Track cleaning cars

I agree the centerline cars need some resistance to be really effective. I added quarters to the rollers and it helped. I also experimented with one car to add additional resistance which works great. Then I built two others of my own where I add a roller with one quarter inside of it to add resistance and they work really well also. You want the cars to scrub the track and not just roll over the dirt. What I like about the Centerline setup is that when it hits something like a point, it will roll forward over it easily. Here are some photos to show a little train I built up. You can see the difference in how much more the cars pick up with resistance added to them. I usually run the train dry but sometimes I've added a little alcohol to the fiirst roller. The first car in the last photo is a magnet car.

 

 

At my club we use the centerline cars. I like them a lot. We use two cars. The one in front is soaked in alcohol and the second one is dry. We have lead weights in the rollers. They work great. After a few laps, the track is clean. You can see in the picture that they are picking up a lot of dirt. I buy small paint rollers at the hardware store to replace the rollers in the cars.

 

 

Centerline directions

 

Several years ago, my wife bought the North East Track cleaning car for me.  The solution we came up with for the cleaning pads was to use the thin selfing sticking pantiliners.  One liner will cover both metal pads.  Cut to size, stick them on, and you are good to go.  Easy to remove.

 

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I run home-made track wiper cars on most of my trains, including N - HO - HOn30 - S - O gauges. I use clean denim cloth cut from old jeans as a disposable wiper material. I know they work because they get dirty. In the long run the track wipers minimize the need to clean wheels (which is a real chore) and it ensures very reliable no-stutter operation.

 

Most hobbyists will wait until they have dirty track problems and then want some quick high-power remedy. My method is to use track wipers as regular maintenance.

 

There are many different ways to make home-made track wiper cars. I've made them for prewar Lionel cars and Marx 6-inch tin cars and Postwar Lionel. I favor Postwar Lionel gondolas because the fishbelly frame makes the wiper attachment less obvious. You can use a metal plate with two guide pins into the car floor and attach the disposable denim wipers to that. Watch out that they don't snag on switch points - not a problem for me.

 

I used to first run a special train with a track wiper car, but eventually I made extra wiper cars and put one on most trains so I can just run any train without special preparations. Scale purists would object to the appearance, but I find them extremely practical.

 

I will admit that my house seems to be somewhat dusty due to country living and wood stove. Ideally a cleaner environment reduces the need for track cleaning, but O-gauge equipment also tends to leak trace lubricants and possibly smoke fluid onto the rails.

 

Second pic shows a track wiper under a BEEP loco.

 

I built a transfer caboose for a friend to cover one of these. He just leaves it there all the time while he switches out cars.

 

I have a Centerline car which I load with alcohol.....followed by 2 Northeast cars to with the alcohol-wet rails...........

 

Elbow grease still works the best, however......

 

Peter

Here is mine - same idea, but looks a little like a flat car.

 

 

I'm surprised no one here has mentioned the CMX track cleaner or the lionel made car with the twin rotating brush heads.

Here's my version of the Dennis Special, with a 3 lb. weight. A WBB GP-9 is used to haul it. I believe that I'm the 202nd forum member to have been sent Dennis's instructions.

 

Nice homemade cleaners guys.

Denatured alcohol is recommended as the cleaning agent in these cars, but I have found just plain ammonia on a cloth over the track, rub, let dry is hard to beat.  The ammonia cuts the oil-grease-smoke fluid right off the track.  Grab some out of your laundry room and give it a quick try...

There is no substitute for the 0-5-0 with Brightboy.

in my opinion after the first few feet any track cleaning car becomes a track dirt spreader car. nothing works like a little elbow grease

although it cleans well, I have witnessed a spark/fire thing happen when using alcohol, not a fun thing. non flammable electrical cleaner is now the solvent of choice.

I would be careful with ammonia if you have nickel-silver or brass track. Ammonia eats copper and these materials both contain copper. However, the household cleaners with ammonia might not have enough ammonia content make a difference? Not sure actually how much ammonia content is needed to start degrading the copper? But, I would use any ammonia products with caution on that type of track.

next time you are in san diego on a Tuesday stop by and ask for me.  I will show you that your statement is incorrect.

Try a "little" elbow grease on 1,000 feet of track. I've done it and the results are good and true, but so is the track cleaning train with allot less effort.

I can show you how to make a good track cleaning car for less than $5 bucks.  I have sent photos, a drawing, and instructions to 210 Forum members over the past several years.  It is always best to start with clean track and it does come from the factory dirty too. Then an occasional run of a track cleaning car will keep it in satisfactory condition.

 

If you would like my plans and photos I can email them to you. My email is in my profile.

 

Dennis

 

when you can pass the white rag test then you can say it works. the only method I have found that will pass the white rag test is to manually wipe down the track using a clean side of the rag every few feet. no track cleaning car can change its pad every few feet to a clean spot. when some one invents a car that can do then then I am in.