scratched track

[ryeguyisme]

does anypne have any ideas on how to eliminate scratches on a rail head so it doesn't collect crap?

[Jim Banner]

Depends how deep the scratches are.  To remove residual file marks from the rail tops of hand laid turnouts, I use 400 grit Wet & Dry paper.  When the scratches are gone, I may polish the rail tops with 600 Wet & Dry, then with the worn 600 Wet & Dry wetted with Brasso, and finally just Brasso and a clean rag.  More often, I quit after the 400 grit, add a tiny bit of conductive oil, and let the wheels and rails polish one another.

Jim

[CNE Runner]

Burnishing track is time consuming; but worth the effort in the long run (I guess I don't possess the patience for this operation). I found a post, on another website, that explains one method of 'burnishing' model railroad track. While you are there, check out the helix...amazing huh?

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22200&whichpage=2

Cheers,
Ray

[ryeguyisme]

thanks I've been stumbling in the dark because I have some good switches with scratches from 400 grit on them

[richg]

I use #2000 grit wet/dry paper.

Rich

[CNE Runner]

Not to belabor the point but... I recently mentioned this thread to a model railroad pen-pal in AZ. He told me he had purchased some badly scratched (and corroded) track at a yard sale. Using the burnishing procedure (or one similar to it) he was able to completely eliminate any evidence of scratching on the rail heads. Understand that some small amount of rail material is lost in the process...the amount is dependant upon how deep the scratches penetrate the rail. Oh, his advice was that sometimes it is easier, and more productive, to scrap badly damaged track in favor of new. I thought I'd pass this on.

Regards,
Ray

[Doneldon]

CNE-

You're right about the rail wear but it's insignificant. The former AT&SF model at the Rosenwald Museum (Science and Industry) in Chicago ran daily for many years. The rails were replaced once when the trains were running on the web only because the railhead had worn away. It wore away a second time and that became the impetus for replacing the layout a few years ago.
                                                                                                                  -- D

[jward]

none of us here will ever run our layouts enough to wear out the rails. the layout in question undoubtedly ran 8+ hours a day for many years to get that kind of wear.

[Doneldon]

Jeff-

My point exactly. The MSI actually ran the Santa Fe exhibit much more then eight hours a day. They used solid rail, not hollow Lionel, and it took about 30 years to abrade away the railhead. They rerailed and ran another 30+ years before the second railhead was gone. Then they got the BNSF to build them the new HO layout which, if you haven't seen it, is truly spectacular. I know some of what went on in regards to the HO model and part of it was selling the BNSF on the notion that they had a commitment to the new railroad because the ATSF had funded the first two iterations. I don't know how long they expect the current rail to last. HO equipment is much lighter than O, of course, but the rails are much smaller, too. Additionally, the new layout runs many trains at a time whereas the old one ran only two at a time.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 -- D

[CNE Runner]

We have a small, local model railroad club that was forced to change the location of its club layout. The layout was moved from the restored railroad station (long story; but politics were involved) to a local elementary school. The layout is [now] prominently displayed in the lobby of the school - and can be activated by pushing a button (I believe it will then run for 5 minutes). Kids, being kids, have the layout running just about the entire school day. While the track shows little to no wear, the locomotives are returned to Broadway Limited for running gear replacement (BLW does this service for free) on a fairly frequent basis.

A couple of years ago, we visited the Union Station in Chattanooga, TN and observed their wonderful layout. One of the maintenance people told us that they have to replace the wheels on some of their rolling stock due to wear. He went on to say that we would be amazed at how sharp the flanges get at replacement time. As is known in physics: Input work is always more than output work because of friction...and friction takes its toll on these display layouts. One wonders how that affects huge layouts like the one in Germany.

Ray

[ryeguyisme]

i tend to salvage alot of track either from my own layouts or from others who don't want or sell off their layout, and for that I have an abundance of track, saying, that I tend to also have scratched track due to 400 grit sand papr and sometrack with plaster and paint on it, but it beats paying $1 a foot or $6+ for a switch. My layout project that I'm currently attempting has only cost me about $32 with all the mainline done and thats because of donations I received from generous individuals. Saves me money for brass engines and other nifty things(yeah I'm 22 and got the brass fever)


It's good to see this topic expanded and posts about interesting layouts come up

my layout might be run for 2 hours at a time maybe 4 times a week depending on where my interests lie at that moment in time.

PS-see the new post on my layout progress

I greatly appreciate all of your input