Track Cleaning Locos "Survey"

[CoggesRailway]

Hi All,

I am very keen on the idea of an LGB track cleaner. It would be used purely for track cleaning an r5 analogue layout- no general running.

I have searched this forum and read the threads- but the problem is they are all about them failing in one way of other. However I suspect this may be a self selecting sample ie the people who use them for years with no problems are less likely to post.

So could owners share the following?

[UL][*]How long owned?[*]Digital version or older analogue?[*]Any failures?[*]Failures that prevented track cleaning operations?[*]Would you buy it again? [/UL] Be useful to get a sample of a few owners....
Thanks in advance.

 

[Dylanlewis2000]

I was looking at them but the price of £500 was a bit off putting. I started looking on ebay and lots of examples were comming up but on ebay they were going for like 350+, in the end Geremy from Dragon made me an offer that i couldnt turn down.

Anyways its a great machine i have had mine for about 4 months however it has got one or two problems.

It is digital only, nothing major for me as i am running digital.

It has a tendancey to go a bit nuts and just pin off the track. It didnt do it first off when i had it but it seems to do it all the time now. I think i need replacement wheels.

It doesnt like R1 points if you go cleaning wheels first, it sounds strange but those who have one will know.

Appart form that its brilliant. Cleans well and it saves me bending down !

Would i buy one at full price...? No probably not.

 

[Philbahn]

I have a n analogue version that I unchipped. The digital version I have been told are prone to blowing the board>,(not speaking from personal experience)

 

[CoggesRailway]

Thanks chaps... and keep it coming people..

 

[chris m01]

I use a J-Cloth on a broomstick - significantly cheaper but every so often I have to go round with some 600 grade wet & dry.

 

[yb281]

I bought my analogue version nearly 12 months ago off Elliott - he bought it second hand from ebay, so no idea how old it is. Brilliant piece of kit. A couple of laps every other morning and the railway runs like a dream all day. A recent "metal wheels only" policy also helps.

There are other means of cleaning the track, but they don't usually work while you go off and put the kettle on, catch up on the forum, feed the birds etc.

Wouldn't want to be without it now.

 

[whatlep]

I used to have one of the older LGB yellow cleaning locos, but sold it.

Did it clean the track? Yes, provided that any dirt was dry and not sticky - so it didn't work well when their was morning dew or any rain residue on the rails, and not at all under trees and plants which dropped goo on the rails. For those parts of the line, manual intervention was still required.

Did it work on DCC? No problems at all. Mine was an analogue cleaner, with a "direct interface" into which I fitted a 55021 chip.

Was it quick? No quicker than wiping round with an LGB cleaning block, but much easier on the knees and back - which may be a critical factor - and you could leave it alone to do its thing, except....

It was VERY, VERY noisy when cleaning. I felt that it was beyond a level I should expect my neighbours to tolerate for any length of time, which meant I was unable to clean all the layout at one time.

Two other points, the cleaning wheels shed dirt all over the loco, which made it easy for a clumsy oaf like me to spread dirt onto other stock. They also tended to get crudded up themselves and required attention to get "de-crudded".

I suspect it's like Marmite, you'll either embrace it and wonder how you managed without it, or really not gel with the yellow (now red) peril. I'm in the latter camp for the reasons given, but there are many who swear by it. How about asking a nearby Centralista to bring one along for a [STRIKE]play[/STRIKE] test?

 

[Dtsteam]

I have a DCC one about five years old. Its on its second set of abrasive wheels, and its never given me any trouble. I don't overly thrash it - I simply use it to cut through the crud & get some continuity.

 

[KeithT]

I have had a DCC one for around 3yrs. It has been invaluable but if your track joints are rough as some of mine were at joins between Accucraft and LGB track it will go through cleaning wheels rather quickly. I am on my second set.
There has been a real problem though - it blew its board a few weeks ago and is currently undergoing repair. It appears that this is something of an achilles heel as I have heard of several more going the same way.
Having said this I find it essential especially for getting under low hanging trees. Also, I find it is excellent in shifting tree residues including ash pollen which coats sections of my track.
I can't wait to get it back.

 

[yb281]

Did it clean the track? Yes, provided that any dirt was dry and not sticky - so it didn't work well when their was morning dew or any rain residue on the rails, and not at all under trees and plants which dropped goo on the rails. For those parts of the line, manual intervention was still required.
It was VERY, VERY noisy when cleaning. I felt that it was beyond a level I should expect my neighbours to tolerate for any length of time, which meant I was unable to clean all the layout at one time.

Two other points, the cleaning wheels shed dirt all over the loco, which made it easy for a clumsy oaf like me to spread dirt onto other stock. They also tended to get crudded up themselves and required attention to get "de-crudded".

I have to say that it appears to depend on the type of contamination that your track is subjected to. It may be that the plants in your garden are particularly active in the creation of pollen etc. My experience is totally different to Peter's in terms of what the track cleaner will shift.

Also, it would appear that the noise produced relates directly to the type and amount of track contamination. My track cleaner makes a noise, but it's by no means intrusive.

Therefore, I think that Peter's advice is particularly useful. Get someone to bring a TCL to your railway and see if it clears the type of crud that collects on your track., see what a mess is generated, see how much noise it makes. It may be that it is not going to suit your circumstances depending on the environment of your garden.

 

[stevedenver]

all good points re rough joiners and a bit of a whirr indeed-
the fine dust needs to be periodically blown off or otherwise attended to

i have the 20670 decoder ready version-
i run analog
my engine is analog
my ROW had rather significant grades in some places-and several turnouts 

i have had no issues to speak of

i too use it to clean and then it rests-once in a while i may run it in the opposite direction of the cleaning wheels without the cleaning wheels operating-just for fun-but not too often

i did have three lights blow due to a power spike in my power unit-since corrected -power should be filtered DC as with all LGB items-the board wasnt damaged and the unit was 100% after replacing the bulbs

the cleaning wheels are long lasting-

you will need two sets abrasive cleaning tires for every single set of plastic cleaning wheels-ie the plastic discs that hold the abrasive wheel will last thru 2 sets -then you will likely need a new set

however, the cleaning wheels are very long lasting-i had the originals for about 4 years now -i use mine moderately but id guess about 50 or more times around what used to be 250 ft -they still look new 



i have had slipping when my track was wet or covered in sap, only on grade-when the loco moved uphill the cleaning wheels had more traction than the driving wheels-the loco would mambo-a speed synched pusher or pulling loco would eliminate this 

i used to use helper loco with good results-but sometimes the second loco would push the cleaning loco somewhat sideways and this could be a problem thru points in some directions-i also trie d one in front to pull and it was ok-but i feel it occasionally interfered with the float of the cleaning nose-but not too much 

my solution was to reverse the power plug onto the cleaning wheels motor in the cowel (this is simply by reversing the plugs onto the motor pins-its absolutely idiot proof and very very easy to do) 

-entirely reversible action-now the cleaning wheels pull the loco


-by varying the speed of the driving wheels you can still get great cleaning with much less risk of stall-and almost as much effectiveness as in the original factory  set up at the slowest rate of forward speed-

-also it tracks much better thru points-being pulled ala front wheel drive rather than pushed-often with considerable yaw-it also reduces the wear on the plastic discs

the cleaning machine is like finally getting a dish washer-you wonder why you ever doubted the need  or waited

my advice is this-mind the small clear globes on the roof as these can be knocked off and while small-make a significant difference in appearance-so keep track of them every time you run

secondly -do not leave the loco unattended-period-while very reliable-it DOES have the potential, like every other piece of rolling stock, to derail-and the cleaning wheels may continue in a partial derail

third do not run it at 24 volts-id say 20 V max to avoid any possible board issues

i tend to run mine medium to fast with multiple gos in both directions)  rather than slowly (unless really filthy)

these cannot be used on carpet under any circumstances-the dust from the track is fine and will stain

i would not hesitate to get one in proper working order 
the issues of concern would be -

no damage to the electric board
complete
get some spare discs and wheels
you should be set

 

[KeithT]

all good points re rough joiners and a bit of a whirr indeed-
the fine dust needs to be periodically blown off or otherwise attended to

i have the 20670 decoder ready version-
i run analog
my engine is analog
my ROW had rather significant grades in some places-and several turnouts

i have had no issues to speak of

i too use it to clean and then it rests-once in a while i may run it in the opposite direction of the cleaning wheels without the cleaning wheels operating-just for fun-but not too often

i did have three lights blow due to a power spike in my power unit-since corrected -power should be filtered DC as with all LGB items-the board wasnt damaged and the unit was 100% after replacing the bulbs

the cleaning wheels are long lasting-

you will need two sets abrasive cleaning tires for every single set of plastic cleaning wheels-ie the plastic discs that hold the abrasive wheel will last thru 2 sets -then you will likely need a new set

however, the cleaning wheels are very long lasting-i had the originals for about 4 years now -i use mine moderately but id guess about 50 or more times around what used to be 250 ft -they still look new



i have had slipping when my track was wet or covered in sap, only on grade-when the loco moved uphill the cleaning wheels had more traction than the driving wheels-the loco would mambo-a speed synched pusher or pulling loco would eliminate this

i used to use helper loco with good results-but sometimes the second loco would push the cleaning loco somewhat sideways and this could be a problem thru points in some directions-i also trie d one in front to pull and it was ok-but i feel it occasionally interfered with the float of the cleaning nose-but not too much

my solution was to reverse the power plug onto the cleaning wheels motor in the cowel (this is simply by reversing the plugs onto the motor pins-its absolutely idiot proof and very very easy to do)

-entirely reversible action-now the cleaning wheels pull the loco


-by varying the speed of the driving wheels you can still get great cleaning with much less risk of stall-and almost as much effectiveness as in the original factory set up at the slowest rate of forward speed-

-also it tracks much better thru points-being pulled ala front wheel drive rather than pushed-often with considerable yaw-it also reduces the wear on the plastic discs

the cleaning machine is like finally getting a dish washer-you wonder why you ever doubted the need or waited

my advice is this-mind the small clear globes on the roof as these can be knocked off and while small-make a significant difference in appearance-so keep track of them every time you run

secondly -do not leave the loco unattended-period-while very reliable-it DOES have the potential, like every other piece of rolling stock, to derail-and the cleaning wheels may continue in a partial derail

i tend to run mine medium to fast with multiple gos in both directions) rather than slowly (unless really filthy)

these cannot be used on carpet under any circumstances-the dust from the track is fine and will stain

i would not hesitate to get one in proper working order
the issues of concern would be -

no damage to the electric board
complete
get some spare discs and wheels
you should be set

One other point about the plastic discs which hold the abrsaive wheels in place - after a period and particularly if you allow the cleaning wheels to wear far down they will begin to "spool off" a fine brown plastic thread which can jam the cleaning wheels. It is the very devil to cut away!!

 

[Philbahn]

I bought my analogue version nearly 12 months ago off Elliott - he bought it second hand from ebay, so no idea how old it is. Brilliant piece of kit. A couple of laps every other morning and the railway runs like a dream all day. A recent "metal wheels only" policy also helps.

There are other means of cleaning the track, but they don't usually work while you go off and put the kettle on, catch up on the forum, feed the birds etc.

Wouldn't want to be without it now.

Mel is there a gold sticker on the botom of it ? If so the first and last numbers give year of manufacture. I'm not telling granny how to suck eggs am I

 

[yb281]

I bought my analogue version nearly 12 months ago off Elliott - he bought it second hand from ebay, so no idea how old it is. Brilliant piece of kit. A couple of laps every other morning and the railway runs like a dream all day. A recent "metal wheels only" policy also helps.

There are other means of cleaning the track, but they don't usually work while you go off and put the kettle on, catch up on the forum, feed the birds etc.

Wouldn't want to be without it now.

Mel is there a gold sticker on the botom of it ? If so the first and last numbers give year of manufacture. I'm not telling granny how to suck eggs am I

Oh, cheers mate. No I didn't know that. In that case, mine appears to have been made in 2002.

Just one thing Phil ............... stop calling me Granny .

 

[Philbahn]

I bought my analogue version nearly 12 months ago off Elliott - he bought it second hand from ebay, so no idea how old it is. Brilliant piece of kit. A couple of laps every other morning and the railway runs like a dream all day. A recent "metal wheels only" policy also helps.

There are other means of cleaning the track, but they don't usually work while you go off and put the kettle on, catch up on the forum, feed the birds etc.

Wouldn't want to be without it now.

Mel is there a gold sticker on the botom of it ? If so the first and last numbers give year of manufacture. I'm not telling granny how to suck eggs am I

Oh, cheers mate. No I didn't know that. In that case, mine appears to have been made in 2002.

Just one thing Phil ............... stop calling me Granny .

Like to help Granny

 

[minimans]

Well I was a diehard anti cleaner Loco at one time Too expensive do it by hand don't be so lazy kind of atitude!! but I bought a job lot of LGB as you do and lo and behold a dreaded track cleaner came with it, it's an older non digi version, so I started testing this thing and wow it works!! so I've had it about three years now and it has always cleaned the tracks before every running session. It has not all been rosy though I have had the board burn out and no spares were availalable so I just rewired it no flashy lights or any lights come to that! it also would stall on my points so I modified it again and put a pair of round plug recepticles in the back body connected to the main input and I tow a lighted mail van with pickups and no problems anymore.

To sum up, I still would'nt pay full pop for one but a used eBay item cheap? certainly because it's good but it 'aint that good..............................

 

[CoggesRailway]

Guys indespensible help and views....

 

[stevelewis]

When I started in G scale in '76 the TCL was not around, so during that time track cleaning consisted of a black of wood & a sheet of emery paper!

OK So 30 odd years later, my track cleaning equipment remains exactly the same!

I did contemplate buying a TCL when they were launched but there were a few reports of problems with them so instead of spending the £250 ish they were in those days on one, I bought a second RhB crocodile instead!

Personally I dont see any problem in hand cleaning the track, it gives one a chance to get close to it once in a while to repack the ballast and perhaps pull out some weeds before they get too big!!

Its not as if my lines have been large, but they were definately not small ones,

My recommendation to any one contemplating a TCL is to think carefully as to whether you would rather have a loco you will use frequently which looks like a loco or tie your money up in something that may save you a bit of time, but not be used on a fequent basis.

There is just one other point though I would make, I have a large loco policy!!

I tend to run only the larger LGB locos, those with 2 motors, the main reason being is that performance is usually faultless and I like large locos, this has a bearing on track cleaning requirements, as the multiple driven wheels tend to keep the track cleaner in use, although I know of one guy who runs several small locos who just couples or 3 together to clean his track!!

 

[mike]

possably the best bit off kit i bought ,it is simply that good.. it simply dose what it says on the boxs.. cleans track..
flashy lights are a bounus,
seruisely, i have repaired 3.. all 3 suffered a motor failure, due to exeses strain on the motor due to poor care off the loco.. the cleaning wheels (not the foam cleaning tire) is made off nylion, it delaminates on impacked with the plastic,rail ties, it nbormally isnt a problem, but it can wrap it self round the cleaning wheels axle.. and as it tighterns up, melt.. it is then drawn into the ball bearing axle surports.. where it then solidifies, when it cools... seazing up the bearings.. this causes the motor to over heat, leading to early failure, and possably blowing the main bord.. but as i said, its easy to stop all this.. CLEAN BEHIND THE CLEANING WHEELSthe nylion tape will come off easly...
amd yes , if i broke mine to day, i would buy one this afternoon its simply as good as that

 

[stevedenver]

well i also agree with stevelewis

there is nothing as effective as an LGB cleaning block -nothing-get those little tough places on the points etc

but lets face it-the loco is much more fun, very effective, and infinitely more convenient-and will clean effortlessly in loco shed sidings, tunnels and the like 

thanks to all about the spooling plastic -
ive seen it

but usually because im so a()*& retentive about the loco - i usually clean up the grinding area after a run or two, the dust and the like

-and remove the strands-but really good to know and look for

and for overloading LGB engines-
the old boyish 'lets see what she'll do" approach to loads and the like -long gone, now that parts and prices are what they are