Cleaning track

I've had all of my track and equipment in storage for the past ten years and I'm finally can start a new layout (Yeah!). Does anyone know of a good way to clean the dirt and corrosion that has built up over time? I would rather clean the track then replace it.

You didn't say what kind of track you have but, if it's nickel silver, the best way would be to use a bright boy and plenty of good ol elbow grease. If its brass track, replace it with nickel silver. Glad your getting back into the hobby ..Good luck with your cleaning.
Mark

You may consider a 2 ounce tube of MAAS, a silver metal polisher/cleaner.
$3.50 at wal-mart.
I also used this on a 1966 Lionel HO steamer pick ups that haven't
been cleaned in 38 years. WOW!
Thank you MR, January 2003

Remember how Grandma use to clean her tarnish sterling silver?

You may wish to consider replacing those crudy plastic wheel sets with new metal sets.
Beware, not all wheel sets measure the same axle length.

Also horn hook couplers have been replaced by the knuckle style coupler.
KD manufacturing company is the principal player but there are several clones.
www.kadee.com
Yes, lots of upgrades & new ideas.

Thanks for the advice.

I've already noticed the upgrades & new ideas, I had to to some resreach about DCC to figure what it was.

There are varied trck erasors and cleaners out there. Even a simple pice of homeasalt can be used to clean rails.

Has anyone ever used contact cleaner to clean track? I used to a long time ago and it worked great at the time. It's a spray can you can get as radioshack for $10 or half that much anywhere else. Is there any negatives about it that anyone knows of? I used it to clean the electrical strips on my son's slot car set and the cars ran much better.

It's a popular product among modelers.
I use a product by www.crcindustries.com "QD Contact Cleaner, 11 oz,
for $6.00 at Menards or Lowes.

I was just tasked over the holidays to work on holiday decorations for the office. I decided to take on the task of building a layout on a file cabinet. Its a big hit in the office and the bosses are letting me keep it around through the winter.

Anyway......what relevance does this have here? I used my old nickel silver track (most of it in storage since the late 1980's) and just worked with a bright boy one night. I literally sweated while using it and my hand went numb but everything came out nice and clean and runs perfectly. Nothing but a bright boy.

Thanks for the help the bright boy works great.

For actual built-up corrosion, a brite-boy abrasive block is best. For everyday cleaning of tarnish and grime, use a cleaner like plan rubbing alcohol (no residue) or petroleum distellate like Goo Gone (nice lemony scent).

-otto-

The one Micro-Mark sells is great! I actually ordered a second one for the layout. I found that it worked even better then the little eraser type.

Them bright boys have the feel and look of pen eraser with that giddy feel to them.

I use several methods on my N-scale layout, It's probably a little overkill but the trains keep running and that's all that counts.

1) The rails get polished with MAAS as per the article in the January 03 MR.

2) I use a Bright-Boy if there are random sections of track that need heavy cleaning.

3) I run my Atlas track-cleaning car with just the wiper pad and a tank full of cleaning fluid weekly.

Doing this keeps the layout in shape to run any time. It also lessens the amount of times I need to clean the wheels of my locomotives.

Joe P

http://www.maasinc.com/products_metalpolish.html
For$3.50 per two oz tube at walmart.

This stuff is used byBoeing& McDonald Douglas and just about every branch of our military.

anyone try that tarnex?? I ofton wondered if it would work its good for silver, copper, brass, dimonds and varyed outher metals.