Can I get examples on how to clean train wheels. I know some have tons of them. What are some ways to clean them.
I take a coffee filter paper and place it over a piece of track. I then squirt some lighter fluid (Walgreens cheap stuff for refilling a cigarette lighter) on the filter paper and roll the cars back and forth over the wet spot. All the black stuff comes off. This solvent is very volitale and of course very flamable so be careful with it. It does not attack plastic or paint. The coffee filters are strong and do not come apart like a paper towel, are cheap and disposable when they fill up with crud.
First off, I recommend switching to metal wheels. These just run better than plastic. Based on information from HO guys around here, you could pull a train a third to half more as long with metal wheels than plastic. Plastic wheels will pick up more gunk than metal ones. Cleaning them is a component of a good track maintenance plan, as keeping the track clean means the wheels will stay clean. However, there are ways to do both at the same time. Applying a light oil (such as Wahl electric razor oil) to one foot sections of track (every so often on the layout) and allowing the trains to spread it around will help. The trains will run like there is no crud at all, but more dust can and will gather. So I would suggest doing the light oil thing, then wiping down the rails with a clean rag to remove the residue and junk from them. For the cars then, run them back and forth over a paper towel across a scrap piece of track. The oil should have penetrated the gunk on the wheels, and the friction of the dry paper towel show remove it. Either that, or apply Goo Gone to a paper towel and try the same method. Just make sure to do a dry wipe after the wet one, so you get the residue off. For locomotives, I recommend the later method. Fold a paper towel several times over and lay a small section on track, apply some Goo Gone, and with one truck picking up power to spin the wheels, hold the other end on the towel so the wheels scrub themselves. You'll be surprised how much stuff comes off. Repeat by moving the towel slightly until nothing comes off, and hold the truck to press the flanges against the rails so they get cleaned as well. Just don't burn up your motors by pressing down so hard it stalls the loco. 50-75% power should be sufficient to get the job done. Good luck! Adam
BRILLIANT! Man I never thought of coffee filters, but that makes sense... Probably because I don't drink coffee. I'll have to try this up at Discount Model Trains. Thanks Russell! You da man! Adam
Adam I am not sure if this method would work for the loco on a DCC layout. If I am not mistaken raising the loco will cause a short preventing power to the layout.
I would shudder to think about using something flammable in the extreme when we are dealing with current. Also, knowing that there are children reading these boards might give us a problem or two if good sense is not stressed.
I like to use something that leaves no oily residue behind like Goo Gone does. If you leave a drop of Goo Gone on a piece of glass and let it evaportate it leaves behind a lot of oil. The lighter fluid leaves nothing. I have used the lighter fluid for years and never had a problem. I only use small amounts at a time. I also clean locomotive wheels with it, leaving one truck on a live track to spin the wheels. I have never experienced an ignition of the small wet spot (an inch or two in diamiter) on the coffee filter from any sparks. If for some reason it ever did, it would just poof and be gone. I doubt there would be enough heat generated to ignite the coffee filter. That said, if you are more comfortable using something like rubbing alcohol, that works too but I find the lighter fluid cuts the crud faster. I am just telling what my experiences have been. You can always set up on a card table outside if the flamability issue bothers you, and do a mass cleaning of your stock. I would avoid paint thinner because if you get it on your fingers and handle your cars and locomotives you leave ugly finger prints.
Get yourself a small ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner and place your wheelsets in the vibrator. It will clean them in no time. Another choice is to use metal wheel sets. They don't accumulate all that debris that you find on plastic wheel sets. I wouldn't mess around with lighter fluid. Stay cool and run steam.....
I take a piece of teri wipe and wrap it over a short piece of loose track, moisten the cloth-covered rails with a bit of alcohol (I use a q-tip for this) and then run the trucks over the damp spot a few dozen times with a little pressure. The teri wipe is a cotton, absorbent cleaning cloth you can find in packs of 12 or so in your household cleanser department at the grocery store. I've never had a problem using alcohol as a solvent, but I would recommend that you not get any on the painted surface of your rolling stock.
