I have used tubular track on my entire layout, what I have is the original AC Gilbert American Flyer track. That being said, some of this track is 75 years old and some of the track had rust when I started the layout. I cleaned up the rust on the top of the rail with a Bright Boy track cleaner and the tops of the rail remain clean and rust free as long as I run trains and clean the track at regular intervals. I have used a number of different products to clean the track, commercial track cleaning solutions, alcohol both the rubbing type and denatured and GooGone. I have settled on Mineral Spirits to clean the track and have had no problem with the oxidation returning to the contact surface. I am not sure if the mineral spirits helps in inhibiting the rust from returning but I have very little of the black gunk showing up now as was the case with other track cleaning products and, with the low odor mineral spirits no noticeable odor.
I have pasted a link to the article that got me to try the mineral spirits.
Ray
