Welcome to the forum   
Welcome Guest! To enable all features please Login or Register.

Notification

Icon
Error

Share
Options
View
Go to last post in this topic Go to first unread post in this topic
Offline baggio  
#1 Posted : 28 March 2015 18:08:24(UTC)
baggio

Canada   
Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,729
Location: Toronto
Hi:

I bought yesterday a track-cleaning wagon from Marklin.

The question is whether I have thrown out my money (CAD$57.00) or not.

In other words, what can I realistically expect this wagon to do? Is it any substitute for the "elbow grease" way of cleaning dirty tracks?

The wagon itself is very nice (see picture), but does it do the job? The pads are now dirty after about 20 runs on the long track and expect to clean them with rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl).

Thanks.

baggio attached the following image(s):
46049 - vagone pulisci binari.jpg
Offline Goofy  
#2 Posted : 28 March 2015 18:17:10(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
Boy...
You do really have heavy dirt on the tracks!
This cleaner wagon do only work to clean dirt as possible.
If you want to clean harder on the rail,i suggest chemical gasoline and the tops or old cotton shirt.
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline Joseph Meiring  
#3 Posted : 28 March 2015 18:23:22(UTC)
Joseph Meiring

South Africa   
Joined: 27/12/2009(UTC)
Posts: 1,157
Location: Western Cape Cape Town
I don't suppose there is ever any real substitute for "elbow grease". Having said that I do have very good results with my cleaning car. I usually empty the tracks of rolling stock/locos, as far as possible, and hook up the wagon to one of my start set locos. A few "fast" laps around the circuit will get rid of most of the grime. For the shunting bays, the loco needs the tortoise switched on, and a number of "to and fro" runs clear these tracks as well. Make sure you change pads when they get too dirty!
Cleaning: I use warm water, with some dish- washing liquid, and a hard bristle tooth brush, or nail brush. They dry pretty quickly.
Its not always easy getting to those hard to reach track pieces, with scenery/catenary/signals and such like getting in the way, so I really do find these wagons work well enough.
To clean the studs (during those wintry days that aid the settling in of rust), a few fast runs with a start set loco, and the slider does the job nicely!
Joe
thanks 3 users liked this useful post by Joseph Meiring
Offline baggio  
#4 Posted : 28 March 2015 18:25:40(UTC)
baggio

Canada   
Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,729
Location: Toronto
Slider???
Offline 3rail4life  
#5 Posted : 28 March 2015 20:23:27(UTC)
3rail4life

United States   
Joined: 23/12/2011(UTC)
Posts: 426
Location: Northern California
Originally Posted by: baggio Go to Quoted Post
Slider???


Slider, Ski, Shoe, Schleifer all work the same for me Cool.

As far as track cleaner goes , it is no substitute for elbow grease on heavily soiled rails, but I think it works good for normal maintenance. Like Joe we clear the lines on the layout and run it around with one our workhorse locos. We like to put diluted ISO on the pads to help with the cleaning, then clean them with the same when finished.

Gordon
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by 3rail4life
Offline Joseph Meiring  
#6 Posted : 28 March 2015 20:59:31(UTC)
Joseph Meiring

South Africa   
Joined: 27/12/2009(UTC)
Posts: 1,157
Location: Western Cape Cape Town
...As Gordon says, keep using the cleaning wagon regularly for best results.
My train room is a converted garage, a concrete building, walls and roof, so its well insulated. Also Very little dust. Cool in summer, but oh boy, freezing in winter. That's when the centre studs rust - so I need to run trains daily.....or at least utilise the pick-up/slider on one of the little locos to clean the studs by running at a good speed over the tracks. Shunting yards remain a problem tho.....gonna have to get some sort of heater/De-humidifier in there this coming winter methinks....Scared
Joe
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by Joseph Meiring
Offline SteamNut  
#7 Posted : 28 March 2015 22:41:13(UTC)
SteamNut

United States   
Joined: 11/05/2013(UTC)
Posts: 488
With all the questions coming up lately I wonder if there should be a separate topic for Maintainence (which means new people coming to the hobbyBigGrin )? We can share our ideas on M,C and K track and also on our loks and rolling stock - Fred
thanks 5 users liked this useful post by SteamNut
Offline NZMarklinist  
#8 Posted : 29 March 2015 01:45:28(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: Joe Meiring Go to Quoted Post
...As Gordon says, keep using the cleaning wagon regularly for best results.
My train room is a converted garage, a concrete building, walls and roof, so its well insulated. Also Very little dust. Cool in summer, but oh boy, freezing in winter. That's when the centre studs rust - so I need to run trains daily.....or at least utilise the pick-up/slider on one of the little locos to clean the studs by running at a good speed over the tracks. Shunting yards remain a problem tho.....gonna have to get some sort of heater/De-humidifier in there this coming winter methinks....Scared
Joe


Hi Joe,

I used to use a little smear of Vaseline on the sliders of my Loks when I was a kid in the early 60's. The track was of course M track and the layout was in my bedroom. The vaseline was to keep the wear down on the sliders as suggested by my Father as it saved him buying me new ones Wink
However, over the years I have read about people having trouble with their layouts, particularly where M track is involved, and yet often in the latter years I wouldn't run trains from one school holidays to the next (four months) yet they always started and ran jerk free instantly ! I never thought anything of it at the time, but I am sure it was just that little trace of Vaseline left on the studs by the sliders that made the difference. I believe I will try it on my new K track layout as well !
If your room gets that cold Joe, it might pay not too leave your new CS out there during winter disuse ! Wink
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
thanks 3 users liked this useful post by NZMarklinist
Offline NZMarklinist  
#9 Posted : 29 March 2015 03:05:24(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: 3rail4life Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: baggio Go to Quoted Post
Slider???


Slider, Ski, Shoe, Schleifer all work the same for me Cool.

As far as track cleaner goes , it is no substitute for elbow grease on heavily soiled rails, but I think it works good for normal maintenance. Like Joe we clear the lines on the layout and run it around with one our workhorse locos. We like to put diluted ISO on the pads to help with the cleaning, then clean them with the same when finished.

Gordon


Miniature Wunderland in Hamburg, have a track cleaning car in almost all, their freight consists, and some of their Pax ones as well (bagage van behind the Damph Lok) They told me they "had too" to ensure trouble free running of the layout (both the three rail and two rail sections) and they have trains running all day every day !
The normal wear of the slider takes care of the studs but they replace a lot of sliders ! Wink
I noticed lots of the Marklin ones but they use Roco ones and others too. I believe I saw a "maintenance consist" with the Lux vacuum cleaner car as well !
I have an M46042 and soak the pads with methylated spirits (alcohol with an additive to make it unpalatable RollEyes ) and use it on my test/play layout (as well as the club modules before running my trains Sneaky ) every now and then especially after newly oiling a lok and running it Scared
I have an egg cup for the soaking but also a fine needle "oiling bottle" with the meths in for applying it to the pads. After a "dirty session", I rub the pads on paper towel after a soaking with meths to clean them, so I haven't, as yet, used any of the spare pads that came with the wagon ThumpUp
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
thanks 4 users liked this useful post by NZMarklinist
Offline baggio  
#10 Posted : 29 March 2015 06:07:29(UTC)
baggio

Canada   
Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,729
Location: Toronto
Originally Posted by: Goofy Go to Quoted Post
Boy...
You do really have heavy dirt on the tracks!
This cleaner wagon do only work to clean dirt as possible.
If you want to clean harder on the rail,i suggest chemical gasoline and the tops or old cotton shirt.



Sorry, but I don't think gasoline and C track go well together. Also, the smell...
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by baggio
Offline baggio  
#11 Posted : 29 March 2015 06:14:35(UTC)
baggio

Canada   
Joined: 21/09/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,729
Location: Toronto
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and assistance. Much appreciated.

I think the moral of the story is:

1. If the tracks are REALLY dirty, you need elbow grease;

2. The cleaning wagons are fine for PREVENTIVE maintenance, so that the tracks do NOT get too dirty in the first place;

3. Best to soak the wagon pads with Iso.


I think I have noticed an improvement in performance by using this wagon many, many times in 24 hours and having soaked the pads in Iso. The lights no longer flicker. BigGrin

Overall. I am glad I bought it, but I have to be realistic as to what it can and cannot do, as discussed above.



Have a great Sunday everyone.





thanks 7 users liked this useful post by baggio
Users browsing this topic
Forum Jump  
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.

| Powered by YAF.NET | YAF.NET © 2003-2024, Yet Another Forum.NET
This page was generated in 0.483 seconds.