will fine sandpaper will harm my brass tracks or not?..need a HELP!..ANY WEBSITE?

[steven large]

hi out there....
glad i have my own scatchbuilt and kitbashing a snow plower last nite so this afternoon i have been usin a tracks magic rubber to clean my tracks ready to run my nw-2 MAD MAX but it ran out so will FINE sandpaper will harm the tracks?...what are yr thought/ any info?didnt want ruin it.......

need a website to buy track rubbers but not cleaning pad u know just need rubber tracks?...called MAGIC RUBBER TRACK.. cant remember where i get tht from!!!!......it awesome and very good one!!!
but one thing wud u go for fine sandpaper?.....no?........

 

[mike]

yes it will

 

[adverse camber]

I would definately not use sandpaper. Everything you use scratches the brass but sand paper must be worse than a track rubber in the long term. The more the scratches (and deeper) the more the dirt will collect and it will need more cleaning.

AC

 

[dunnyrail]

I always use the LGB 50040 at £10.40 from Dragon. You can use these for life as replacement rubber is now available from Massoth 831401 at £7.95. Just sticks on to the 50040 when it has had its day. These beasties are a good cleaner to hold, no catching your knuckles and well worth the price I think.
JonD

 

[stevedenver]

the lgb red block is best
next is the cleaning loco

but if not...then.....

Add two tablespoons each of salt and white vinegar to a pint of hot water for more heavily tarnished brass. Then use an old washcloth to rub the mixture into the surface of the track. The chemical reaction between the salt and vinegar will power through the tarnish and leave a beautiful finish

wont hurt the track-
do not use sandpaper -it will work and it will ruin the track-unless you repolish the surface
an ink eraser can also be used as can a peco track block-albeit small

 

[duncan1_9_8_4]

i use these, they're great. http://www.google.co.uk/products?hl=en&q=garryflex+block&spell=1&oi=spell

 

[nicebutdim]

I've got a couple of old peco track rubbers left over from my n gauge days, they seem to do a great job and don't harm the track at all.

 

[The Devonian]

Steven,

As many of us find it not so easy to crawl around the back garden on our hands and knees I decided to make this track cleaning aid.

The head is an ordinary heavy duty pan cleaning pad, such as you, your wife, mum or whoever does the kitchen chores, would likely use.

The mop at the othe end is for flicking away twigs, leaves or anything else fouling the track.

 

[D J Mason]

Hi

YES IT WILL harm your track in the long run

You must not use anything abrasive (this includes the Peco track rubber) as this causes microscopic groves that hold and attract dirt and in the long run make for more and more cleaning.

The best thing to use is wait of it water! (Run your railway in the rain and note how much better it runs) and a bit of detergent on a washing up pad. (I made a boogie wagon up)

If this fails use a block of steel to burnish the surface (last resort) the aim being to case harden the surface. Brass is a "dirty"metal and is easily damaged.

Been there and done that used abrasives when new to the game and had to burnish many yards of track! I was really dumb and used braso!

Regards dj

 

[jacobsgrandad]

Does all this advise apply to Peco nickel silver track

 

[D J Mason]

It applies to anything electrical!!!

 

[mike]

Does all this advise apply to Peco nickel silver track

yes

 

[MR SPOCK]

[align=center]I have never cleaned my track for three years, I brush the rubbish off and let the trains do the rest . as I use metal wheels the track soon polishes itself , the first train around is battery powered, but the track power is always on, I use a solar panel, for tha all the track cleaners that are made only clean the top of the rails, which is fine if you use them collector skates, but wheels are made on a taper so it pointless using a block of anything at all, there is no real better than track , and the morethe trains run the better they will run,

[/align]

 

[Markie]

I just use Brasso and a lint-free cloth and it seems to do the job quickly and easily - Perfick! But def nothing too abrasive.

Regards

Markie

 

[MR SPOCK]

I just use Brasso and a lint-free cloth and it seems to do the job quickly and easily - Perfick! But def nothing too abrasive.

Regards

Markie

[align=center]Sounds a brill idea,
[/align]

 

[Markie]

Better than Brillo Pads, which I have found to my cost ARE abrasive. And after you have knacked a radius 5 point using that stuff (at £100 a point) I won't do it again!

Regards

Markie

 

[mike]

and a track cleaning block from lgb is/was £10....

 

[simon@mgr]

I used 600 grit emery paper on trackwork that had not been used for 4 years as an initial clean, worked well.
Mind you, it took 3 sheets which were divided into quarters

 

[vsmith]

Depends on what your cleaning off, if its just accumulated oxidation or dirt, then dont use sandpaper, use either the Bright Boy abrasive dishwashing pads, LGB pads or any of the above mentioned methods.

But if its something really nasty you may have no choice but to do harder. when I ballasted my indoor track, I found all the above methods totally useless to clear the glue residue off the rails, so I ended up using a very fine wood finishing grit shaped foam sanding block to clear off the residue, worked well to finally cut thru it, then used the LGB pads on a car a few laps around now is all thats needed to keep things rolling smoothly.

 

[Martino]

[align=center]I have never cleaned my track for three years, I brush the rubbish off and let the trains do the rest . as I use metal wheels the track soon polishes itself , the first train around is battery powered, but the track power is always on, I use a solar panel, for tha all the track cleaners that are made only clean the top of the rails, which is fine if you use them collector skates, but wheels are made on a taper so it pointless using a block of anything at all, there is no real better than track , and the morethe trains run the better they will run,
[/align]

I have to confess, I've found that true. Although I have used various cleaning methods, the best way is to run trains with metal wheels. The more that's run, the better it seems to get.