track cleaning

stevedenver

stevedenver

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dont have one-
havent heard many raves in all the years ive been on forums though-actually havent heard any raves

i can , without qualification, recommend the lowly red LGB cleaning block as easy to come by, cheap, effective, easy on the track itself and working surprisingly well in power outages!!!
LOL

truly the best, short of the bent back and labor aspects-

it is superb for not too big and easy to access track-

i often use it instead of my track cleanning loco simply because i can get things really clean in all the toughest spots with one go
sap as well as heavy oxidation, and little odd hidng places near the joiners and on outside of rails
-and for points there is NOTHING better imho
 
I agree with Stevedenver 100%
 
38thfoot said:
Seen these a lot on the bay when perusing; does anyone have any experience of them?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOST-RELI...420207?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4ab6eac96f
Funds will not allow purchase of an LGB track cleaning loco, the other option will be the LGB under veh cleaning attachment.

cheers

38
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I am seriously considering one of these. If you look at it mechanically i.e. the cleaning wheels obliquley angled to the rails and sprung so that they push onto the rails the motion of the cleaner should drive the cleaning wheels and scrub the rail.
Most of my track will be encased in roadway and therefore a flat pad wouldn't clean the rail head without also cleaning the intervening surface. I think pricewise they are a bit over the top and I intend to make one, the rubber abrasive wheels are available to fit "dremel" or similar via eBay. So it doesen't look to out of place I'm going to enclose mine in a "Balmain Dummy" and let a tram push it around for a few circuits....

47e89a4be9a74777820ff03110de8f29.jpg
 
I use a pole sander, from screwfix, with green pan scrubber pads attached with duct tape. 200 yards of track cleaned very quickly and no bending
 
Another vote here for the LGB cleaning pad. BUT...to save the back ache I have attached a long metal pole and filled the cleaning block with lead. Very effective. Now and then I run the cleaning loco to just polish up the rails.
I have looked at that attachment though, looks very interesting.
 
You can pin a bit of fine wet 'n' dry paper to a block under an old wagon. Works and is very cheap.
659095315f44403ca580cf27dad6ef5b.jpg
 
Or, if you really need to loosen up the crud, the LGB red block will take a standard orbital sanding sheet nicely - there are even four pins to hold it in place. After 3 years I'm still working through a pound shop pile of cheap sanding sheets. The extra weight mentioned above helps as well. Just remember the idea is to loosen the crud, not sand the rail.
PS the best thing I ever used was an abrasive screen for sanding plaster, but you can easily tear them.
 
I'll stick with my 89euro one

6cfcfff449444e8b990c3f5d1d1000d5.jpg
 
Philbahn said:
I'll stick with my 89euro one

images
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I assume that's a scratchbuild, Phil - any other pics of it, or notes on how it cleans (ie: what's underneath it, apart from the brush at the front)?
It looks great, by the way! German eBay?

Jon.
 
Cliff George said:
38thfoot said:
Seen these a lot on the bay when perusing; does anyone have any experience of them?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOST-RELI...420207?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4ab6eac96f
Funds will not allow purchase of an LGB track cleaning loco, the other option will be the LGB under veh cleaning attachment.

cheers

38
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There was a review of this item recently on http://www.mylargescale.com < Link To www.mylargescale.com
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Yeah, I read that. Didn't seem too convincing from what I recall.
Best method IMO really is the LGB track rubber on a pole, although I admit I've recently got a track cleaning loco and very impressed with it as a means of regularly bringing back the shine without the hard work!
 
Hi Jon German Ebay, it is a standard trackcleaner with modified top. The loco came in three bits the main body , the cleaner head and a LGB container. In the container was a Robbe speed controller (R/c ) so that was sold on ebay for £30.00 so all told it cast about £50.00. Quite a head turner Eh!
Zerogee said:
Philbahn said:
I'll stick with my 89euro one

images
Click to expand...

I assume that's a scratchbuild, Phil - any other pics of it, or notes on how it cleans (ie: what's underneath it, apart from the brush at the front)?
It looks great, by the way! German eBay?

Jon.
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let me add a couple of thoughts
im sure others will have thier own

1-while effective-most sandpaper or anything else that scratches the track creates tiny crevices adn grooves for more dirt and more oxidation-just be aware of this -if you use kithcen cleaning pads, use the type that doesnt scratch

the LGB pad doesnt scratch -

second

i have used over the years, in n scale, HO , as well as gscale, sled or drag type cleaners
one thing i know, is that to clean well they need a lot of downward force-or many many many light passes

i have one now, Overhead Railways-long defunct--an LGB block which floats on two center pins entering the block-holes drilled in the sides, within an alu frame with LGB wheels on the outsides of the block but within the frame--and a non standard five pound lead block on top of the block itself-without the extra heft it doesnt do much, and not too quickly at that-

with the weight-it does more-nothing cleans as well as the lgb loco, and it doesnt clean as well as the block in my hand-even the one i still use, which is about 15 years old-have yet to need the several others i have , new, in the wings

the sled works -sorta-it will clean not too dirty track-and will only do so if the track is dry and not greasy-and of course it doesnt derail - i drag it instad of psuhing it and this helps with tracking
i have also used the LGB under carriage spring pads-cute, nice idea, not effective-pads get chewed badly on points and joints-and they dont always ride over the rail head either on tighter curves

sled /drag untis will work and require , typcially, many or continuous passes
i use my sled mostly after i have cleaned the track, say the next day for a buff up-but mostly to ram away twigs and light debris

ill be interested in you thoughts should you give this unit a go-(i am often sceptical)
i dare say, from the reviews, it will work, but, the question is how well, and will you ultimately need to scrub it down anyway?

i have found that really clean track makes a big difference to certain locos-especially my FRR and a few others -when at slow speed
the other thing really clean track prevents is pitting from micro arcing-not usually an issue with locos with sliders, but a very real issue for everything else, inclduing those ball bearing wheels
 
Just on the point of Ball bearings. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should these be used as part of an electrical circuit as the current will soon pit the surfaces and they will be as we say "shagged"
 
trev-can you provide a solution
i have the fortuna flyer-which has no sliders and uses only ball bearings as pick ups
it indeed pits-i now use light phosphor bronze wires, under the chassis, and which lightly drag along the track to help avoid this, but its not a superb solution-thoughts???
 
stevedenver said:
trev-can you provide a solution
i have the fortuna flyer-which has no sliders and uses only ball bearings as pick ups
it indeed pits-i now use light phosphor bronze wires, under the chassis, and which lightly drag along the track to help avoid this, but its not a superb solution-thoughts???
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Anyway you could fit Bachmann type collectors? or perhaps if there is a plastic chassis then a cuppla narrow strips of phosphor bronze or berrylium copper that wipe the collecting wheels held in place with teensy self tappers or bolts and nuts? If there are wheels without ball bearings could they be used to collect current?
Without seeing the job its a bit hard to give a definative answer...
But this is a big problem and there have been some spectacular failures especially in the Automotive world. Suzuki had real problems with automatic gearboxes at one time where current flowed through a bearing which when it started to pit allowed the microscopic bits of metal to flow around in the gearbox and then of course cause he degradation of the other ball races
 
tramcar trev said:
I think pricewise they are a bit over the top...
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agreed
... and I intend to make one
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Have thought of doing the same myself. Post details if you have a go.

I do use an LGB red block but quite like the idea of having one of these just to leave on a train tootling around to save me some manual effort next time around.
 
Just for referance i use all three LGB items.

Hand held pad for those really dirty bits.
LGB loco for generaly extra dirty bits.
LGB wagon mounted pads for day to day cleaning, runs every day the trains run:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
I have a layout which is an oval 23 meters long. I have just completed a track cleaning exercise which involved me on my hands and knees with an LGB block. It took ages and was not very enjoyable particularly squeezing through the trees. This is suppose to be an enjoyable hobby!!!

Through this thread I have discovered a pole sander - never heard of it before. If I decided to use sandpaper to clean tracks is it likely to do a lot of damage or is OK. I know that some members say that sandpaper causes damage to the rails.

Kind regards,

Dave
 
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