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 Posted - October 07 2008 : 9:06:50 PM
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I'm sure everybody has done one of these at one time or another, and here's mine.
First, I took a car I didn't like too much.
Then I put two bolts inside to add weight, and to make a support for-
a roll of quarters. This is just to add A LOT of weight.
Then I took a make-up pad,
and stuck some double sided tape to it, leaving to softer side down.
Stick it to the bottom of the car, and voila! A track cleaning car. And it'll cost ya about 40 or 50 bucks less than what the big guys charge for one. And, after wetting it slightly with some Rail-Zip, it does wonders for track that needs a good cleaning.
Yes, it's been a LONG time since it was cleaned. I have no excuses for not cleaning it now though. 
    
- Matt -
Edited by - MM 1498 on October 07 2008 9:17:49 PM
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 10:34:52 AM
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Love it...great idea...but have on question what is rail-zip, not familiar with that item...thanks...Garret "the fanged one"
"Though amid all the smoking horror and diabolism of a sea-fight, SHARKS will be seen longingly gazing up to the ship's decks, like hungry dogs round a table where red meat is being carved, ready to bolt down every killed man that is tossed to them . . ." by Herman Melville
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 11:29:41 AM
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Looks like a great idea! Does it snag at all on switches?
Mike
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tod513
Switcher
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 1:27:49 PM
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| Good one. I never would have thought of that.
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 2:55:06 PM
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quote:Love it...great idea...but have on question what is rail-zip, not familiar with that item...thanks...Garret "the fanged one"
/tyco/forum/uploaded/Puppyfang/sharkln.gif
Originally posted by Puppyfang-October 08 2008: 10:34:52 AM
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This stuff.
Claims to remove grime chemically, so you don't have to rub it in too much. And, as you can see, it says it keeps track clean for about 8 to 12 weeks.
quote: Looks like a great idea! Does it snag at all on switches?
Mike |
Out of 5 switches, it only snagged on one. And I'm pretty sure that's because I had worn out and loosened the fibers on the pad.
Also, it needed two locomotives to pull it over rerailers. But I'm using Bachmann's EZ Track, which seems to have abnormally large rerailer sections. 
- Matt -
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 3:56:39 PM
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Thanks, will get some... I clean mine and then use a graphite stick on then which seems to work well at keeping them running well..Garret
"Though amid all the smoking horror and diabolism of a sea-fight, SHARKS will be seen longingly gazing up to the ship's decks, like hungry dogs round a table where red meat is being carved, ready to bolt down every killed man that is tossed to them . . ." by Herman Melville
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 4:36:04 PM
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OH MATT! THE PC FROSTED FLAKES CAR! WHY!? WHY!?
That looks like a good idea. I recently tore apart a homemade track cleaner because the pad was worn out, but have been too lazy to put it back together. I may have to try something like this.
-cheez
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Posted - October 08 2008 : 5:34:28 PM
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quote:OH MATT! THE PC FROSTED FLAKES CAR! WHY!? WHY!?
Originally posted by DaCheez-October 08 2008: 4:36:04 PM
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Because I'm out of compressed gas for my airbrush. 
Seriously though, I'd like this car if it weren't for the danged sky blue plastered with advertisements on either side. 
- Matt -
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Posted - December 06 2008 : 4:20:55 PM
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Folks:
Here's mine.
Photo:
It's made from a Life-Like car, but any boxcar will work. The LL 40-footer does have a pair of hollow weight bosses spaced just right for drilling. 
The acorn nuts put the weight on the pad, which is nice, because it doesn't wear the axles out.
I've got a few different pads. I usually use a plain Masonite pad. Sometimes I use a wood pad with felt stuck to it, moistened with 90% isopropyl alcohol, or a different wood pad with 1200 grit ultrafine crocus cloth stuck to it, for polishing the rails.
My tracks, which are mostly steel and brass, do stay pretty clean, even in a dusty basement. I used the "Gleam" method of burnishing them, from the Trains.com forums. You start by sanding them with 600 grit paper, then burnish smooth with a stainless steel washer, and wipe clean with alcohol. Some people finish with Flitz metal polish, but I didn't bother. The burnishing smooths the tracks, so they don't trap as much dirt, and it does seem to work.
Edited by - Autobus Prime on December 06 2008 4:35:18 PM
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Posted - December 06 2008 : 6:32:24 PM
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Great idea, Matt...I haven't seen a bottle of Rail-Zip since 1984 and didn't know they were still around.
Like Autobus, I use Masonite pads...
On rare tinplate I attach it with small magnets...
I also use ye olde reliable Life-Like track cleaner, highly modified with better trucks and couplers...
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Posted - December 06 2008 : 10:19:13 PM
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s:
Those little neodymium magnets are useful for track cleaning in their own way, too. That BN F7 in my crash photo has two small 1 x 1/16 x 1/8 bar magnets stuck to its fuel tank - held to the steel weights within by their own magnetism. They are just right for picking up stray rail joiners, track nails, and magnetic crud. The cheapo Lifelike unit I used has recesses in just the right spot to hold the magnets, which is neat.
It was a totally random discovery - I had some of these glued to the ties, as experimental coupler magnets (they worked) but the glue was too weak, and the rare-earth magnet ripped itself loose when the fuel tank passed by, where I found it later.
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Posted - March 01 2009 : 9:33:33 PM
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neat stuff guys  a Frosted Flakes gondola?? O.O crazy stuff
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Posted - March 02 2009 : 08:30:09 AM
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quote:neat stuff guys a Frosted Flakes gondola?? O.O crazy stuff
Originally posted by microbusss-March 01 2009: 9:33:33 PM
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Yup, that's Mehano for ya!
It was in a train set made for a supermarket common here in Canada...I think DaCheez collects them.
- Matt -
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Posted - March 02 2009 : 6:22:11 PM
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Back in the 70's I remember you could get an "electronic track cleaner". Are they still available?
Todd
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Posted - March 12 2009 : 12:07:16 AM
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So most of you have seen the layout I run on. Lately we've had a huge issue keeping the track clean. Something about having a wood burner in the same room as the layout  . Plus I spent a good bit of time cleaning the wheels on my 0-4-0 Lima last week, only to do only pass on the main track and watch the engine slow to a crawl, the wheels had picked up a TON of dirt. We only have one track cleaning caboose, it runs ok but is in demand a little too much. So I decided after reading everyone else's projects that I should take things into my own hands and build a track cleaner. Had a few ideas in my head on how to build it. I wanted to do it for cheap, and sorta be different looking. The one local hobby store has lots of odd ball rolling stock for under 5 bucks, so I went down and picked this up for a song.
Made a few passes with a dremel and removed the lower dumping chutes. Then I took a felt pad ment for the bottom of furniture legs on a hardwood floor, drilled a hole in the center and ran a bolt up though it. Up inside the body I just put on as many washers as I could stack on the bolt. Added magnets under the trucks for picking any metal bits. Finally added a few more stick on weights inside the hopper over the trucks so they would press down more than the pad would. This was the result.
I had to tweak the weights a little, first I had it too heavy. I was able to back it off to give the engines a easier time while still keeping the hopper on the track. I got bored and stuck some "MW" and "sand car" decals on it since I had them. I figured sand car was fitting, since its a hopper you could say its full of sand. And since it cleans the track its technically giving better adhesion. I know its a reach, but it looks cool haha. It looks small but does the job. I tried to weather it then screwed up, so you'll notice sorta odd discoloring in spots from where I washed my attempt off with alcohol. Oddly enough it worked ok. Took this picture after just 1 pass on the mainline and a few drops of rail cleaner. Notice the magnets under the trucks (I need bigger ones).
By the end of the night the pad was well dirty! But the car ran well once it got settled in. I had it running all over the place with no issues once I got the weights figured out. Thought I'd share, since it was this forum that gave me the idea to go ahead and try it
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Posted - March 12 2009 : 4:39:02 PM
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Looks great, not so junky looking like mine.
I like the magnet idea too, just because you never really know what's on the track, huh?
Yeah, the rails sure can get dirty... 
- Matt -
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Posted - April 09 2009 : 01:33:25 AM
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Quick update. The covered hopper is doing well. It had a pretty easy time being clipped into any consist on the layout and sent on its way without derailing. Its just load the pad up with rubbing alcohol and send it on its way for a few laps! Its back home right now in the shop, gonna attempt to weather it some more and upgrade the magnets to something more powerful.
Meanwhile I got contracted out by my friend to repair his old track cleaning car. There was a post on this style of car awhile ago, but I couldn't find it. Either way, I painted the roof a metallic silver, then painted the wood parts accordingly. Painted the handrails black, then gave the whole thing a dark wash (which sorta worked ok I guess). Inside I drilled two stick on weights to ride atop the shafts for the stones that clean the track (you can sorta see one of them though the window). This setup seems pretty good at keeping pressure on the stones and producing a light consistent drag on the rails. Best part it looks better when not in use, the dull flat grey from before was killing me haha.
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Posted - April 18 2009 : 6:15:00 PM
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Here's my adjustable version:
Made from a cheap life like box car. I drilled two holes through the bottom of the car and welded two wing nuts to the weight. Then I screwed two bolts through the nuts, so I could adjust them according to the thickness of the pad. I hot glued a make up pad to a piece of balsa wood with two partial holes that match up to the bolts. The only problem is that the make up pad snags on switches, but all I have to do is find another pad. Then I drilled three holes in the top of the car, to add bb's for weight.
By the way, if you have an aquadot/pixo machine, the bbs are the same size as the aquadots/pixos. Its a lot easier than having to put the bbs in one by one. Here's what I'm talking about:
http://www.target.com/Pixos-20014713-Super-Studio/dp/B0018CEQ1I/sr=1-4/qid=1240092593/ref=sr_1_4/175-7583324-9933751?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Apixos&page=1
I just happened to have one lying around, there kind of expensive to buy just for this purpose
-Jacob
Quote: "I didn't fail, I just found 1200 materials that won't work"
-Thomas Edison
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Posted - April 18 2009 : 8:31:51 PM
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hey thought those Dots were recalled last year
would a tampon work if its thin enough?
Edited by - microbusss on April 18 2009 8:32:47 PM
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Posted - April 23 2009 : 4:48:58 PM
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your right about the dots microbusss- thats why they changed their name to pixos. The tampon performed about as well as the make-up pad, it snagged on switches too.
-Jacob
Quote: "I didn't fail, I just found 1200 materials that won't work"
-Thomas Edison
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Posted - November 26 2020 : 12:36:16 PM
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Some nice cleaning ideas.
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