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Offline SCWHIPPLE  
#1 Posted : 10 July 2013 21:36:06(UTC)
SCWHIPPLE

United States   
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 75
Location: in a house
Here is a video on how to make a center rail cleaner for those stud things. Marklin does not make one, and the Stummi forum had a lot of DIY ones, but all in german.

Here is one that is really cheap - almost free - if you have a small car with a slider (pick up shoe) already on it, like the box car with the tail light.
If you don't have that, pick a small car you don't mind screwing a slider onto the bottom.

Then all you need is one of those clothes for cleaning your glasses.

Edited by user 16 September 2013 15:58:48(UTC)  | Reason: trying to get video to work

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Offline Webmaster  
#2 Posted : 11 July 2013 00:26:30(UTC)
Webmaster


Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,161
Simple & effective indeed, very good idea.

You could even use other "detergents" as alcohol, lighter fluid or other...
I like it since it uses a microfibre cloth which is gentle to the studs compare to paper, sandpaper and other things generally suggested...
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]
thanks 4 users liked this useful post by Webmaster
Offline SCWHIPPLE  
#3 Posted : 11 July 2013 19:48:46(UTC)
SCWHIPPLE

United States   
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 75
Location: in a house
I read that someone used Goo Gone to put on a regular rail cleaner. Since I had some, I cut out two more cloths and tried it. Here are the results:



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Offline elpantaso  
#4 Posted : 13 July 2013 18:56:51(UTC)
elpantaso

Greece   
Joined: 03/07/2013(UTC)
Posts: 14
Location: Athens, Greece
Hello Incontinentia,
Usefull tip.
I'll try it, but before that, I'd like your comment about the passing from the turnouts.
You know; the sharpness at the edges on the changing line point, creating any hooking on the cloth?
Thank you in advance,
Lefteris.


(tournout sample)
UserPostedImage
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Offline SCWHIPPLE  
#5 Posted : 14 July 2013 01:12:49(UTC)
SCWHIPPLE

United States   
Joined: 29/01/2012(UTC)
Posts: 75
Location: in a house
Hi Elpantso,

Yes I tried it on all switches that I have and on all radius track. I have three way switches as in your photo, and also double slip, long radius and short radius. I have all five radius C track. I did NOT try it on M track nor K track as I do not have any - except a little K track in my roundhouse. It caught on nothing at all. I did make it too wide the first time and had to cut it a little thinner so it would get under the wheels and make the car fall off.

Also, congratulations on being 101 years old, and you have the same birthday as me! Laugh

Edited by user 16 July 2013 23:38:34(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

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Offline Goofy  
#6 Posted : 14 July 2013 10:33:31(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
You can also scrape the surface with a fine file.
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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Offline elpantaso  
#7 Posted : 14 July 2013 16:45:10(UTC)
elpantaso

Greece   
Joined: 03/07/2013(UTC)
Posts: 14
Location: Athens, Greece
Originally Posted by: SCWHIPPLE Go to Quoted Post
Hi Elpantso,

Yes I tried ..................................................................... car fall off.

Also, congratulations on being 101 years old, and you have the same birthday as me! Laugh


Thank you for the details. I'll try it into the next week.
Isn't it nice to communicate with people in the same age? Cool

PS (to Anders) Remember that; materials like the sandpaper clean up "drastic", but they create micro scraches on the rails,
therefore time after time will wear off the wheel's rubbers (!)


See you around here guys,
Lefteris.
Offline Goofy  
#8 Posted : 15 July 2013 17:54:14(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
Originally Posted by: elpantaso Go to Quoted Post

PS (to Anders) Remember that; materials like the sandpaper clean up "drastic", but they create micro scraches on the rails,
therefore time after time will wear off the wheel's rubbers (!)[/i]

See you around here guys,
Lefteris.[/color]


Not really exactly...
I use very fine sand paper so it´s okey do that on the rail.
But you must make sure to clean up on the track with chemical gasolin.

H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline NZMarklinist  
#9 Posted : 16 July 2013 06:00:52(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: Goofy Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: elpantaso Go to Quoted Post

PS (to Anders) Remember that; materials like the sandpaper clean up "drastic", but they create micro scraches on the rails,
therefore time after time will wear off the wheel's rubbers (!)[/i]

See you around here guys,
Lefteris.[/color]


Not really exactly...
I use very fine sand paper so it´s okey do that on the rail.
But you must make sure to clean up on the track with chemical gasolin.




Actually Goofy, how much MRR operating do you actually do ?? The fine grooves in rails and even the M puckos, caused by filing or sandpaper, attract dirt, in fact trap it in them and the the problem becomes worse, as dirt attracts more dirt !!Cursing . And this problem is ten times worse for two railers, of which you are a sometimes one Goofy, ? No ?
So it is NOT "okey" to sand or file your rails if they are on a layout, other passive cleaning methods should be used unless you can throw the track away at some later time.

Our friend here "SCWHIPPLE" has come up with a very good and inexpesive idea and system I believe, ThumpUp but haven't tried it myself as yet, but I will and report back. It would team up very well with a Marklin 46042 rail cleaning wagon in the consist Wink
Trouble is my optition is a bit mean with those micrfibre cloths, Sad however they are commercially available
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
Offline Goofy  
#10 Posted : 16 July 2013 08:20:15(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post


Actually Goofy, how much MRR operating do you actually do ?? The fine grooves in rails and even the M puckos, caused by filing or sandpaper, attract dirt, in fact trap it in them and the the problem becomes worse, as dirt attracts more dirt !!Cursing . And this problem is ten times worse for two railers, of which you are a sometimes one Goofy, ? No ?
So it is NOT "okey" to sand or file your rails if they are on a layout, other passive cleaning methods should be used unless you can throw the track away at some later time.




Factory who are producing rail does grinds and polishes the rails.
That´s way rails looks shines.

H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline Goofy  
#11 Posted : 16 July 2013 10:13:37(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
I use only very fine sand paper to clean up water glue after i did ballasted.
This way is only use once!!
After that i use chemical gasolin to clean my tracks.
To clean stud contact i recommend by use very fine file once and that´s it!
It´s pick up shoes on the locomotivs that needs to clean ofter than the tracks.
Just simple use chemical gasolin to clean pick up shoes.
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline NZMarklinist  
#12 Posted : 20 July 2013 07:07:47(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: Goofy Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post


Actually Goofy, how much MRR operating do you actually do ?? The fine grooves in rails and even the M puckos, caused by filing or sandpaper, attract dirt, in fact trap it in them and the the problem becomes worse, as dirt attracts more dirt !!Cursing . And this problem is ten times worse for two railers, of which you are a sometimes one Goofy, ? No ?
So it is NOT "okey" to sand or file your rails if they are on a layout, other passive cleaning methods should be used unless you can throw the track away at some later time.




Factory who are producing rail does grinds and polishes the rails.
That´s way rails looks shines.




What Factory Scared ???
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
Offline kariosls37  
#13 Posted : 20 July 2013 11:43:13(UTC)
kariosls37

New Zealand   
Joined: 02/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 1,067
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Any factory that produces rails Glen.
Sometimes drawing metal(the process to turn a thick bit of metal into wire or some other shape like a model rail) can leave uneven surfaces. Although I cannot vouch for this being done at factories, grinding(like the oilstone you sharpen woodworking tools on) and polishing is one of the best ways to get a perfect flat finish. If you erode metal chemically it is more likely to leave a rough surface than polishing.

In sanding/grinding, there are different grades of finishing quality. You can do your woodwork with P80 sandpaper, but if you want a really high quality finish on a bit of metal, you can cut your bit of metal(with say, a file) first, then you grind it with some coarse-ish grinding paste, and you work your way towards finer grades of grinding paste until you reach something like Brasso, or even finer, Silvo. This stuff is nothing more than ultra fine particles that do the same as a bit of wet&dry sandpaper on a much smaller scale. Brasso would be a lot finer than most track rubbers, and there is nothing to say that it would be any worse for the track than a track rubber.

In some cases, like rusted track you have no choice but to start out with scratching the railhead with say, P800 sandpaper. It would be better in any case than the pitting caused by rust. But then you gradually work out the scratches caused by the rough sanding when you are working with progressively finer abrasives.


Cheers,
Rick
Offline Goofy  
#14 Posted : 20 July 2013 18:08:39(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
I use P400 sandpaper.
But this is only once on the rail.
I did also used this sandpaper on the stud contact with good results.
But just only once time!
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline NZMarklinist  
#15 Posted : 22 July 2013 16:57:23(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: Goofy Go to Quoted Post
I use P400 sandpaper.
But this is only once on the rail.
I did also used this sandpaper on the stud contact with good results.
But just only once time!



Once is enough to permanently damage them Scared
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
Offline NZMarklinist  
#16 Posted : 22 July 2013 17:02:08(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: kariosls37 Go to Quoted Post
Any factory that produces rails Glen.
Sometimes drawing metal(the process to turn a thick bit of metal into wire or some other shape like a model rail) can leave uneven surfaces. Although I cannot vouch for this being done at factories, grinding(like the oilstone you sharpen woodworking tools on) and polishing is one of the best ways to get a perfect flat finish. If you erode metal chemically it is more likely to leave a rough surface than polishing.

In sanding/grinding, there are different grades of finishing quality. You can do your woodwork with P80 sandpaper, but if you want a really high quality finish on a bit of metal, you can cut your bit of metal(with say, a file) first, then you grind it with some coarse-ish grinding paste, and you work your way towards finer grades of grinding paste until you reach something like Brasso, or even finer, Silvo. This stuff is nothing more than ultra fine particles that do the same as a bit of wet&dry sandpaper on a much smaller scale. Brasso would be a lot finer than most track rubbers, and there is nothing to say that it would be any worse for the track than a track rubber.

In some cases, like rusted track you have no choice but to start out with scratching the railhead with say, P800 sandpaper. It would be better in any case than the pitting caused by rust. But then you gradually work out the scratches caused by the rough sanding when you are working with progressively finer abrasives.


Cheers,
Rick


Rick, the factories , or at least Marklin deliver them with a very fine polished finish, if not extruded, any sanding or grinding by users will destroy that finish and make them susceptable to attracting contaminents.
If you have rusty M track, you probably don't have much choice tho Mellow
This thread is about the center rail, and that is certainly compromised by sanding or filing, however I know we've all done it, but it is not ideall, or recommended for long durablity !
To reduce wear on the sliders, my Father recommended I use vaseline on them, ( saved him buying me new ones Wink ) in my younger years, and that gave me reliable performance from the start, of every school holidays, or when ever required, because it left a slight coating on the puckos as well ! ! I did not ever file or sand my M Tracks or puckos, in the seven or so years of ownership, and the layout was in my bedroom as a child, so was in a high moisture content atmosphere, susceptable to corosion !
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
Offline waorb  
#17 Posted : 22 July 2013 20:12:21(UTC)
waorb

Brazil   
Joined: 31/05/2011(UTC)
Posts: 868
Location: Brazil

Hello together!

I have a good experience, in the last years, with the CMX cleaning car filled with Isopropyl alcohol.

http://www.tonystrains.c...chnews/clean_machine.htm

Once a month I run the cleaning car all over the layout. No problems even on 3way or X turnouts.

Regards,

Walter
Offline Goofy  
#18 Posted : 22 July 2013 20:27:45(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Goofy Go to Quoted Post
I use P400 sandpaper.
But this is only once on the rail.
I did also used this sandpaper on the stud contact with good results.
But just only once time!



Once is enough to permanently damage them Scared


Well...my trains is working very well on the tracks.

H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline kariosls37  
#19 Posted : 23 July 2013 01:32:01(UTC)
kariosls37

New Zealand   
Joined: 02/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 1,067
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post

Rick, the factories , or at least Marklin deliver them with a very fine polished finish, if not extruded, any sanding or grinding by users will destroy that finish and make them susceptable to attracting contaminents.
If you have rusty M track, you probably don't have much choice tho Mellow
This thread is about the center rail, and that is certainly compromised by sanding or filing, however I know we've all done it, but it is not ideall, or recommended for long durablity !


Glen, do you realise that polishing is a very fine form of grinding? Ask any engineer and they will tell you the same story.

I suspect that the centre rail is nothing more than punched sheetmetal which has been blackened, and punching is not exactly the best way to get a really good surface finish. In any case, the centre pickup is quite long and generally does not accumulate the dirt the running rails do. This means that the weak point of the circuit will always be the running rails, because of ther smaller pickup area. You ca therefore get away with a lot more stuff than running rails, although I would consider P400 pretty coarse for cleaning the centre rail, you can probably get away with P1000 for rusted over centre rails.

Cheers,
Rick
Offline Goofy  
#20 Posted : 08 December 2013 10:50:54(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
My two rail layout is still working,yet i did used fine sand paper to clean the rail.
But my locomotivs with traction tyres is worse,since i did found more dust on it.
I did also found some scratches on the rail in my layout.
I´m sorry about my early comments!!
Forget about to use fine sand paper.
Use chemical gasolin or electronic cleaner like PRF 6-68 to clean the rail.
My next layout will become with Marklin K tracks and this time i avoid to use sand paper.
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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