Allow me to share with you a rule of thumb. Something I learned in a Chemistry class and proved time and again while managing a hospital housekeeping or environmental services department. Here we go: All types of cleaning products leave a residual of one kind or another. Some work in your favor, while others do not. Certain positive Ion's will attract dust as in the oily polishes used to clean furniture. WD40 is an oil based solvent and has been known to attract all kinds of dust and dirt. A word of caution about Goo Gone. This product at it's base is oil based and a solvent. It does leave a residual on the tracks that will actually attract what is commonly called "Environmental Build Up" or said another way smoke, hair, lint, dirt and dust that is in the air. Acting much like a magnet does to attract metal. Should you use the products mentioned above, you would need to clean them off before operating your trains. Spidge has recommended a superb product No-Ox, as the residual it leaves actually works in your favor. Isopropyl Alcohol, is a very effective track cleaner and I use it to remove the light oil, grease and WD40 that's been used to lube locomotives. And, no I don't recommend you use WD 40 to lube your locomotives, but then that's another thread for another time. The Isopropyl Alcohol at 50% won't dry out the track but may remove paint that you use to give it a realistic color or to weather it. Using it in a cleaning car or applying it to a cleaning car pad is not a problem and should cause you no adverse effects. It may also have an adverse effect on Elmer's White Glue, drying it out, causing it to turn brittle and break or flake. Of course you'd have to pour it directly on the track. I know someone, who was desperate to clean his track and did this very thing. You might know him and that would be scary. He poured it all over the track and thought he could wipe it back up. What a mess. Have fun, stay safe and don't trespass. Unless you think you can get away with it. AND, that's never worked for me. I know, another thread for another time.
Spidge, thanks for the advice concerning No-Ox. I, like many other DCCers, am always on the lookout for the magic Track-cleaning bullet. A question: the instructions at the Sourcesupply website contain a bothering statement. I have a lot of steam locomotives and almost all of them have traction tires. The instructions say that even the correct application of No-Ox can cause traction tires to slip and the best fix is to just replace them. Replacement is not always easy and the thought of replacing all traction tires is daunting. Do you run steam and/or can you comment on this warning about traction tires? Thanks. ...Tom
Guys,I'm out cleaning my back porch[Read:Summer model workshop] I'll get pics up later tonight.I borrowed my buddie's tile saw to cut down a few sharpening stones to make them the right size.The cars are pretty straight forward to build,it's really just a "T" shaped weight,glued to the stone,riding up inside an Atlas 40 foot boxcar with the center cut out..The method would also work for Masonite,no springs..If I get enough interest,maybe I'll offer the weight/stones as a kit?
Tom, I have only one steam loco and it is also the only traction tire equiped loco in my fleet, but I have no issues. I think the concern is over gunking up the works, but if you are using that much its to much. You only need a very thin film to do the trick. Hope this helps.
Thanks, Spidge. The more I thought about it the more I came to the same conclusion. After all, the other methods I've used often times involve getting the tires wet: Goo Gone, Isopropyl, Naptha, etc. None of those liquids have caused problems with traction tires so you wouldn't expect No-Ox to. I know it leaves a residual coating, but so does Goo Gone. I've now got some No-Ox on order. One last (well, maybe not) question; if you do get too much on, is there a recommended technique for wiping all the stuff off? Thanks again. ...Tom
Rick: I use 91% iso-propyl alcohol to clean the track on the JJJ&E. The 91% iso-propyl alcohol won't dry out the track as it leaves no film on the rails. If you paint the rails to weather them, iso-propyl alcohol has no effect on a Polly Scale paint or an oil based paint. If you one of those ink pens to weather the rails of track and then cleaning track with iso-propyl alcohol will remove the ink from the sides of rails. In regards to other cleaning substances, I would never use a substance to clean track that leaves any hint of a film on the track rails. Any film would definitely affect the performance of a DCC system. I use DCC to run the JJJ&E.
The only way to remove the excess is to wipe it up. Also no-ox does not leave a layer per say of protective film, no-ox actually treats the rails themselves. After treatment you will only have to vacuum from time to time.
After reading some of the postings I went ahead and did some testing using WD40 as a track cleaner on a couple of sections in my yard along with a couple of engines, one being my finicky C-628. It didn't take much time to discover the results. The C-628 with it's wheels & track clean runs fine. If the wheels just get a little bit of debri on them the lights start to flicker. This engine does this more so then any other engine I own. Well, not only did the lights flicker but the C-628 stalled on the track in random places. I went and clean the wheels with Iso-Propyl Alcohol and their was a good build up on them. And I cleaned them first before doing the testing with the WD40! So off I went to inspect the tracks......they looked clean but after a good cleaning with some more Alcohol they look to have never been cleaned in the first place. So all locos and tracks that got the WD40 treatment were all cleaned with Iso-Propyl Alcohol. The lights no longer flicker on my finicky C-628 and it no longer stalls. I will state from personal experience that WD40 does not work as a track cleaner as this contains a light oil in it's formula. This oil will atract dirt and gum up on everything that it will come in contact with and should never be used as a track cleaner. If going the liquid route...Iso-Propyl Alcohol is the best way to go. It cleans and leaves no residue on the tracks and wheels......... One more point that I think that needs to be said: Someone mentioned the high flammability of WD40 which is correct. But it should also be said for anyone who might not be aware that Iso-Propyl Alcohol (rubbing Alcohol) is also highly flammable and should be used carefully and used with caution!
No-ox ID A Special This stuff may end up in the hobby shops yet. I found out that Walthers now carries it. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/171-226 The price is about the same as everyone else to.
Is the residue left by WD40 electrically conductive? Why would it not be advantageous to leave an electrically conductive residue? Thanks.
Lou, did you ever do this? Or have thoughts of getting around to doing it? Personally I'd love to see how you did it. (I'd even more happily pay for a kit).
I have tried WD-40 and didn't care for the results. By the way it hasn't been flammable for some 20 years. It was actually the propellant that was flammable. Don't use rubbing alcohol as it has body oils in it. I like 95% Iso or CRC electrical contact cleaner. Don't use just any electrical contact cleaner as most have lubricant just like WD-40. Especially the stuff from Radio Shack. Very slick and messy.
Flash: The WD-40 is electrically conductive, however it leaves a 'slick' residue behind it that I think would cause a lot of locomotive slippage, especially if you have any gradients on your track. I live in a high-pollen area in the California Central Valley and also have a largely uninsulated garage layout--which in the Spring can lead to quite a mess. There's no way I can use liquid track cleaners without the rails acquiring a layer of 'gunk' on them from the pollen, even AFTER vacuuming. Spring cleaning generally used to mean vacuuming my track about once every other day. Now, I 'dry-clean' my track with my new Atlas track cleaning car, which has proven to be exceptional in keeping the track clean. The car has several rotating attachments--a fine-grit 'sander' (even finer than a Brite Boy), a vacuum and a rail polishing cloth. I genrally use it on a 3-way pass around the layout, first using the sander, then the vacuum and finally the polisher. Takes a grand total of about 20 minutes or so, and the track's ready to use for at least another two weeks. If I get another siege of pollen, all I do is run the car with the vacuum attachment around the layout (5 munites or so) and I'm all ready to go again. Best little accessory I ever bought. And since it needs a locomotive to push it, a lot of times, I just hook it up in front of a train. It's REALLY improved my operating by about 80%. Tom :tb-biggrin:
Congratulations! You've discovered for yourself the very thing I warn people about when they want to try WD40 as a cleaner. I've warned people again and again but I just get treated like I don't know what I'm talking about. I've been in this hobby for 40+ years man and boy and I've learned a lot along the way, including the fact that WD40 won't work as a track cleaner. As you discovered it leaves an oily film that attracts dirt like a magnet. Add to this that the film is not conductive. Now, if you want a track cleaning method that works then read the following and pay close attention. This is going to require some elbow grease on your part. This method is called the GLEAM method because that's your track is going to do when you're finished. It's going to gleam like a mirror. There are a few things you will need. A flat piece of stainless steel wide enough to span both rails at once. A large stainless steel washer will do. Some cork sheets like those used on bulletin boards. I get mine at Wal-Mart. Some wet/dry 600 grit and 800 grit sandpaper. A wood block big enough to span both rails. A good metal polish. Avoid Brasso like the plague! I use Blue Magic mag wheel cream polish. It can be found at most auto parts stores. Now, for the method. Wrap a piece of the 600 grit sandpaper around the wood block and sand the rail heads pushing the block so it travels along the rails as the train would. Do all the track. Vacuum up any debris or dust. Now do the same with the 800 grit sandpaper. Once you've finished that step make sure any and all track power is turned off. Pick up your piece of stainless steel and place on the track so it spans both rails. Now push it back and forth along the track while pressing down on it. This will burnish the rail heads and close up any gauges that dirt can collect in. Do the entire track. Now take a piece of cork one and a quarter inches wide and apply a THIN coat of metal polish to one side. Now place that side on the track but don't push it. Make sure the polish gets only on the rail heads. Pick it up and place it on the track again right next to the place you just did. You can do this 4 times then scrape the polish off the cork and apply a new coat of polish the repeat putting it down on the track until you've gone around the entire layout. Now comes the dirty part. Get a clean piece of cork and use it to buff an 18 inch long section of track until it gleams. Flip the cork over and buff that section again. Get another piece of cork and do the next 18 inch section of track the exact same way. Keep repeating this step until you've done all the track. Vacuum up any debris. Carefully inspect the track to see if there's any polish on the sides of the rails. If you find some clean it up and buff the rail heads right above that spot to get any residue that may have gotten on the rail heads. Now you need to clean ALL the wheels of your locos and cars. DO NOT use a cleaner that leaves any kind of film. I find that 91% rubbing alcohol works best. I shouldn't have to tell you this should be done in a ventilated area but I am anyway. If done properly your track shouldn't need a serious cleaning for years. I used this method on my track in 2005 and haven't had to clean the track since, just a quick wipe with a clean dry cloth if the layout has sat idle for any appreciable period of time. It's been 4 years and I haven't to clean it yet and I live in hot humid central Louisiana, one of the few places on earth where you can be slogging through waist deep mud in a rain storm while thick heavy dust blows in your face.
Thank you Jeffrey, for your terrific description of the "GLEAM" method. (Why is it capitalized?) This should go in the "how to" section for sure.
A little more info concerning No-ox. http://www.nscale.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13252, a great disscusion. The above is from Gary in the Nscale.org forum. Also try emailing Art Fahie at BarMills as he has been using it for years. barmillsmodels@yahoo.com
