# lionel 3927 track cleaning car



## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

picked up this little guy for 30 bucks on ebay. it was missing the spring for the rear cleaning pad so i threw one on. reset the brushes,sprayed some contact cleaner and lubed it up. boom motor fires right up. just need to pick up some track cleaning solution and the center pads and she'll be good to go.


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## rkenney (Aug 10, 2013)

Cool!:smokin:

Hooked to your rotating spotlight car so they can work at night.

How is the cleaning fluid dispensed/regulated from the bottles? Constant drip or some kinda valve?

Does the pad rotate or is it stationary?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The pad rotates in those. For command operation, I recommend a 3A series diode so the motor doesn't work itself to death, it runs pretty fast on 18 volts.  The fluid just drips from a bottle inverted in the chute at the top.

I truthfully didn't find it all that effective. I put some Scotchbrite on mine, that worked pretty well with the rotary action.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

Can anyone recommend a good track cleaning fluid


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I cut a piece of scotch brite for the bottom too.
I use denatured alcohol. I get mine for free from work. And it smells pleasant.:thumbsup:
I just dampen the pad with it and run her around.


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## TrainLarry (Jan 15, 2012)

I would be careful using alcohol or any other flammable cleaner. A spark from the roller pickup could ignite the liquid before it evaporates. Small amounts of alcohol burn almost invisibly, so a fire may not be evident at first. Use Lionel or Life Like track cleaning fluid in the car.
That said, I use naphtha to manually clean my track, and I wait till it evaporates before turning on the power.

Larry


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

TrainLarry said:


> I would be careful using alcohol or any other flammable cleaner. A spark from the roller pickup could ignite the liquid before it evaporates. Small amounts of alcohol burn almost invisibly, so a fire may not be evident at first. Use Lionel or Life Like track cleaning fluid in the car.
> That said, I use naphtha to manually clean my track, and I wait till it evaporates before turning on the power.
> 
> Larry


If you check the cleaners you listed all contain alcohol to some extent. Naptha, while good leaves a residue behind. I've used nothing but alcohol with no ill effects. As with any potential fire hazard you used care.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

Well I wanna use something to go with the unit. I just ordered the washer heads. I'll most likely order the Lionel stuff. More or less I just wanna use it for nostalgia. If my layout needs a cleaning I use some elbow grease and a track cleaning bar.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool. 
Flames shooting out from my track cleaning car, Gomez Adams would like that.

I just have to make sure my firefighting car is hooked to it.


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)




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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Kwikster said:


> Naptha, while good leaves a residue behind.


I believe you are incorrect on that point, naphtha leaves no residue. In truth, Isopropyl Alcohol appears to leave a residue when I use it, but naphtha does not.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I believe you are incorrect on that point, naphtha leaves no residue. In truth, Isopropyl Alcohol appears to leave a residue when I use it, but naphtha does not.


Isopropanol shouldn't leave a residue?:dunno:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Could be the water, but when I clean circuit boards with it, there is a film. This is 91%, I can no longer find the 99% that I used to use.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Could be the water, but when I clean circuit boards with it, there is a film. This is 91%, I can no longer find the 99% that I used to use.


Ask for it in your local drug store. Sometimes they have it behind the counter now for some reason.
What kind of residue? White?
Might be the water, or do you use distilled water, then it shouldn't be white?

If it is a food grade IPA, it should be a distilled water that they use?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It looks like evaporated water, hard to know. I just ordered some 99% on-line, we'll see if that's better.

I've asked at a number of places locally, including most of the major drug store chains, none carry 99% anymore.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

I have the 99 percent at work for cleaning boards. But they keep a real close eye on it.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I'm hoping I'll have it in a few days as well, I've missed it the last couple of years.


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## carinofranco (Aug 1, 2012)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Could be the water, but when I clean circuit boards with it, there is a film. This is 91%, I can no longer find the 99% that I used to use.


We had a problem in the lab years ago with films left on samples after solvent cleaning. It turned out that the acetone we were using was dissolving some components of the cleaning cloths we were using, and this was the source of the film. maybe this happens also with alcohol or other solvents depending on what kind of cloth or pad is used.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I've used both cotton cloth and swabs, and and old toothbrush to apply the alcohol. Both exhibit the same effect. I'm 99.99% sure it's not a residue from the alcohol dissolving something. I do know that alcohol will attack many paints.

Acetone is a totally different animal, and it will dissolve a number of substances.


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

does 2 sided tape hold the abrasive pad on the platen?


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## MattR (Oct 30, 2015)

No. You cut the abrasive pad to proper size, then wiggle the stem of the holding plate through the middle and snap it on the unit. Usually have to work a hole started with a knife. Just learned this myself this last year.


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