N gauge is small enough for me. Track cleaning is more of an issue with smaller gauges. When I first acquired a batch of second-hand N-gauge trains in the 1980's, they had loads of gunk on the wheels and it was a major project to clean them all for reliable operation. That was why I developed the practice of running home-made track cleaner cars (with disposable denim track-wiping pads) on most of my trains, in ALL scales. It gives me consistently reliable operation and minimizes the need to clean wheels in the long run.
I haven't done much with N-scale lately. I got distracted with O-gauge about four years ago. Eventually I want to get back to some HO projects on my main layout.
