Thoughts on track cleaning

[hminky]

I have a web article about experiments in cleaning track. Has anyone else ever tried this:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/clean_track/

Thank you if you visit
Harold

[Lady_Railfan]

Nice article, Harold! It makes me wish you were "into" G-Scale. :) You're very generous about sharing your experience, and your presentation is always excellent.

[B_Kosanda]

Interesting Harold. It makes sense when you think about it. But you know I have not cleaned my track for two years? I now apply small amounts of Wahl clipper oil to the track every month or so. I admit that this makes for a bit of a mess, but not too bad if you take it easy with the amount of oil you apply. I never have electrical contact problems, ever. The only detriment I can see is that I need at least two locos MUed together to get up the steep part of my layout with a long train (>15 cars), not bad at all.

Bill

[kenw]

cleaning the inner corner is the absolute secret, as Harold points out the contact is primarily in that corner. A friend used a slightly curved (convex) piece of wood where Harold shows a cup edge, but I cannot remember what he had on the working surface. All it was (this is too easy) was a piece of warped wood. Even a brightboy can be held so that it is slightly bowed, approximating the same curve. The amount of curve isn't important, only that the main contact surface is along that corner.

things that come to mind that can be used to hold the curve:
>large diameter (4") PVC pipe
>the aforementioned warped wood
>?

Harold, your site is a tremendous asset.

[CBCNSfan]

Hi Harold, I read pages carefully, it does make sense and in the 1:1 world the same logic applies with regard to contact. The thing that concerns me about not cleaning the whole top of the rail is that the loco will eventually pick that dirt up on it's wheels. When cleaning the loco wheels I notice the dirt accumulated is not in a neat circle around the wheel, but is spread over most of the wheel differential area, and it is not deposited evenly. I guess what I'm wondering is if this will still happen when only the travelled edges of the rail are cleaned. I know what I mean, But(does that make any sense)
Cheers Willis