Cleaning Tarnished Rail Ends. Cola, Vinegar or other lotions or potions?

[daveyb]

dont bother XXXXXXX with vinegar coke or toilet duck,,,,

i tell you now,,, brick acid is the way forward,, i got a big long 4ft tub and plonked all my track in it and sold the lot

came up like new,,

cleans it in a few hours and can be left overnight,, then wash off with a hose or dunk in another 4 ft tub

it is bloody awesome and cleans the ties too

 

[PhilP]

Is it any good as a weedkiller afterwards?

 

[Rhinochugger]

Is it any good as a weedkiller afterwards?

Yeah, probably - I'm pretty certain it's a fairly dilute sulphuric acid, because it is intended to clean fresh cement / mortar marks from new brickwork.

While effective, it's probably one of the dearer solutions ('scuse the pun) but then, if it's left over, it's free I s'pose.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So it's really good but a lot more expensive. I guess it depends on whether the OP is having concrete work done or he merely wanted to clean his track!

 

[dunnyrail]

Jon
That is NOT a metal paint kettle is it?

Long, long ago... My Father suggested an old (metal) biscuit tin be used for Ferric Chloride (etching printed circuit boards).

My bedroom had just had a full make-over complete with new carpet.
Just glad it was his idea!

- The Coke will attack the metal of the kettle if it is.. Reducing the efficacy of the track-cleaning..

Yup it is no wonder the rail is not doing too much. Original thoughts were a plastic container, but on the plus side it is well painty inside so possibly some protection from the vinegar?

 

[daveyb]

brick acid is pretty cheep,,,, if you shop around 5 litres with delivery costs less than a ten pounds

you can also use it for cleaning patios and probably grout depending on the brand

but it is a product you have to respect and use goggles

 

[Rhinochugger]

It depends what you're trying yo achieve, Jon.

Dirty track is fairly prototypical I'd say, so it's only the areas of rail to be joined. As I said, I just paint the stuff on around where the fish plate will go

So you're only looking for a smallish amount

 

[JimmyB]

Try Cilit Bang. Spray it on, let it do its stuff & then wash off. Good for getting flux off as well.

The original Cilit Bang was very good, but the new stuff just does not seem as good.

 

[PhilP]

The original Cilit Bang was very good, but the new stuff just does not seem as good.

Bang! and the quality is gone??

 

[Paradise]

I soak it for an hour or so in white vinegar then use a stiff brass wire brush. Afterwards I soak the track in clean water for a while to dilute the vinegar to stop it reacting.
If you leave it in the vinegar for a long time it will eventually go a copper colour as a part of the reaction process. You can see that in the picture above.

 

[David1226]

I soak it for an hour or so in white vinegar then use a stiff brass wire brush.

That sounds like one hell of an infection, shouldn't you go to the Doctor with that.

David

 

[stockers]

or just run trains.

 

[Zerogee]

That sounds like one hell of an infection, shouldn't you go to the Doctor with that.

David

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, an old joke came to life....

WW1, and a General is touring a military hospital, in one ward he talks to three patients:
General to first soldier: "So, Sergeant, what are you in for?"
Sergeant: "Piles, Sir!"
General: "And how are they treating that?"
Sergeant: "Caustic Soda and a wire brush, Sir!"
General: "Good God, I thought they'd stopped doing that back in the Crimea.... what would you most like, Sergeant?"
Sergeant: "To get back to the Front, Sir!"
General: "Good Man, I'll see what I can do!"... moves on to next bed.....
General: "And what about you, Corporal?"
Corporal: "Nasty case of VD, Sir!"
General: "That's unfortunate, what is your treatment?"
Corporal: "Caustic Soda and a wire brush, Sir!"
General: "Ah well, what would you like most?"
Corporal: "To get back to the Front, Sir!"
General: "Good Man, that's the spirit!"... moves on to third bed.....
General: "And what is your problem, Private?"
Private (croakily): "Laryngitis, Sir...."
General "I see, and the treatment....?"
Private: "Caustic Soda and a wire brush, Sir!"
General: "Oh dear... well, what would you like most?"
Private: "To get first turn with the wire brush occasionally, Sir....."

...................

Yes, I have no shame, and less self-control.....

Jon.

 

[dunnyrail]

So the track has now been back in the Plastic Pot for an overday and night soak. Pic taken yesterday morning when newly placed in the Vinegar.
LGB R1 Track taken out and washed below, I think you can see some difference.Quick check with the Meter results:-

Uncleaned end No reading obtained.

Cleaned end, certainly better with a little resistance on the middle fishplate which is still pretty crudy. Rest now all OK in spite of not being "squeeky clean"

Next test the real thing when I get round to buying just a can.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, an old joke came to life....

WW1, and a General is touring a military hospital, in one ward he talks to three patients:
General to first soldier: "So, Sergeant, what are you in for?"
Sergeant: "Piles, Sir!"
General: "And how are they treating that?"
Sergeant: "Caustic Soda and a wire brush, Sir!"
General: "Good God, I thought they'd stopped doing that back in the Crimea.... what would you most like, Sergeant?"
Sergeant: "To get back to the Front, Sir!"
General: "Good Man, I'll see what I can do!"... moves on to next bed.....
General: "And what about you, Corporal?"
Corporal: "Nasty case of VD, Sir!"
General: "That's unfortunate, what is your treatment?"
Corporal: "Caustic Soda and a wire brush, Sir!"
General: "Ah well, what would you like most?"
Corporal: "To get back to the Front, Sir!"
General: "Good Man, that's the spirit!"... moves on to third bed.....
General: "And what is your problem, Private?"
Private (croakily): "Laryngitis, Sir...."
General "I see, and the treatment....?"
Private: "Caustic Soda and a wire brush, Sir!"
General: "Oh dear... well, what would you like most?"
Private: "To get first turn with the wire brush occasionally, Sir....."

...................

Yes, I have no shame, and less self-control.....

Jon.

I can hear Baldrick's voice coming from that Private........

 

[Perry]

I used citric acid, purchased as a powder & dissolved in warm water, to create a rust removal bath for Hornby "O" gauge tinplate track. It was safe to use & removed much of the black paint from the sleepers as well. The rails became dull grey. I have really no idea what effect this treatment will have on brass track, but citric acid isn't expensive & it's a common food additive.

https://www.homecareessentials.co.uk/products/dri-pak-clean-and-natural-citric-acid-250g/w1407

 

[JimmyB]

SWMBO had some "Kilroc" to hand thisnis ten minutes just "painted" on, before and after, and good meter readings.
View media item 3056

 

[Zerogee]

SWMBO had some "Kilroc" to hand thisnis ten minutes just "painted" on, before and after, and good meter readings.
View media item 3056

Haven't heard of that before, Jimmy - a quick Google shows Kilrock as a trade name for a number of products - which one specifically did you use, please?
Is it a paint-on, rinse-off process?

Looks like a good result, and I need to do some of this myself soon.....

Jon.

 

[JimmyB]

The de-scaler, very liquid, just kept applying with a paint brush rinsed off under water and dried
View media item 3057

 

[Zerogee]

Thanks Jimmy, info much appreciated!

Jon.