Granted, S_R_N, yet there is, to me, a little hyperbole in the premise that having a bit of the stuff coating ones rails, and around a few pins and bushings on a given locomotive, is a recipe for in-home danger. A single candle's emissions are going to have longer-lasting and deletrioius effects on ones health than all the volatiles in a few drops of ATF left exposed for weeks on end. Yet, we burn candles with seeming impunity in our homes. We don't 'handle' rails. We do our best not to 'handle' our locomotives unless we absolutely have to, and when we do we don't clasp them by the wheels or rods and valve gear to which we apply the ATF or other lubes. We hold them via a tank or the running boards, the body, the cab,... But I had really meant to suggest that the idea of coating ones rails with anything, let alone ATF of one kind or another, or Wahl's Clipper Oil, or gun oil, is not one that I would seriously contemplate. If I have a reservation, it isn't over the health effects, it is over the unwanted consequences of applying a slippery solution to my rail tops, and one that will want to retain the particulate matter that accrues over a few hours or days, such as that blown around during foot falls or central heating cycles.
I haven't read through this entire thread so I might be out of sync with the on going discussion. I'm alarmed at what I've read so far. This is my experience talking. May I suggest, you look at Cause and Effect. ***In my opinion, using any kind of lube, goo gone, wahl clipper oil, ATF transmission fluid is not wisdom in action. Why? They all leave a residue which can lead to dirty tracks and wheels or lack of electrical contact. Caution: ATF transmission fluid will dry out the plastic ties and in time you will find the spike heads drying out and splitting. In the long run, you will end up replacing the track. To wisely use any of the above items, you first have to find an effective way to remove them. To do this you would need to float it loose with a Degreaser. Now think about this. A controlled flooding of liquid to remove a liquid product. Anything you use to clean with, will also have a damaging effect on the ballasted road bed, plastic ties never mind your sub-roadbed. Good idea? I don't think so. ****The reason we have problems with electrical contact is due to "Environmental Build-UP!" This is caused by dirt in the air, positive and negative Ions, attracted to the track... by static electricity. To clear the air: Plastic or metal wheels do not attract dirt, static electricity attracts dirt. Partially to blame, is the + and - Ion's acting out against us. Here's a scenario to consider. You recently oiled and lubed a locomotive and put it out on the layout to run. The lube will most likely find it's way to the rails. The dust in the air either through the + or - Ion syndrome, or ordinary every day gravity... ends up on the track. Moisture, either from the lube, or in this case anything else you add, plus the humidity in the air causes the particles to bond to the track, aka build-up. Train wheels running over the rails acts like a mixer, mixing it all together. Now we have GUNK, on the track, on the wheels... resulting in poor electrical conductivity. Cause and effect. Did I mention there is a natural thing metal does and it's called oxidation. Mother natures way of protecting the metal. Old news but often denied. Yes it happens with nickel silver. Most of the time, it is easy to remove. Now add in the GUNK factor and you have a real mess on your hands. Again, cause and effect. The only thing I use to clean the track and wheels is Denatured Alcohol or Isopropyl Alcohol. Followed by a clean rag to remove the dirt, GUNK and grime. Outlawed on my layout, are any of the chemicals and manufactured items here to fore identified *** in the 3rd paragraph. Including anything with detergent properties, solvents and oil based chemicals. Metal or Plastic Wheels do not attract dirt, Static Electricity attracts dirt. Just something for you to think about. I hope this helps.
Thump! Bang! Thud! Slam! Why not read the article before trashing it? It might open your mind. It probably won't make you want to actually try it - I'm not going to yet - but you might see that there are other possibilities than the way it's been done for the last 100 years.
Mike and of course all tuned in, Was I knocking any article? By the way...what article? I know read through the thread... Aw, that article. Nope I wasn't knocking it. But this wouldn't be the first time I've disagreed with something written in a model railroad wig wag. Caution and/or Yellow over Red: Be careful what advice you take and from what sources. Not everything verbalized and/or in print today is right on, or looks out for your best interest. My voice of experience, in response to the OP and his original question. You can knock my experience or take exception with it. The reality is we all learn the hard way. I need to leave room for each of you to make your own mistakes. An old hat once said to me, "" You can listen to the voice of experience or you can make your own. I suggest you listen, to the old hats"", he concluded.
You really need to read the article before trashing the idea.... They did some pretty thorough testing. We are talking months at a time at close to 1000 laps of the layout. They also soaked a piece of track and a train car in ATF with no effect to the plastic over a 24 hour period. It's not like they are pouring the stuff on, they painted it 2" per rail once, and let the train run through it. Trains / tracks that needed cleaning after 100 loops of the layout when run dry, ran 500 loops plus with no problems after ATF. This was tested on an HO layout and they did note a slight loss of traction (two cars on a 2% grade). I doubt I would even consider it on N scale because the traction loss would be magnified but for it's application, a museum style layout that gets run almost constantly, I think it is an interesting solution. When I worked in an auto repair shop, we used ATF for cleaning everything. AFT is a high detergent lubricant and does wonders for breaking down gunk. On really nasty diesels, we would dump a quart in the oil and drive it for a few days before the oil change to flush the motor. A synthetic ATF is not based on petroleum so it is very unlikely it would effect plastics. It is not really a lubricant but a hydraulic fluid and has traction additives to help the clutches in an automatic transmission grab and hold better. Before silicone shock fluids became available in a wide variety of viscosities, I used to use ATF as a shock oil for my early RC cars because of it's anti-foaming properties.
Sorry Rick, the placing of my post under yours was just chance - my comments were to all the previous posters who were basically toeing the party line on dry, clean track without realising that the authors of the article have done a lot of practical research into what worked and didn't using ATF. Of course you are welcome to include yourself amongst that number, but it's not an exclusive post I'm afraid
What party line? I read the article completely and i didn't agree with it and that is that. The problem is with the KOOL AID drinkers who read an article in that mag and believe that it is the only way to go and are waiting for the NMRA to make it a recommended practice. The club did the testing and it worked for them. It doesn't mean I want to do it myself, having had to clean an entire layout and the wheels on my equipment before I take it home to run on my layout. I could just imagine what would happen if one of the influential writers over there wrote about how he used ground up poop from his cats litter box as coal loads for his hoppers.
Mike and all tuned in, Interesting how things work out. No problem! No need to apologize. I understand your point of view and I thought you shared some valid information. There is a club layout, I operate on and they use some type of oil based product on the rails. Before we start operations, one of our members will run his cleaning cars to remove the unknown goo. At the end of the day he runs them again to put it all back...well...not really. The point is we leave the track cleaner then we found it. Yep, looks like I'm one of the group who is anti the ideas shared in this alleged article. Now, I'm going to have to go out and buy the ### issue just so I can read it. Darn it! In defense of my expressed position. I did spill ATF on a N scale layout and it dried out the plastic ties in the track causing the rail to separate, from the plastic spikes. I had to cut the track out and replace it. At an earlier time: I tried using Brake Fluid to remove paint from some plastic freight cars. I must have left it in the goop to long because, when I went to pick out the car to clean and remove the paint, with a toothbrush, the car cracked and folded up in my hand. I tried the same thing with transmission fluid (I was out of brake fluid) and darn if the same thing didn't happen. Thus, my position...from the "For what it's worth department". After these experience's...if you think I'm going to let any of this stuff near my track work. I don't think so. You all take care.
