Track Cleaning

Have you thought about using the SEARCH feature here on the OGR forum? There has to be about one or two "track cleaning" threads every month or so.

Thank you. I am new to this site and still trying to figure it all out.

Forget alcohol altogether. Use Naphtha to clean wheels, roller and slide pickups and track.

Alcohol absorbs  moisture from the air, and when it evaporates, it leaves a microscopic coating of that moisture behind on track, wheels, etc. which promotes rust.

I've been using Naphtha for decades, and would not use anything else.

Larry

Thank you for the information. What is Naphtha, where do you buy it and what is it used for?

Harry

For those wishing to delve deeper into the science behind which track cleaner to use -

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws...ne/index.html?page=9

After reading this, I started using mineral spirits to clean track and I’ve noticed that afterwards, the track does seem to build up less gunk and seems to need less frequent subsequent cleanings. As the prior poster noted, stay away from alcohol.

*updated to include discussion comments, which as the poster below noted, are very informative - https://model-railroad-hobbyis...5/publishers-musings

Acetone dries very fast and doesn't leave any residue behind... I use it to *tack* before applying paint to any surface.

91% isopropyl alchohol works just fine. You don't need special gloves to handle it and it won't make your train room smell like an auto body shop like denatured alchohol does.

Its been used on other electronic items like Cds, DVDS, and audio and video tape head cleaners for decades. Surely its just fine for O'guage track.

@Strap Hanger posted:

For those wishing to delve deeper into the science behind which track cleaner to use -

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws...ne/index.html?page=9

After reading this, I started using mineral spirits to clean track and I’ve noticed that afterwards, the track does seem to build up less gunk and seems to need less frequent subsequent cleanings. As the prior poster noted, stay away from alcohol.

I will second this article, well worth the read if you want clean track and wheels.  The link to reader's comments at the end is very informative as well.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

I use CRC contact cleaner.  I have also heard that alcohol leaves 'micro deposits of moisture and residue' on the track.  Never understood the chemical concept of that, but many people have recommend CRC contact cleaner.  Seems to work well for me (so far) and I have a large ventilated basement, so fumes are not an issue

I have used Alcohol in the past and heard it breaks done tin coating on track. A citrus based cleaner like Goo Gone, should be used.

Joe Gozzo

I also switched from 91 percent alcohol to mineral spirits after reading that article in MRH.

@DrTrainDad posted:

I use CRC contact cleaner.  I have also heard that alcohol leaves 'micro deposits of moisture and residue' on the track.  Never understood the chemical concept of that, but many people have recommend CRC contact cleaner.  Seems to work well for me (so far) and I have a large ventilated basement, so fumes are not an issue

Ditto on the CRC which I have used for a number of years now. With success. Use it sparingly as  a little goes a long way.

CRC contact cleaner is one of the recommended cleaners in the article that  doesn't harm track/train plastics. The others are WD-40 cleaner, mineral spirits, Neverstall, and deoxit.  I use the odorless/defumed mineral spirits that you can pick up at Home depot or lowes instead of CRC. All the benefits of an non-polar cleaner like CRC (which, according to the article,  doesn't promote electrical arcing and resulting gunk buildup on our higher voltage track, like alcohol and other polar solvents) without the bad smell and fumes.

For those of you who use mineral spirits to clean your track, do you toss the rags after you are done?  Not sure if they can be reused for the same purpose later.

@Tony H posted:

For those of you who use mineral spirits to clean your track, do you toss the rags after you are done?  Not sure if they can be reused for the same purpose later.

I suppose you could wash the rags and use them again, but since they are just rags, I allow the mineral spirits evaporate and then trash them.

CRC contact cleaner - do you just spray on a rag and wipe down the track ??? - I have never used it for track cleaning but I do like CRC products for other uses

Thank you

Personally,  I would never use a petroleum based product in an enclosed area.   How many of you have layouts in the basement with close proximity to either a gas water heater and/or furnace ? 🕯 A dry Scotchbrite works for me, also removes surface rust.  As for washing rags used with petroleum products, not a good idea as residual product in the rags after washing could be released in the dryer, especially dangerous if the dryer uses gas for the heat source.

I have never found 90 percent rubbing alcohol to be very effective.

I've always used Goo-Gone on a rag and it works great. I follow with a dry rag to remove any residue.

The other options such as denatured alcohol, CRC or mineral spirits seemed a bit too harmful to use on a regular basis in a closed room.

Thank you for the information.

I used 91% rubbing alcohol in the past. I also used goo-gone. I liked the alcohol more. I had to use a scotch brite pad dipped in the alcohol to scrub off some of the more stuck on crud (track was older). It worked well.

I started using CRC products more and more in the garage and I definitely intend to try it on my track.

That's all I got. My two cents is free

Think in terms of removing powder coating.  That is pretty much what the black gunk is...

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Thanks to all the members who have commented on my track cleaning question. I would say that I now know what to do based upon the feedback from you. I would definitely recommend the article written by Tom Stoltz in Model Railroad Hobby magazine on different cleaners. It is well worth the read if you have not done so. The link to his article is attached to his response to my question in this thread.

Again, thank you all for your input.

Sorry about a typing error. I meant to say article submitted by Strap Hangar not written by Tom Stoltz.

Sorry for the screw up.

@Williamm posted:

Thanks to all the members who have commented on my track cleaning question. I would say that I now know what to do based upon the feedback from you. I would definitely recommend the article written by Tom Stoltz in Model Railroad Hobby magazine on different cleaners. It is well worth the read if you have not done so. The link to his article is attached to his response to my question in this thread.

Again, thank you all for your input.

Thank you, however, I did not write the article... just read it.  I would add, If you do a search in MRH for cleaning wheels, there are many threads with a lot of feedback.   I've been reading for several days now.

Once you have the track and wheels clean, there appear to be a few ways to keep them that way.  But getting them clean is another matter.  It is an electrostatically applied coating we are trying to get rid of – powder coating.   It is virtually impervious to solvents, which is why powder coating is used and we have such a hard time trying to remove it. 

So far, I have found nothing that will dissolve it.   From the list in the article, I have tried; kerosene, mineral spirits, turpentine,  WD-40 (regular), IPA 70%, acetone, vinegar, lacquer thinner, not on the list, Goo-Gone, and Shout Gel.  My method of applying is with a Q-tip on the wheels (I am so far from thinking about track yet).  Not one of them removes the gunk by dissolving.

I have ordered CRC contact cleaner & protectant (the green can) and after some reading on powder coating, some benzyl alcohol.  I will also try some 91% IPA.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine -- 15° and snowing

@Tom Stoltz posted:

So far, I have found nothing that will dissolve it.   From the list in the article, I have tried; kerosene, mineral spirits, turpentine,  WD-40 (regular), IPA 70%, acetone, vinegar, lacquer thinner, not on the list, Goo-Gone, and Shout Gel.  My method of applying is with a Q-tip on the wheels (I am so far from thinking about track yet).  Not one of them removes the gunk by dissolving.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine -- 15° and snowing

Which is why folks use a wire wheel on a dremel for the wheels, and an abrasive block like Lionels track cleaning eraser ,or a Brite Boy on track with heavy buildup.

Then wipe with the 91% IPA.

No need to overthink it. What works ,works.

Obviously there are several options.Use the "proven" chemical or method that gives you the results your looking for.

I worked for a company that did powder coating.  To remove it, we put the parts in a high temperature oven and burned it off.

@RickO posted:

Which is why folks use a wire wheel on a dremel for the wheels, and an abrasive block like Lionels track cleaning eraser ,or a Brite Boy on track with heavy buildup.

Then wipe with the 91% IPA.

No need to overthink it. What works ,works.

Obviously there are several options.Use the "proven" chemical or method that gives you the results your looking for.

Ricko, All true on the wire wheels , abrasive blocks, and scotch brite being an effective way to physically remove the caked on gunk. However, the problem is with the highly polar 91% IPA. It nicely cleans off the remaining residue, but the film it leaves actually creates more micro arcing on our track and thus creates more of that powdery residue or gunk. So you will be using your abrasive blocks and wire wheels to clean more frequently if you use the 91% IPA instead of a non polar cleaner for that final wipe. The non polar cleaners don’t encourage micro arcing and don’t create that gunk. It’s all laid out in the above posted article and I can confirm that I am definitely needing to clean less since I switched from 91% IPA to odorless mineral spirits. The clubs that are referenced in the article have also had the same experience. Sometimes even old dogs like me can learn some new tricks if I just give them a try. What works, works, until something works better.

@Strap Hanger posted:

The non polar cleaners don’t encourage micro arcing and don’t create that gunk. It’s all laid out in the above posted article and I can confirm that I am definitely needing to clean less since I switched from 91% IPA to odorless mineral spirits. The clubs that are referenced in the article have also had the same experience. Sometimes even old dogs like me can learn some new tricks if I just give them a try. What works, works, until something works better.

Not disagreeing with anything in the article. These track cleaning threads can evolve into debates. I was just mentioning folks have had good luck with different methods that have been mentioned.

Others have experimented with "new fangled" cleaning ideas like simple green with disastrous results.

I've avoided the denatured alcohol and mineral spirits because of the heavy odor.

I wasn't aware of the odorless mineral spirits, and I may just give that a try.

I like to avoid using any liquid on the track, so I use the LGB track cleaner and it works very well.

@RickO posted:

Not disagreeing with anything in the article. These track cleaning threads can evolve into debates. I was just mentioning folks have had good luck with different methods that have been mentioned.

And it is the debate that leads to misinformation.  With all the experience that is out there, there isn’t really much to debate.  The research has been done, the answers are clear.  Getting rid of urban legends is the real problem.  There are practices that actually exacerbate the problem.

I have used Goo-Gone for years, with what I considered great success.  It does work, sort of, but with a lot of scrubbing.  And I cleaned a lot and was starting to think I was in the wrong hobby.  Well, it turns out that Goo-Gone was the problem for several reasons.  If you like GG, great, however it is best if you clean the GG off with a non-polar cleaner of some sort.

Same goes for 91% IPA.  I found some here at home today and tried it.  What I can say is, it does not dissolve the gunk… not a bit.  Yes, it will clean some surfaces, but not the gunk on wheels, at least not with a Q-tip.  So why do some people swear by it… I have no idea?

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that I have tried naphtha and an industrial grade degreaser, Marine-Clean, from POR-15.  No success with either.  In Googling ‘removing powder coating’, I saw that heating is a method, as CSXJOE mentioned.   Not too bad, several hours at 600°-700° -- should be fine for plastic wheels and car bodies – LOL.  I also found benzyl alcohol is supposed to work.  I did order some from Amazon -- $10.00, worth a try.

What I did fine in the kitchen was an oven cleaner, Easy-Off.  Hey, I’m trying anything, you know.  Guess what… it does dissolve the black gunk.  WOW!  It appears to have no detrimental effect on plastic and I did put a blob on a painted surface.  Again, no apparent effect.  I’ve only tried it on 3 cars and am impressed with the ease of cleaning.  Put it on with a Q-tip (I sprayed the foam into a cup and wiped with the Q-tip), let it soak for a bit (I still don’t know how much time is best), I let it dry.  Then I soaked another Q-tip in water and washed it off.  It wasn’t 100%, but got most and what was left came off easily with a light touch of a screwdriver.  Not knowing the dielectric constant of Easy-Off, I followed up with a wash of mineral spirits.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine, with a lot of snow to deal with tomorrow...

Mr Clean wipes and or the foam sponges work excellently'.. Just wipe, no scrubbing required. No alcohol required.  You can cut the Mr. Clean sponge wipes down to size to fit under a gondola.  Place it the rear of your consist and it will clean you tracks, (all three) perfectly.

Trim another sponge, add a little CRC-2-26 place under the gondola.  Run it for a few minutes on your track.  The track will stay very clean for quite some time.  The CR-2-C26 will also improve dead spots... along your line'...

EDIT: Pix of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser affixed to the bottom of an old school Lionel Gondola'.

Next shot, a little weight added for a nice stabilized ride.  I place it front of the caboose on freights.  And the last car on passenger trains.  Never seen any residue, or other foreign matter.  I went an entire year before a track cleaning was necessary..   Almost daily running of trains.  Now I clean every 6 months... Same routine, no problems.. I clean wheels with 91% alcohol and Q tips....

Interesting article for sure.  But which of the non-polar cleaners is the least harmful when working in not-well ventilated train/furnace room ?  I sometimes use a 3M pad followed with wipe down of Windex (what I had on hand), which being ammonia based is not a good choice according the chart in the article.  I'm thinking the Wahl clipper oil might be a good option.

FYI, odorless mineral spirits are not non-toxic.

Don

Does anybody out there use the LGB track cleaner. My local Lionel dealer "Train Shack" in Burbank CA turned me on to it.

I clean rails with fine sand paper and clean wheels with an old pocket knife.

Works for me.

Charlie

@Quarter Gauger 48 posted:

Mr Clean wipes and or the foam sponges work excellently'.. Just wipe, no scrubbing required. No alcohol required.  You can cut the Mr. Clean sponge wipes down to size to fit under a gondola.  Place it the rear of your consist and it will clean you tracks, (all three) perfectly.

Trim another sponge, add a little CRC26 place under the gondola.  Run it for a few minutes on your track.  The track will stay very clean for quite some time.  The CRC26 will also improve dead spots... along your line'...

Another one I forgot to mention.  I did try the Mr Clean Magic Eraser.  It was okay on plastic wheels, actually gave a nice finish, but it did take a bit of effort.  Every once in a while I give it a go, but for the most part, I don’t use it.  The Magic Eraser does leave behind a film, so a final, non-polar treatment is still required.

Because it leaves a film, I’m not sure it is a good idea for track cleaning, unless it is followed by one of the non-polar solvents.  The ingredients are Melamine, Formaldehyde, Sodium Bisulfite, and water.  There is a lot of information about the Magic Eraser on the internet.

For a longer time between cleanings, if CRC is your solvent of choice, you would be better off with CRC contact cleaner & protectant than CRC 2-26.  But how much of a difference in performance between a dielectric constant of 2.0 and 4.6, I have no idea.

Tom Stoltz

in Maine