# CLEANING THE TRACK AND TRUCKS



## Redrider (Apr 19, 2017)

I have read that rubbing alcohol is good for cleaning track and the truck wheels. I tried this one evening while I watched tv and it seemed there was no end to the black I kept scraping off of the wheels. I finally stopped and thought, could it be I am removing some sort of coating that is necessary to prevent rust? In any case, I need to know, is a clean wheel a polished wheel that shines bright and silver, or is it a dull gray wheel where no black comes off on the Qtip?


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I have found it best to use 91% Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning wheels and track. If the wheels are particularly dirty, you might want to scrape the crud off before you go at it with the alcohol. I doubt that you are removing the finish from the wheels while using alcohol. As long as there is some black coming off onto the Q-tip/paper towel, there is still some grime to remove. A clean wheel can be gray or silver, depending on how the manufacturer made it.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It is amazing how much crud you can remove from well-run cars and locomotives. You aren't taking anything important off the wheels with the alcohol. Note that alcohol will affect some paints, so be careful where it gets. No problem with metal wheels and alcohol, at least none I've ever experienced.

I agree with the previous post, I start with a small flat screwdriver and scrape the crud off, then use the alcohol to clean the remains.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I use full strength denatured alcohol, but the concept is the same.

If you keep getting crud off the wheels, then it's because there's still crud on them. The only way I can think of where you would hurt something is if the wheels really aren't metal, but plastic with some kind of chrome paint on them, and I've never heard of that in a model train.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

The easy way to clean diesel loco wheels is to use
a paper towel with a spot of alcohol placed on the
track. Let the loco front truck run onto the alcohol
spot, Hold it by hand as you run up the speed and
the wheels spin on the towel. Then do the rear
truck the same way. Nice shiny wheels with good
electrical conductivity.

Don


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's good for powered units Don, but I can't seem to get the wheels to spin on my rolling stock with help. 

Most of the time for powered stuff I flop them in my foam cradle and just work on them that way with the wheels turning.


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

I do the paper towel and alcohol thing with rolling stock after scraping. Just roll it back and forth over the paper till the lines begin to fade. Slide the paper slightly to one side if it gets real dirty.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Goodness John

Are you saying your cars have bad bearings?

Tsk Tsk

Don


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

For my N rolling stock I double fold some Clorox wipes up to make a thick pad on my table surface and run each car over it back and forth and lean them from one side to the other until all the dirt comes off the wheels.

Powered locos hold them over a wipe on the track while the wheels spin under power.

Tracks I wipe down every 2 weeks.

I notice the plastic wheels seem to make more of a mess than the steel wheels.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

DonR said:


> Goodness John
> 
> Are you saying your cars have bad bearings?
> 
> ...


No, I'm saying that the idea of holding the car over a paper towel and letting the wheels spin doesn't work all that well with unpowered wheels.


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