Hi Guys,
I'm an Oscale 2-railer, but I still set up my old post war Lionel trains each Christmas and will do so again this year. I first remember them when I was about 4 or 5, so they are at least 60+ years old, and they were used when Dad got them. After all this time the track is old, but not very rusty.
Has anyone used a bench grinder with a soft wire wheel to clean their track?? I saw no mention of this in the preceeding discussion. I have 0-31 and 0-27 tubular track and have used this method several times over the years. All with very good results and no damage to the track. Use light pressure and let the wheel do the work. That way you won't damage the center rail insulating pads.
Something I use on the 2-rail scale side may work for Lionel 3-rail. Home Despot sells CRC - QD Contact Cleaner and CRC - 2-26 Multi-purpose Precision Lubricant. About 3 bucks a can. Spray the Cleaner in a soft cloth (old piece of T-shirt) and rub the top of the rails to remove oxidation and dirt. Then spray some of the 2-26 onto a old piece of HO cork roadbed, let it soak in, and then burnish the top of the rails. This removes left over dirt, cleans the rail without scratching and leaves a water thin coating that protects against further oxidation and does not allow the drivers to slip.
For tubular track, subsitute a fine Teflon pad for the soft T-shirt, if the track is extremely dirty. Then use another Teflon pad with the 2-26. Treat the inside ends of the track the same way. Clean first with Contact cleaner on a pipe cleaner, then 2-26 on a different pipe cleaner.
The results are immediate and the track can be used right away. Once on the layout a monthly top clean with a rag and cleaner,then and a few drops of 2-26 on the rails and let the train spread it around.
Hope this works for y'all.
Buzz
