To clean or not to clean

[Bram]

that is the question. I decided to run the Spreewald yesterday which is track powered as opposed to battery RC my preferred choice. Soooooo I had to clean the track, tighten screws, test Sreewald, still lumpy clean the track again, Spreewald stops in the most inaccessible part of the garden (why do they do that), fettle track. Eventually Spreewald behaves and runs well. You with me so far.

Then I get one of the battery RC locos out for a run. Now I have inclines on my line and the trains cope fine, or did until I cleaned the http://www.gscalecentral.net/mailto:bl*@dy < Link To bl**dy track, shiny rails = slipage, crud = adhesion.

Spreewald is now converted to RC (no not the religion) and I await the return of crudington on the tracks.

Food for thought.

 

[KeithT]

that is the question. I decided to run the Spreewald yesterday which is track powered as opposed to battery RC my preferred choice. Soooooo I had to clean the track, tighten screws, test Sreewald, still lumpy clean the track again, Spreewald stops in the most inaccessible part of the garden (why do they do that), fettle track. Eventually Spreewald behaves and runs well. You with me so far.

Then I get one of the battery RC locos out for a run. Now I have inclines on my line and the trains cope fine, or did until I cleaned the http://www.gscalecentral.net/mailto:bl*@dy < Link To bl**dy track, shiny rails = slipage, crud = adhesion.

Spreewald is now converted to RC (no not the religion) and I await the return of crudington on the tracks.

Food for thought.

I run with trackpower, other than when my grandson runs his Playmobil, and I could not manage without trackcleaning.
I have several trees and bushes which dump sticky gunge at various times of the year. My trackcleaning loco is currently out of action and sadly missed which means that I have to grovel under the trees to clear the track.
,

 

[stevelewis]

In my 30+ years of Gardenrailwaying Track cleaning has never been much of an issue................

I have never owned a track cleaning loco and given the failure rate and the number of second hand sales I feel that my usual occasional track cleaning methods of a block of wood & sheet of emery paper has served me well............................

However I feel that my lack of track cleaning issues may be due to the fact the vast majority of my locos over the years have been the larger ones with 2 motors which I feel are a greater aid to maintaining cleaner railheads.

ALSO I never run anything with plastic wheels, some may remeber back to schooldays and static electricity, plastic wheels do generate static electricity and thus attract dust,

Try running a NEW set of plastic wheels for a day or so then check it out for build up on the tread.

 

[whatlep]

I agree with everything in posting #3. Plastic wheels are Satan's playthings as far as I'm concerned. Anything which comes with them is sidelined until metal wheels are fitted. Bachmann's have worked just fine on all my stuff.

Concerning crud, the old maxim of the more pickups the better works for a while, as do skates, but ultimately crud triumphs. You can certainly delay it for a considerable time by running bigger engines (hence my love of LGB Mallets) or a Piko railbus which seems to act as a rather efficient rail cleaner!

I had an LGB track cleaning loco several years ago, but found it too noisy, not fast enough and completely hopeless on damp track! An LGB (or Massoth) track cleaning pad and some elbow grease once a month does the trick now, though as I get older, the knee bending requirement may well become an issue.....

 

[yb281]

For a couple of years now I've had to cope with half of my track getting covered in horrible, sticky pollen from the apple tree above it (best thing I found to clean off the stuff was a damp rag - thanks to a tip from JRinTawa). Said apple tree is now sawdust, BUT this year the other side of the track has been affected by pollen!! Goodness knows where from, but it's never happened before.

IMO battery power is the way to go. The new Train Engineer system utilising battery power and digital control is a pointer to the future IMO, especially as battery technology improves reliability and reduces battery size (thanks to the research budget of pretty much every major car manufacturer on the planet).

I don't think that we'll be cleaning tracks in the years to come, but in the meantime, I'm very fond of my track cleaning loco.

 

[bobg]

Personally, I find the worst thing on my track (as yet, unused in anger) is pigeons, and their deposits. They have even derailed a test truck when allowed to dry on. Wiping with wet cloth is insufficient to shift it, it needs scraping. I have now applied several deterant measures, like wires on fences etc.

 

[KeithT]

Personally, I find the worst thing on my track (as yet, unused in anger) is pigeons, and their deposits. They have even derailed a test truck when allowed to dry on. Wiping with wet cloth is insufficient to shift it, it needs scraping. I have now applied several deterant measures, like wires on fences etc.

I fancy using a Bofors gun as our lot roost in trees above the railway!!

 

[Martino]

I've been having issues with track cleaning (I run track power) and a resultant intermittent sound problem (sound would cut off at various points for no apparent reason, then cut back in again). In a discussion with a DCC expert, he just kept saying 'dirty track'. Couldn't work this out no matter how well I cleaned my track.....

Then I replaced all the plastic wheels on my stock - for weight reasons and to generate a 'clickety-clack' effect, and guess what? Suddenly my sound issues have all gone, the track remains clean and everything (almost) in the garden is rosy.

I never thought that metal wheels would have such a dramatic effect, so can well recommend that change.

 

[stevelewis]

I first learned the of Plastic wheel problem many years ago and at the time I could not afford to buy metal ones, but gradually I replaced the plastic ones which greatly reduced the track cleaning nescessary.

What gets me is given that Bachmann can obviously source a fairly inexpensive Metal Wheel set ( not quite as good as some but perfectly acceptble to many including me) why LGB/Marklin have not done the same probably its to make us buy their Metal wheels, but they rather shoot themselves in the foot as I never buy LGB Metal wheels as they are only 1/2 the weight of most of the other makes and more expensive!!

The heavier the wheel the better the running qualities and probably cleaner the track!!

 

[bobg]

I came across a problem with sticky tree-sap on freshly sprayed cars many years ago. We tried everything we could think of (trying to protect the new finish) and found that the best was plain COLD water. Warm water and car-wash didn't shift it at all.

[BLOCKQUOTE]bobg


Personally, I find the worst thing on my track (as yet, unused in anger) is pigeons, and their deposits. They have even derailed a test truck when allowed to dry on. Wiping with wet cloth is insufficient to shift it, it needs scraping. I have now applied several deterant measures, like wires on fences etc.
[/BLOCKQUOTE]
I fancy using a Bofors gun as our lot roost in trees above the railway!!

At least I think I'm winning on that score, I chased two trying to make three out of the tree yesterday and I haven't seen them since

 

[minimans]

I came across a problem with sticky tree-sap on freshly sprayed cars many years ago. We tried everything we could think of (trying to protect the new finish) and found that the best was plain COLD water. Warm water and car-wash didn't shift it at all.

[BLOCKQUOTE]bobg


Personally, I find the worst thing on my track (as yet, unused in anger) is pigeons, and their deposits. They have even derailed a test truck when allowed to dry on. Wiping with wet cloth is insufficient to shift it, it needs scraping. I have now applied several deterant measures, like wires on fences etc.
[/BLOCKQUOTE] I fancy using a Bofors gun as our lot roost in trees above the railway!!

At least I think I'm winning on that score, I chased two trying to make three out of the tree yesterday and I haven't seen them since

OOO coitus interruptus .........................................I've been chased away a few times in my youth...............never out of a tree though...................

 

[bobg]

Obviously you haven't lived then!!!

 

[KeithT]

I came across a problem with sticky tree-sap on freshly sprayed cars many years ago. We tried everything we could think of (trying to protect the new finish) and found that the best was plain COLD water. Warm water and car-wash didn't shift it at all.

[BLOCKQUOTE]bobg


Personally, I find the worst thing on my track (as yet, unused in anger) is pigeons, and their deposits. They have even derailed a test truck when allowed to dry on. Wiping with wet cloth is insufficient to shift it, it needs scraping. I have now applied several deterant measures, like wires on fences etc.
[/BLOCKQUOTE]I fancy using a Bofors gun as our lot roost in trees above the railway!!

At least I think I'm winning on that score, I chased two trying to make three out of the tree yesterday and I haven't seen them since

OOO coitus interruptus .........................................I've been chased away a few times in my youth...............never out of a tree though...................

 

[whatlep]

Personally, I find the worst thing on my track (as yet, unused in anger) is pigeons, and their deposits. They have even derailed a test truck when allowed to dry on. Wiping with wet cloth is insufficient to shift it, it needs scraping. I have now applied several deterant measures, like wires on fences etc.

I fancy using a Bofors gun as our lot roost in trees above the railway!!

You just need Mr Smudge from Reservoir Cats....

 

[yb281]

I came across a problem with sticky tree-sap on freshly sprayed cars many years ago. We tried everything we could think of (trying to protect the new finish) and found that the best was plain COLD water.

Yep, that was the tip I got off JR, just plain old cold tap water - works really well.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Been running track power for 10½ years now. Why do folks clean their track? I use either 3 in 1 oil, or WD40 spray... just a bit on a few treads, and let the train spread it around the layout. Leaves a nice oily mess on the rails, but trains sure as hell run better. Occasionally, the mess will bake into crud, just squirt on some more oil, and by round two, all is running sweet. On rare times that the crud won't disolve, a dry rag does the trick in the affected spot.

Sratchy scratchies strictly banned on my line.... scours the rail, allowing quicker build up of dirt.

 

[casey jones snr]

We at the CFR clean our track after each live steam session. When running electric power we clean once a weekend. We used to use the LGB track cleaning locomotive. But that is terminally broke, so back to the good old cleaning block on a stick.
Track cleaning is very calming!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bobg]

[quote I use either 3 in 1 oil, or WD40 spray... just a bit on a few treads, and let the train spread it around the layout. Leaves a nice oily mess on the rails, but trains sure as hell run better. Occasionally, the mess will bake into crud, just squirt on some more oil, and by round two, all is running sweet. On rare times that the crud won't disolve, a dry rag does the trick in the affected spot.

Sratchy scratchies strictly banned on my line.... scours the rail, allowing quicker build up of dirt. Gavin Sowry Taita Gorge Railway Wellington NEW ZEALAND [/quote]
Yeah Gavin, but you've got the wind down there to help blow the c... rubbish away. Windiest place I've ever been.

 

[wahiba]

All the books on the subject suggest the stud contact system. Evidently the skate over the studs is self cleaning and the return with all wheels involved is not a problem.

Brought to mind because a couple of weeks back I went to look at what was on offer at a toy auction at Tennants in Leyburn. There were a whole load of 0 gauge locs with skated underneath. There was even a bit of the studded track with an engine shed being part of the lot. Must have worked as it was definitely well used, certainly not off the display shelf. The big skates meant studs were about 2 inches apart and not very noticeable.

Personally I think digital RC is a better way. Even so a centre rail supply system eliminates all the reverse loop problems.

 

[Netty]

I don't know why but I don't really ever have much of a problem with track cleaning. The railway has just been put back into order, the last time it ran was in December. It took about an hour to remove the overgrown shrubbery and give it a quick scrub with a track cleaning block then a run or two with the track cleaning loco and we were sorted. There is about 150ft of track that has been down at least 5 years, screwed to marine ply and a blob of conductive paste in the fishplates and a squeeze with some pliers. The odd few joints that have gone dikkie over the years (5 in total) have had over clamps fitted and so far all is well. Perhaps I'm just lucky!!