# Cleaning track in a tunnel?



## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

I'm putting together my tunnel tomorrow and that brought up the question of how do you clean them once the scenery is in place? I made sure I have an access panel in the back so I can get to trains if there is a derailment, but how do you give it a nice cleaning?

I've seen the attachments you can put on the cars to use a liquid cleaner, but what about something more substantial?


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

A couple of questions before walking out on a limb here.
What scale are you modeling and how long is the tunnel?


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Bone,
That very thing was a HUGE concern when I built my tunnel last year. It is 5' from hole to hole, so I put an access door in the back that is 16" wide by 12" high. When the door is removed I can easily reach in and clean track from either direction.
True to Murphy's Law, I've already had one derailment inside the tunnel, but no sweat because of the large access door.
Good luck,
Bob


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## Hutch (Dec 19, 2012)

How hard is it to make the tunnel lift off? That's what I'm planning if I ever get there.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Hutch,
Perhaps that would be practical for some, but certainly not mine. 
It's five feet long, 18" high, has a full frontage of plaster rock facings, is constructed of cardboard weave with plaster cloth, and is landscaped with nearly 300 pine trees, not to mention a fairly large plaster portal at each end. 
Lifting off was/is NOT an option.


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## Hutch (Dec 19, 2012)

Yeah, you'd need a crane. 

I won't be able to get to the back of mine. It's a shelf layout so I'll have to make it a lift off.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

How are you going to be able to get to it in order to lift it straight up?
Ever consider a trap door underneath?


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## Hutch (Dec 19, 2012)

I don't like crawling under my layout much so I really will have to design to lift somehow.


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

To answer some of the questions I am working in N Scale. I've test run the trains and cars through it without issue. To protect the track while I work on the scenery I will be using crumpled paper towels that I can pull out once I'm done. I figured this is an easy way to plug either ends when I'm sanding and doing other detail work. I will tape off the ends. The tunnel is about 3 feet long and is under my major hill feature. The access panel I cut is about 18 inches from either exit.

The hill will be plaster clothed and have tunnel portals and retaining structures so it will not be removable.

If I were designing the hill top to be removed how would you hide the seam in the scenery? I suppose you could cut the cloth and use some Spackle to repair the seam each time, but seems like there may be a better way of doing it.


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

A homebuilt track cleaner can be made with a boxcar. Cut a piece of Masonite (hardboard) to fit between the trucks of the boxcar, rough side down. Bevel the front and back edges. Fasten two nails to the board and drill two holes in the bottom of the car for the nails to go in. Then run this car around the railroad and through the tunnel. The rough, but non abrasive surface should do a good job of keeping the track clean. 

It does put some drag on the train, would not run more than one in a consist, probably best to be right after the engine.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

If you have the space to do so it may be a good idea to put a hinged side on your access hatch. We have one over a tunnel at our club. Saves picking it up, and then trying to realign it to place it back correctly. Plus, helps keep the track clean in that we don't have loose pieces of whatever stray materials falling into the space.


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

Your plan sounds pretty good there bone. Instead of crumpling the paper towels, you might just lay them flat so scenery doesn't dribble down between the folds to the track below. After the scenery is completed I would think just the occasional track cleaning car through the tunnel would suffice.


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

Thanks for the tips and responses, I feel much better about how I'm doing this now  I'll take extra care to protect the track while I do the work around it and will try a some of the cleaning suggestions like the box car.


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## oldhobbie reborn (Jan 15, 2014)

I put a farm. On top of My 4 foot tunnel and made it lift off hide the seems with with lichen


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