# Homebuilt track cleaning car



## gustovski (Jul 7, 2011)

So wanting to keep track clean i decided to build a track cleaning car its an old lifelike boxcar with kadees and metal wheels fitted
Car has been weighed down to meet nmra spec
A shoe with two pins was made to sit atop the rails it then slots into holes drilled into car floor 
Shoe has fine sandpaper to scrub top of rail it is weighed so it floats atop the rails and not take weight off car wheels. So far it works well but just wondering what others have built.
Also runs cars with noch track cleaning pads that fit to the axle of freight cars.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

the cleaning pads are a good idea , they could be made larger if they were in the middle [instead of the sandpaper] ..


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

Built but rarely used.
My shelf layout track stays clean even though half of it is brass.
I had planned on using velcro with changeable pads, but I did not allow for the extra thickness. The steel plate and bolt provide sufficient downward force.
The hollow gray tube glued into floor provides good alignment and sliding action.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Not convinced that sandpaper on track is a great idea....hwell:


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

What Hobo said.


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

masonite has been suggested


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

sandpaper is -apparantly- not good for the rails, even if it's a fine 1600 or better, grit ...
it's supposed to leave fine scratches than an accelerate the build up of 'gunk' and such ..
i use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning, and then no-ox idA afterwards .. no scratches ..


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Masonite's been used since the '50's... back in John Allen's day.
Has anyone tried the Hawthorne car?


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

LateStarter said:


> Has anyone tried the Hawthorne car?





in the literature on it , it says that ' tanker train car features an abrasive cleaning pad on its underside to remove dirt, dust and grit from your tracks' , so it's sandpaper or other abrasive medium ..


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

For using masonite, would you put the smooth or the rough side against the tracks? And since this stuff can absorb moisture, has anyone tried letting a slow alcohol drip wet the board?


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Rough-side down.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Not sure why people keep gravitating to the hard material for cleaning track. Did the kiddies leave this stuff outside in the sandbox for a couple years?
Geezo guys, for track that sits on a layout, they most you should need is a soft pad with a moistening of Isopropyl alcohol to clean the track. Woodland Scenics makes Dust Monkeys that do the job quite well and they can be run in trains and go unnoticed. That or just a soft cloth with the same alcohol rubbed over the track is all that's needed.
Another point: Never use Acetone on your layout *FOR ANYTHING* unless of course you are dismantling it for complete disposal in the landfill with no interest in harvesting track.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Although most of us have modest-sized layouts, there are a few that are quite large and expansive, e.g., club-size.
Hand-wiping track on these is quite tedious, especially where tunnels and ravines are concerned.
Some clubs run a continuous track-cleaning MW train, to keep up with all the dirty traffic.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

LateStarter said:


> Although most of us have modest-sized layouts, there are a few that are quite large and expansive, e.g., club-size.
> Hand-wiping track on these is quite tedious, especially where tunnels and ravines are concerned.
> Some clubs run a continuous track-cleaning MW train, to keep up with all the traffic.


Yeah, mine is club sized. I usually do a complete hand wipe down a couple days before doing an op session despite running Dust Monkeys in the trains all the time.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

I saw a video awhile back, of a BNSF diesel, hauling a train, at the end of which was a track cleaner with a trailing rotating drum.
Anybody know what it is?
Not the Centerline one, BTW.


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## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*W.S.track cleaning systems?*

How does woodland scenic track cleaning work?
does it do a sufficient job


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

tr1 said:


> How does woodland scenic track cleaning work?
> does it do a sufficient job


tr1:
IMO, the Woodland Scenics 'TidyTrack' system is very good -- including the hand-operated, the Dust Monkey, and wheel cleaner kits (which gets some good reviews).


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Although I don't own one, the CMX Clean Machine (quite expensive) is about the most effective 'commercial' car I've witnessed in use.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

D&J Railroad said:


> Not sure why people keep gravitating to the hard material for cleaning track.


Masonite is a type of board, it's not really that hard.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Here's a cool track cleaner...
It's an old Athearn F7, sans motor & drive (free wheeling).


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

D&J Railroad said:


> Not sure why people keep gravitating to the hard material for cleaning track.


hasn't the traditional method been the abrasive track eraser












D&J Railroad said:


> for track that sits on a layout, they most you should need is a soft pad with a moistening of Isopropyl alcohol to clean the track.


i think solvent makes sense, but i don't think a single swipe is good enough. I think some time is needed for it to dissolve any corrosion before coming along with something else to wipe it cleaner. Should there be a second car with dry pads to wipe up the dissolved stuff?

And what about a car that actually tests if the tracks are clean, possibly (battery powered) beeping whenever is loses power. A typical car has 8 contact points.


and of course it may be difficult to run a loco on tracks that are dirty. Should should there be a slow moving train with a solvent car followed by a wiping car being pushed by a loco now riding on cleaned rails?

i've tried pushing a Virginia & Truckabee solvent car with some success but wonder about a better approach.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The location and climate of the layout would
somewhat determine the degree of 'scrub' you
would need for good electrical conductivity.

My room size HO layout enjoyed 24/7 year round
climate control. As such, it did not get any serious amount
of dust or moisture. Therefore, my track cleaning car
with it's alcohol treated felt disc run once a month
or so was sufficient. I never had any 'dirty' track situations.

However, a layout in a garage, outbuilding, or even in
a basement or attic could be subject to intrusion of
various elements that would require a more serious
track cleaning...The type of track, brass or steel,
would likewise need more attention than N/S. Some
of the more harsh suggestions might be appropriate
in these instances.

Don


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