# Track Cleaning Car help please....



## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

OK so now I have a ton of places I can't clean the brass track because I have buried it in mountains and tunnels. The Railroads budget for spending is Zero the Accountant tells me (nothing new  ) and I think it was here I have seen a few of you make your own cleaner car. 

I am thinking of using this UP car so I can add weight as needed. I think I saw wood being used? A paint stir stick? Pics or a link would be great. 

Thanks in advance for any help guys. 

Here is the car I want to use. I have a set of metal wheels I can put on it if this would be better I assume???  

I will post pics here on this thread of whatever the outcome is. :dunno:


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Shaygetz is the king of the car. His thread in HO.

My version in 027.

I was at the LHS this week and he had a track cleaning car, that stretched a piece of scotchbrite over a pad under the car. For 027 track.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

T-Man said:


> Shaygetz is the king of the car.


You really know how to keep me humble...

CP, if you need a Masonite pad, let me know as I cut them in batches, I can mail you one.


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

Is it just a piece of masonite? Like from home depot? I think I have some like the same kind as pegboard. Or is this a cleaning product you use?


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

concretepumper said:


> Is it just a piece of masonite? Like from home depot? I think I have some like the same kind as pegboard. Or is this a cleaning product you use?


It is just Masonite, yes. It took me awhile to find a scrap (read that "_affordable chunk smaller than 4x8 foot_") to use. Once found, I cut a bundle of them that's lasted for several years now.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Shay, we have terrible tags and a lack of them.
I found the original post in a search and it had no tags. Well it may not have been original but you showed how to do it.

So CP, there you go a nice little project.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yep peg board material works great! Please leave out the pegs though they tend to get stuck as the train tries to move!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## wilbwworker (Mar 4, 2011)

*Stupid ??'s*

So Shaygetz,

you just cut a piece of masonite to fit under a car and glue a piece of scotchbrite to it? 

How do you attach to the underside of the car?

I am putting in some tunnels soon and I was looking at a track cleaning car to purchase. Then I saw the price and just about fell over. I am pretty sure I can do this myself with a bit of guidance. I am a far more talented woodworker than model railroader.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Just masonite NO Scotch bright!


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=6557&highlight=track+cleaning

I have mine on post #5, Shay's is later on inthe thread.


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

Ok first off A BIG Thank You to all here. It is a little rude but I think its working! First I added metal wheels then I couldn't cut up the masonite I do have so I used a piece of Constuction felt. Its for expansion pouring concrete against a building. Anyway I cut a thin piece with a razor knife and squared it to size. Glued nails on it and drilled 2 holes on the car. Cut 3 pieces of key stock for weight and gave it a run. Seems to be working. The 3rd pic shows the bottom of the pad getting dirty anter about 5 minutes of running. It is already running way smoother and quieter! 

Sweet! 20 minutes now and still chugging along no problems! Seems to be picking up speed gradually now and running strong. Maybe time to add a few cars soon! 

Anybody run their cleaner all the time? If so where in the train does it work best?

Should I replace the Pad with one of Shays? BTW thank you Sir PM coming!


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

YEA, Right on dude, Now put some alcohol on that pad and watch it really pull off some crud!! 
Doesn't mater where in the Consist it is, works the same all the time. If you make on out of Masonite it will just last longer and not leave fuzz around your tracks!


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

NIMT said:


> YEA, Right on dude, Now put some alcohol on that pad and watch it really pull off some crud!!
> Doesn't mater where in the Consist it is, works the same all the time. If you make on out of Masonite it will just last longer and not leave fuzz around your tracks!



:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

Fuzz?  How about the 25 pound white cat that comes through sometimes! 

I was going to ask about the rubbing alcohol! It has been running for an hour now Non stop. 

I think I will give it a "shot"  :thumbsup:


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Try 6 pups that are all on the shead!! ok only 5, remy the poodle is the no shead version! I'm up to my ___ in dog fur! Did I also mention my mud???


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

NIMT said:


> Try 6 pups that are all on the shead!! ok only 5, remy the poodle is the no shead version! I'm up to my ___ in dog fur! Did I also mention my mud???


Must be a demand for it somewhere.
Market and sell Malamute jackets lined with white cat fur. With false Malamute eyes of different colors for buttons:thumbsup:

Get rid of the mud, have the concretepumper man come and visit for a week.
Pay his labor cost off in trains.

He can bring the white cat fur when he comes.:thumbsup:

NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR TRAINS!
Whats wrong with her?
Tell her to redo the budget.

Or you and her can walk around the roads and look for discarded aluminum cans. 
Good exercise too. Good for the environment.See the country side

I got $60 bucks for the last load I brought down. It was a little over 100 lbs.
It only took me a year saving just our household cans, and I hand squashed everyone!:laugh: I did!


You think she would help you look for them?


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Big Ed,
BRILLIANT :thumbsup: Absolutely BRILLIANT!
Cash in all the pop cans and bottles for more train stuff! 
Hot dang, that increases my monthly budget by about fifteen bucks at least
That's about the price of a decent car at my local train shop X 12 months = about one whole new train each year! 
I won't sleep a wink tonight thinking of how cool that new train will look goin' 'round and 'round. :laugh: :laugh:
Bob


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

raleets said:


> Big Ed,
> BRILLIANT :thumbsup: Absolutely BRILLIANT!
> Cash in all the pop cans and bottles for more train stuff!
> Hot dang, that increases my monthly budget by about fifteen bucks at least
> ...



My Father did that. He had all of the neighborhood drop off cans at his house and he would bring it to the recycle place once a month. He would average $50 a month, though in the summer months when picnics are going on he would see over $100.
Plus it would depend on the going scrap price too.

Me, like I say I squash ever one and save them for around a year.

Some states have a nickle return on each can though I don't think you can squash them.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

CP, I run mine when ever I'm the one running trains (which is at least twice a week). If the kids are, they dont bother with it, but I do every time. Since I have two loops with long stretches between them, I'll just run one loop for 15 minutes, then the other, then the whole layout for about 20 minutes. The spur tracks I still do by hand since it isnt feasible to drive the car back and forth on the spur.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Yep I save every can I find, When I bought my property I had a lot, and I do mean a lot of metal trash, $1400 worth of aluminum and steel. I will probably have twice that amount this year, New road money! Then YEA it will all be cleaned up! I will have tripled my investment within a year, not bad for a down market.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Sean & all,
Here in Michigan the deposit law has been around for about 25+ years. Cans and bottles are 10 cents. You RARELY see any laying along the road 'cause there are lots of people out there who; 1) don't like throwing away a dime, and, 2) prefer a nicer environment in which to live.
Most all of the supermarkets have big machines that accept glass bottles, cans, and plastic containers. There's no "fooling" them 'cause they read the bar code. If the container is from out of state, the machine rejects it.
Now, the REALLY bad  news.......homes are being broken into like crazy to steal copper plumbing, including the house next to me which is in foreclosure :thumbsdown:! That caper took place last month during the night while we were sleeping. Never heard a thing.
Then, the other big money-maker around here is stripping aluminum siding off vacant houses. Sadly, the scrap yards just turn their heads and couldn't care less where the stuff comes from.
Desperate people do desperate things.  We're in a different world than the one in which I grew up 
Bob


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

While you guys were collecting cans  :stroke: I made use of what I have around the house. Glad you kept busy though!  :laugh::laugh:

Here is the weight I made for the track cleaner car pad to apply pressureto the pad only. I made a few more pads and gave it a "shot" of rubbing alcohol. :thumbsup: Let it rip and it ran for another hour a little faster all the time.  

It looks kinda like a Missle. :laugh::laugh: 



















After that I figured why not make like a maintenance train so I made a floor for the long orange car. It is one of my few with metal wheels so It is a favorite piece of rolling stock I use.
I used styrene and made chocks to hold some Cat equipment inside. A little paint and dropped it in and the crew was ready.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Sweet...:thumbsup:

BTW...your long orange car is an AHM coil car, missing its hinged roof doors...


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

raleets said:


> Sean & all,
> Here in Michigan the deposit law has been around for about 25+ years. Cans and bottles are 10 cents. You RARELY see any laying along the road 'cause there are lots of people out there who; 1) don't like throwing away a dime, and, 2) prefer a nicer environment in which to live.
> Most all of the supermarkets have big machines that accept glass bottles, cans, and plastic containers. There's no "fooling" them 'cause they read the bar code. If the container is from out of state, the machine rejects it.
> Now, the REALLY bad  news.......homes are being broken into like crazy to steal copper plumbing, including the house next to me which is in foreclosure :thumbsdown:! That caper took place last month during the night while we were sleeping. Never heard a thing.
> ...




Yea I can't compete here in SoCal either trying to collect cans gave up along time ago. Please don't remind me of the Illegal Trespasser from down the street that Mrs.CP and me have had to yell at him to stay out our trash. 
Bummer for the families losing their homes but a lot of people got into houses that really shouldn't have. 
I just wanna play with my trains. Hope I didn't upset you.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Dude you have have a MOW train, COOL!!!:thumbsup:


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

NIMT said:


> Dude you have have a MOW train, COOL!!!:thumbsup:


Dude I hate mowing!  :laugh::laugh::laugh: Thanks Sean! Looks kinda cool Huh?
 :thumbsup:


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