has Methanol ( wood alcohol) at no more than 10%, - the stuff that turns you blind etc.

 

 

But if in doubt check the label

 

In theory, UK meths is 0.5% pyridine, added to give it that playful bouquet appreciated by the true wino connoisseur - in addition to the 10% methanol (my slack terminology - sorry).

 

I know it's a low percentage, but track cleaning readily volatilises it, and it's not a nice substance to have floating about when safer alternatives are available.

[gronk the shunter]

I was amazed at the price of the CMX clean machine - £88 for what is basically a tank and a pad on bogies. Does anyone know how it compares with the Dapol track cleaner, which looks far more automated, or is it just a gimicky gadget ?

[Pacific231G]

I had no problem getting IPA from the local pharmacy though I've no idea what it's used for medically. I did tell the pharmacist that it was for cleaning electrical contacts and he knows me. It was really for wheels rather than track though I use it on a cotton bud for point blades. I used to use meths but the smell lingers so I'll stick to using that as fuel now. For final track cleaning I've found the rough side of a small oblong of hardboard to be pretty good as it doesn't scratch- Pendon use it so it can't be bad and I don't think their cleaning wagons cost them £80 each !!

[Allegheny1600]

I was amazed at the price of the CMX clean machine - £88 for what is basically a tank and a pad on bogies. Does anyone know how it compares with the Dapol track cleaner, which looks far more automated, or is it just a gimicky gadget ?

 

Hi,

I'd personally say that it is the Dapol track cleaner that is the gimiky gadget, although it IS a good vacuum cleaner!

The CMX clean machine is worth it to me - but i have a large continuous layout with quite a bit of hidden sidings and hard to reach mainline. One point to bear in mind is that the CMX is verry heavy, to the point that i generally use two class 25s (Bachmann) to shift it AND it can take a few circuits to properly clean the track.

If you only have a small end to end, then no! It's not worth it! IMHO.

HTH,

John E.

[Gwiwer]

The Dapol device does what it says on the box. It vacuums the track and cleans it. It can sometimes do the vacuuming a little too well if your ballast isn't well stuck down and its cleaning performance is surpassed by the CMX. But for the price I'd say it is satisfactory at both whereas the CMX is a superb cleaner but doesn't remove wayside fluff, the occasional insect carcass (even model railways have fatalities) and stray pieces of scatter.

 

Horses for courses - there's room in the market for both.

[thnksno]

Anybody run a Centerline Track Cleaner?

 

It was a little spendy, about $30USD, but I've been happy with how well it works. Centerline Track Cleaner

 

Another thing I've tried that seems to help keep the track clean is a product called 'Rail-Zip.' I don't know what the makeup of it is, but have found reference to it being basically automatic transmission fluid... It is solvent free, non-alcoholic and non acidic. It supposedly 'penetrates' and 'protects' plus it cleans up with water. Rail Zip

[naugytrax]

My experience with Rail-Zip is that it makes the rails slippery. It does in fact say on the web site that it "lubricates metal". This makes it quite useless if you have long trains or significant gradients. After I applied a little dab to my track, most of my trains would not make it up the hills and so I spent the next several hours cleaning it all off the track and the wheels of the stock that I had run. It's like many products which sound a little too good to be true.

 

My favourite cleaning tool is the Wills/SEF 4-wheel open with the little man depicted operating the track-cleaning handles as run on the dockside. He kneels in a puddle of solvent, which feeds down to the rails via cigarette filters. Sometimes I fill the bottom of his wagon with IPA, sometimes lighter fluid (naptha), and sometimes denatured alcohol (like meths, but without the purple dye). I think the naptha probably works best, but there's not much in it.

[thnksno]

Should have mentioned I run Rail-Zip via the Centerline and later the Centerline and no Rail-Zip, it does leave an oily surface but most comes off after the 'dry-run.'

[BR60103]

I run the centerline cleaner with a clear liquid from Aero Locomotive Works. Since I started this I've had few contact problems -- in fact I think I run the car more than is necessary.

Th liquid is for cleaning DCC track but it works well for DC. Only caution is that I think it may loosen traction tyres if you put on too much liquid and run the tyres through it too soon.

[locoshed]

I`m still using a triang track cleaning car and I use Goo Gone on the cleaning pads, had to add some extra weight and I use an AA battery through the hole to push the pad against the rails but it works for me

[Ron Ron Ron]

I was amazed at the price of the CMX clean machine - £88 for what is basically a tank and a pad on bogies. Does anyone know how it compares with the Dapol track cleaner, which looks far more automated, or is it just a gimicky gadget ?

If you pick up a CMX Clean Machine, I think you'll realise why it costs so much. It's well made from solid Brass and quite heavy. Definitely not a gimmick.

IMHO if track cleaning is considered essential for good running and care of those very expensive loco fleets, then I don't think doing it on a shoestring is necessarily the right approach.

If the CMX and other similar products make it easier and more convenient to carry out this extremely tedious task, then all to the good. I'm sure many of us tend to put off this sort of task as it is.

 

A few members have reported using the CMX for cleaning and the Dapol Track Cleaner just to vacuum afterwards.

 

http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/clean_machine.htm

http://www.tonystrains.com/download/CMX-man-generic.pdf

[Jol Wilkinson]

On the London Road layout we have found that the following works well at exhibitions (on C&L n/s rail).

 

If a "heavy" clean is needed, a C&L track cleaner.

 

Otherwise a piece of hardboard, "rough" side down as already mentioned and as used by Pendon.

 

Then a quick whizz with the vacuum cleaner.

 

Finally, a 1" foam "Jen" brush - available from chandlers and the like for applying varnish, with a strip of cotton cloth (old hankerchief) wrappled over it and held in place with a tie wrap. Then apply some cigarette lighter fluid to the cloth and wipe along the track. The brush handle enables you to get under bridges, etc. without risking damage to scenery, etc.

 

Overnight we cover the layout with cotton sheets to keep dust, etc. off. That's something worth doing on a fixed layout too, when you look at the amount of dust that is in the air.