As the Title Says, what do I look for in a Track cleaning Carriage?? So far I have found a Minitrix and a Roco not sure which one will be better????
I don't think anything can compare to the Atlas/Tomix track cleaning car. It cleans wet and dry and vacuums. You will be surprised at the lint it picks up, lint that usually winds up in your loco gears or wedged between the wheels and electrical pickup points. Al
I agree magnat, the atlas car is hard to beat tho i havent got round to fitting microtrains couplers to the damn thing yet (if thats possible?) whoppit
Magnat, The Tomix/Atlas car is a real beaut! But Centerline and Aztec also make cars that a lot of people swear by. Google them and visit their sites. I have a Roco pad cleaning car, and a Centerline roller--they work, but not as well as the Tomix car. The Tomix car is also cheaper than Centerline or Aztec, and is a blast to watch and listen to.
I've never been too hot on abrasive track cleaning, leaving dust, etc. on the track, getting onto the wheels, track. After handcleaning, lots of dirty wheels, found something I liked, wanted to use. Aztec track cleaner. Got mine with MT couplers, Rapido's are available, boxcar with MT and with roofwalk or w/o. Choice of rollers, handi-wipe covered, can wash out or replace covering. I use with isopropal alcohol, what I would normally clean dirty track with. Maintain clean track, so really dirty track should be cleaned by hand, bright boy, vacuum, whatever, polish out with polish. Currently my trains are on a board on the floor, wife runs the fan all the time (hey, she grew up here on the PLAINS). Smoke, dust, film deposit. After not running for weeks, cleaned the track by hand with lint free wipes, except for 2 feet at the back I couldn't reach. Put on car, roller cover wet with alcohol, push or pull around about 7 times, normal speed across that section. Cleaned both loops, I push it in front of loco or pull it once the track is clean enough. The brass roller is fairly heavy, but unless the loco is light, most of my LL, Kato or Atlas can pull or push it. The model I got has 3 rolls of brushes, and a magnet. I got a second roller, abrasive, but should have gotten another car, followed that with wipes one. I wish all my N scale stuff worked as well as the Aztec cleaner. Wouldn't want to use any other cleaning method without at least one wet cleaner. The roller is angled in the car, it rotates to one side. Washed the cover out the other night, no problem, not that much dirt, mostly oily film. One all my loco and car wheels are clean, should be better. the lighter the loco, the more dirty track/wheels affect the speed. The Kato observation car light and other lights are now flicker free. Ready for full interior lighting. -- Puma
It just occurred to me that your track cleaning methods might depend on the amount of track you have to clean. I'm cleaning at least 850 feet of track, so I try preventative measures first--a sealed room, clean trucks before I put them on the layout, an air purifier to remove dust at the source, construction outside the train room where possible. If the track is really dirty, I still use a manual method first--isopropyl alcohol and lots of cloths. Then I use the track cleaning cars, as a final step. I can apply 1000x or more pressure with my fingers than any car could ever apply. Pressure ("elbow wax") still cleans track better than any car.
Magnat, If you haven't decided yet and are feeling adventurous, the November 1943 issue of Model Railroader has instructions for building a track cleaning car in OO scale(You could scale it down). It uses two lamp wicks saturated with a fire-proof cleaning fluid called 'Energine'. If you build it, please post pictures. Facetious Al
