My new Skemil Railroad, Western Division

You should wipe down your railheads with track cleaner (I used to have a bottle of stuff that Model Power sold... the bottle is long since gone, so I don't know if it was acitone or alcohol). Then use a q-tip to clean the wheels of your locomotives with the same stuff.

That should do the trick.

I use Goo Gone to clean my track and locomotive wheels. put some on a paper towel and wipe the rails and then use a clean paper towel to wipe again. For the wheels I place a towel on the tracks with some Goo Gone on it and run each truckon the towel until there isnt any more gunk coming off.
Never use sandpaper or an abrasive on the track!

BobLI wrote:I use Goo Gone to clean my track and locomotive wheels. put some on a paper towel and wipe the rails and then use a clean paper towel to wipe again. For the wheels I place a towel on the tracks with some Goo Gone on it and run each truckon the towel until there isnt any more gunk coming off.
Never use sandpaper or an abrasive on the track!

even if it's super fine? and i just had to brush the track a little, and the gunk came right off

I meant the rails, not the ties..is that what you are talking about ? the rails? The rails get dirt on them from dust etc.

BobLI wrote:I meant the rails, not the ties..is that what you are talking about ? the rails? The rails get dirt on them from dust etc.

and it's like the plastic on a wire...

The reason you don't use sandpaper on track is because you etch (scratch/gouge) the track, creating little, microscopic grooves and crevices that accumulate dirt, dust, gunk, junk, etc. that will make your track harder to keep clean. That's why you use track cleaner, or isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean your railheads. NOT sandpaper.

And, what kind of "gunk" do you have on your track? Is this the same stuff that mildewed before, or is this new track? I can't think of anything that would coat rails like wire insulation... and if it IS mold or mildew... you're wasting your time. Your track is garbage. The only thing that will kill mold/mildew is bleach, but it isn't worth the time and effort to try and clean your track that way. Buy new track instead.

Komachi wrote:The reason you don't use sandpaper on track is because you etch (scratch/gouge) the track, creating little, microscopic grooves and crevices that accumulate dirt, dust, gunk, junk, etc. that will make your track harder to keep clean. That's why you use track cleaner, or isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean your railheads. NOT sandpaper.

And, what kind of "gunk" do you have on your track? Is this the same stuff that mildewed before, or is this new track? I can't think of anything that would coat rails like wire insulation... and if it IS mold or mildew... you're wasting your time. Your track is garbage. The only thing that will kill mold/mildew is bleach, but it isn't worth the time and effort to try and clean your track that way. Buy new track instead.

no, it was black gunk. not the mildew stuff (which was a bright neon blue-green) from before.

daylight4449 wrote:no, it was black gunk. not the mildew stuff (which was a bright neon blue-green) from before.

If it's what I think it is, you need to throw your track away. And I mean RIGHT NOW!!!

It sounds like BLACK MOLD, which is a serious health issue and you certianly DO NOT want it on your railroad.

Unless you're using new track (you never said if you threw your old, mold and mildewed track away), then I have absolutely no idea of what the "black gunk" would be. Did you buy pre-weathered track? If so, then it's just paint, but I don't know of any company that sells pre-weathered track, except for rail stock for handlaying...

Needless to say, you have me baffled. But, if it's your old track, then odds are it's mold. Your track is ruined and you're going to have to buy new.

Unless someone else out there has a better idea of what it could be???

Komachi wrote:

daylight4449 wrote:no, it was black gunk. not the mildew stuff (which was a bright neon blue-green) from before.

If it's what I think it is, you need to throw your track away. And I mean RIGHT NOW!!!

It sounds like BLACK MOLD, which is a serious health issue and you certianly DO NOT want it on your railroad.

Unless you're using new track (you never said if you threw your old, mold and mildewed track away), then I have absolutely no idea of what the "black gunk" would be. Did you buy pre-weathered track? If so, then it's just paint, but I don't know of any company that sells pre-weathered track, except for rail stock for handlaying...

Needless to say, you have me baffled. But, if it's your old track, then odds are it's mold. Your track is ruined and you're going to have to buy new.

Unless someone else out there has a better idea of what it could be???

it definitely wasn't mold. it was the gunk that sticks to the new track. my guess is that it was just gunk collecting on the track, as it hasn't seen extended use for about a year. besides, the storage enviroment was hostile to mold. now, maybe i should wory about keeping you guys updated on the layout...

well, my scenery resources have been completely exhausted by my efforts, and i didn't have much left over from my bio project anyway, wich will be incoperated into the layout as time permits. plan to buy the leg supplies with my christmas money

daylight4449 wrote:it definitely wasn't mold. it was the gunk that sticks to the new track. my guess is that it was just gunk collecting on the track, as it hasn't seen extended use for about a year. besides, the storage enviroment was hostile to mold. now, maybe i should wory about keeping you guys updated on the layout...

Well, I appologize for jumping the gun and suggestinng the mold issue, however when you first mentioned the "black gunk" on the track, you didn't mention if it was new track or your old track. And you also described it as "the plastic on a wire," which sounded like it was a very thick coating of sludge on your rails.

But when you describe it as "the gunk that sticks to new track" and that you haven't used it in about a year, it sounds more like "tarnish," which is the natural oxidation of the track and nothing serious. That can easily be cleaned with a little bit of cleaner and nothing more.


What would really help in answering your questions, would be pictures of what it is you're trying to describe. You need to get that photobucket account up and running (links to Facebook DO NOT WORK AND WILL NOT WORK HERE).

for all to know:
setting up my photobucket it my plan for tonight.

well, this may or may not happen, but i may suspend work on the skemil. i have been planning with my father to purchase plymouth cordage #5. she's a 0-4-0CA, built to 41" track gauge. she is on display at edaville, and it certianly looks like there won't be a new owner by the end of january, so we may purchase and restore plymouth cordage #5 using the funds we were saving to get another ATV for the coming year. she's powered by compressed air, and was built by baldwin locomotive works in 1928, to the design of plymouth cordage #1, which was built in 1877 by baldwin. she'll need new piping, and saftey appliances such as headlights and a bell. i do intend to add front running boards, and construct two dump side cars, and build a line on a switch back up the hill in my back yard. this would allow us to move more leaves to a larger compost pile when we are doing yard work in the spring and fall. the prospect of purchasing and restoring her continues to grow, as my father is very intrigued by the information i am finding with my research. it shouldn't prove hard to move, as i have the resources and man power readily avalible to move plymouth cordage #5 to my home should this plan come to fruition

That's...

... an interesting development. Not often you get the chance to purchase a 1:1 scale piece of rolling stock.

I, for one, am currious to see how this plays out...

Komachi wrote:That's...

... an interesting development. Not often you get the chance to purchase a 1:1 scale piece of rolling stock.

I, for one, am currious to see how this plays out...

it is indeed