Does anyone have any experience with the Centerline track cleaning cars in n-scale? I saw a couple in Calgary at about $100.00 Cdn.
Yes, they work very good. But not as good as a bright boy and some elbow grease. As well depending what you use as a cleaner there can be a build up of gunk on the rails. Some guys swear by goo gone and others swear at it. Nonetheless, at $100 a pop they are an awefully expensive track cleaner. BTW I have known a few modellers to make a similar cleaning car by cutting a square in the bottom of a box car or the like and placing a tube weighted by lead free rolling in this space. Welcome to the board!!
I have one,and am not sure how I feel about it.I have tried goo gone and rubbing alcahol and both seem to leave a residue on the rails.I don't think alcahol should leave a residue,but after time there is a grayish layer on the rails that does not conduct electricity.I am going to try some rail zip on the roller,and see how that works.I also want to get a track cleaning car that uses a bright boy to run ahead of the centerline car. To make a short story long.......I guess the car does work,the roller definatly gets dirty,but I have yet to figure out what to put on the roller. Hope this helps.
I use "Simple Green" with my N scale Centerline. I cut it 1 part SG to 1 part water. It desolves gunk. The downside is you have to clean or replace the pads on the CL more often. I also soak my Micro-Trains wheelsets in it and it literally melts the dirt off all but the most goobered up wheels. Simple Green is an all purpose cleaner and de-greaser and is available in most automotive stores in the US.
I've had very good luck with Aero-Locomotive Works brand ACT-6006 Track Cleaner that I use with this kind of car and I usually put my ROCO track cleaner right behind it. What residue it does leave has a high conductiveity and improves traction as well.
one thing i've found with rubbing alcohol is it contains a oil for lubrication like a mild mineral oil, try using isopropyl alcohol, it is a little more expensive, like maybe 20 cents but it does not have any oil, it is straight 90% alcohol and 10% water.
I use Goo Gone with my standard (not the boxcar type) Centerline track cleaner. I'm very satisfied with it. Because of some derailments over #6 switches I added 40grams of lead. Now it works without any problems. I often use the track cleaner as the first car behind the locos. No problems even if 70-80 cars are coupled to the cleaner. If I didn't run my layout for a while I have the cleaner leading the locos. This cleans the rail before the loco's wheels can pick up the dirt.
I have two Centerline cars. I also have five or six Aztec cars. Track cleaning on the Oakville Sub has progressed from the Bright Boy days through one Centerline and so on. I won't bore you all with the exact chronology and reasoning, but I will tell you the composition of my current cleaning train: Usually powered by a pair of four axle and one six axle unit. First cleaning car is the Aztec Monsoon. This has a fluid tank and canvas roller, plus a metering valve. (I use Goo-Gone or isopropyl alcohol depending on how dirty things are, and maybe my mood...). Following the Monsoon are several ballast cars and then a straight Aztec car with canvas roller. The purpose of these is to work the liquid into the dirt and move it around. Then there are a couple more ballast cars and the first Centerline car, with Handiwipe cover, not fastened. Then a couple more ballast cars, then another Centerline with Handiwipe, several more ballast hoppers, then an Aztec Predator with Handiwipe. Then a couple more ballast cars and finally three Aztecs with cratex rollers. I'll open the metering valve on the Monsoon about an eighth turn, and go. After one pass I stop and snip off about an inch and a half from each Handiwipe roller, thus removing a lot of crud. I'll make three or four passes or until the amount of crud decreases substantially - and I typically will be running a couple other trains following the cleaning train. By doing this, the following trains' wheels get cleaned as well as the track. Because the Handiwipe rollers aren't tied in place, I never back up. Interestingly, the Predator always has more crud than do the Centerline cars. I attribute this to the slight angle Aztec gives to it's roller on the Predator - it tends to "skid" on the rails a bit and thereby wipes off more crud. I contend that whatever you use in the way of cleaning cars, if you don't get rid of the crud you're just moving it around. I'd be tempted to use more Predators but as has been correctly pointed out, the cars DO get expensive. I've also been after John at Aztec to build a fifty foot dual roller Predator. In this way I could shorten the train and still remove the same amount of crud. What I have works very well indeed. I still have to do occasional touch up of tough spots with a bright boy, but not very often. IMO, track cleaning is a very individual art. What works for me may not work for you. You need to factor in your budget and time available and do the best you can with what you have.
Thanks guys for all interesting posts about rail cleaning. However, I have made my own rail cleaning car that work without any fluids. I have not found any fluids that never left some dielectric stuff on the rail. If I carefully cleaned all rail with a Bright Boy and a little work, then it is enough to use my own very cheap construction. Look at the link below: rail cleaning car
