Any suggestions for a track cleaning car for C track?

Thanks,
Bill

Thanks Robert. I'm actually a customer of yours. Always great service.

I somehow have the idea that perhaps the center studs are the big problem. Does the Centerline car clean the center studs?

Thanks,
Bill

I can see the benefit of an 'automated' cleaning car for those hard to reach areas. However, my experience with the Marklin two car set is that it is too light and derails too easily. I use (I forge the exact name of the product) a bulky pencil eraser type device for the center rail and two running rails and then use a thin sponge type material (used to clean kitchen counters) with some rubbing alcohol to further clean. The eraser does a good job on rust. And last, I use a vacuum cleaner to pick residuals. I had a serious rust problem over the summer and it took some repetition to clean. But, once I conquered the rust, infrequent cleaning seems to be satisfactory.

Harvey

Not really, I see pit marks left by the rust, but that's about it. Am I missing something?
I was very gentle, just till I saw a shine coming through, then I gave it a good rub with a worn out shoe brush.
This will probably have me labeled as a total neanderthal, but hey, I've only been at this for a week

Roco rubber and a car type hoover. Takes a few minutes and cleans perfectly. Why spend a fortune on something that is not necessary. Never had a problem with C track for years using the above method once per month. Regular running of trains aslo helps considerably.

dave

Track cleaning has been a bit of a headache this past year. I did renovations in the room next to my trains. I thought I had the track well protected, but a fine dust was everywhere. Since I have become a track cleaning "expert" (Well, I think so).

Marklin Track cleaning car. Mine has two felt pads that run along the track. They are spring loaded. This causes them to maintin a good pressure on the tracks. There are replacement pads that come with it. The pads can be washed, but they are small and could easily go down the drain. Learning to put the plug in before washing was one of the first things I learned. I am suspicious the pads smear as much dirt as they pick up.
up.

Lux. As mentioned it is expensive. It is also delicate. The first one I got arrived broken. I have an excellent dealer, who promptly replaced it. I pull it slowly around with my BR 81. It has to be pulled, not pushed. I suspect its couplers are not realy made for pushing. I run the roller brush first, and behind it the vacuum car. I have the roller turning in reverse to the direction of travel of the car. The roller seens to reach the centre studs. The vacuum car picks up an amazing amount of very fine black grit. This system seems to remove the black mud like build up from the tracks.I notice the roller misses the outside on some of my standard curves. Both the roller and teh brush for the vacuum have set screws which allow them to push down more on the track. They are easy to adjust, but take some playing with to get just right.

Hand: I use M track. Some of it is quite old, ie 1958 to 1968, and younger. Running my fingers along the track is a good test. A black line left on the finger is a sign cleaning is needed. The finger actually works wellif you are not doing too long an area.

A good variation on the finger is a rag with some rubbing alcohol on it. This is easier on the fingers. Also people do not stare at the "track marks" on your fingers.In my case this was not enough. I then pulled the problem areas up. I took each track and did the cloth and alcohol rub. I also did the "spades" that carry the current between each track. Finally I took a tooth brush and dipped it in the alcohol. I used it to get into the rail joiners. (At this point I got a blistering reproof from "herself", and had to calm her down by running our and getting her a new tooth brush. She needed one anyway. How was I to know that old looking one was hers?)

Track erasor. I have been told these are not a good idea unless the track is rusted. Apparently even old M track had a protective coating which the abrasive erasors take off. I have used it on rusted track, or on areas that are very stubborn. The result is good, but I suspect tracks on which I have done that rust more readily and need extra finger and alcohol treatment.

I know this topic has had a lot of airing. This is also a rather long post. Please forgive me if I have gone on too long

I think the problem with sandpaper may be that it removes any protective coating placed on the rails by the manufacturer, and may increase the risk of oxidization (rust) forming on the spots where sandpaper was used.

Hi all,

Harald you are mentioning two interesting isues: prevention and repair.

For 'repair' i use a combination of Lux vacuum cleaner and polishing + a cheap Roco clean car. This works very good allready, allthough oil proves difficult too remove, I'm thinking of adding a Lux "Mittelleiterreinigungswagen" or puko cleaning car and a second polishing car with a felt brush.





For prevention I'm thinking of a standalone version of the Lux wheel cleaner:



Cleaning by hand is not an option for me. To much track and, when the catenary, is on too risky.

My experience with sandpaper is that it will make grooves in the top of your track. This enables dirt to return more easily. In the long term ist not working for me..

Rinus

I should have added a bit about wheel cleaning to my last post. I became something of an expert there too as a result of the construction I mentioned.

Track cleaning alone without wheel cleaning does not solve the entire problem.

I Do it by hand. I use a rag dipped in rubbing alcohol. It removes the black buildup on locomotive and carriage wheels. It is time consuming, but worth it. Most carriages it is easy to take the wheels out so that I only handle them, and not the whole carriage. Really bad, and stubborn nes I have scraped with a small screwdriver. I am not fond of that as I suspect it damages the wheels. Do wheels have a special finish on them I might be damaging?

Old locomotives I can turn the wheels by hand to get at all of the wheel. Newer digital ones have to go on the test track and moved about a quarter turn of the wheels.

What do members think of the Lux wheel cleaner? Price? Effectiveness ?