track maintenance

[sour rails]

     I just recently bought track off of ebay, but it has a dry powdery texture, as if it were used but not maintained.  My simple question is "Is there anything that I can do to make it useful for me?  It is Bachmann's steel E-Z track, but most of this texture is by the end of the track sections by the conectors.

Any suggestions?

[SteamGene]

Steel track?  I hope you didn't pay very much for it.   However, I'd use 91% rubbing alchohol, and then wipe it clean.  One thing I just heard of from Tony's is to buy a sheet of the "sandpaper" (which it isn't) that is used on dry wall.  Use light pressure, and only after checking on Tony's Train site under "Tony's Products" and looking under track cleaners. 

Actually, I'd put the track back up on e-Bay, myself.
Gene 

[jayl1]

I would have top agree with Gene.  Go with the "gray" roadbed EZ track.  The nickel silver rail is easier to keep clean thus has better electric conduction.

[ebtbob]

        I am extremely surprised the Tony's site would suggest any type of "sand paper"  no matter how fine it is.   Considering that the key would be how much pressure you put on the paper and the REAL chance too much will be use,  thus scoring the top of the rails creating scratches for the dirt to lay in,   I am dissapointed.
        The sound advice here,  so far,  is to replace the steel railed track with nickel silver rail.   For maintence,  if you want to use a non liquid tool,  get the Peco track buffer block.  It is softer  and half the price of the Walther's BriteBoy.   After the track is clean,  I use a product called CRC-226.   It is a contact cleaner and will protect the track from oxidation.   However,  no matter what method you use......if you do not clean your wheels at the same time,  then you will soon have to clean that track again.

[SteamGene]

Bob,
Please note the quotes around "sandpaper" and the disclaimer that it is not sandpaper.  Apparently drywall installers call it that, but it is closer to a large Britboy without the bad part of getting clogged up.  It comes in a sheet like sandpaper and it's used by being attached to some sort of a block - Tony's suggests stapling it to a piece of wood.   According to Tony's, one sheet will last a life time. 
Gene

[SteamGene]

Direct from Tony's:
Semi-Abrasive Pads: Brite Boys, Masonite Pads, Ink Type Erasers, are just a few of the inexpensive semi-abrasive cleaning pads that are available. These pads all remove oxidation and maybe some contaminants but have one serious drawback. As soon as you start using them, the pads begin to load up with organic contaminants and eventually will spread a thin layer of these contaminants on your track. You know the rest! There is an inexpensive non-loading alternate. Your local paint supply or hardware store should have a special sanding mesh used for sheetrock. This sheetrock sanding mesh is like fiberglass window screen with a #250 grit bonded to the mesh. Due to the fact it’s a mesh, it will not load up. You can staple it to an appropriate block of wood and you are all set. It’s easy to replace and one sheet will last years. Use gently applying light pressure.

Gene

[r.cprmier]

If you must sand, use a 400 grit carbide paper, followed by 600, followed by crocus cloth; after that, a regular cleaning program with a tool specifically made for track cleaning.
Rich

[brad]

I've used sanding screens for drywall and they work great ... for drywall.  It is basically non-clogging sandpaper, but is still sandpaper. If a brightboy(or blue ink eraser) won't clean your track try a 3-M Scotchbrite pad

brad

[Rangerover]

I had a lot of track that was stored for 35 years, brass, steel, nickle silver and a lot of it was not nice at all. Anybody else would have thrown it out, switches included. I used WD40 and a scotch brite pad and they look and work as good as new. Even the nickle silver was terrible cruddy. I run my trains alot , 4 days a week, I'm retired, the more you run them the less maintenance on the track. I had to wipe the ties with alcohol when I balasted. And I do clean it with either Flitz polish or Maas if I do scenic work. So I am one of those guys who admits using steel, brass and nickle silver. And it's powered DCC. But I also run analog, especially if the grand young'ns are here. Jim

[r.cprmier]

Jim;
Track, no matter what it is made of, will oxidize/rust over time, if not properly maintained and run on.

RIch

[sour rails]

     Thanks for all the input guys, I'll try with what I have, rubbing alcohol.

[ebtbob]

Gene,

       You know,  when you do things for as long as you and I have,  like cleaning track,  we tend, not to go into extreme detail.   What I am referring to is the fact that each time you use any type of cleaning block,  you must then,  clean it also.  That advertising from Tony's warning of spreading contaminents is accurate,  but not avoidable.   Even with liquid cleaners,  if not totally wiped off will leave a residue that will attack te crud on the wheels of the engines and rolling stock which in turn gets re-deposited on the rails.  Use any type of block,  Peco,  Brite Boy,  and they MUST be cleaned.
       The bottom line to me is simply that track cleaning something I do not enjoy doing,  and I like cleaning wheels even less,   BUT it is a VERY important part of model railroading and to each his own as far as the method goes.
         

[r.cprmier]

Bob;
I tend not to clean wheels a lot, as whatever will get deposited on metal wheels, will emulsify when it hits a patch of Wahl's@ oil, and get deposited on the rails, which will get cleaned regularly.  I know it sounds like an endless circle, but to me, it works. And I don't have to clean the wheels.

I will tell you something that will work really well, and that is ammonia in conjunction with alcohol; first one, the nthe other.Ammonia will cut the crud on the rails, and alcohlo will clean the rails and dry them.

Rich

[ebtbob]

Rich,

     It may be interesting to all to hear how you put the ammonia and alcohol down on the tracks.   Are you using a track cleaning car, rubbing it on by hand or putting a few drops around the trackage and letting the trains run through it to spread it around?

[Beatle (TrainBrain)]

Rubbing alcohol, magic erasers (by Atlas or something), or these little guys:

http://www.aztectrains.com/pages/TrackClean-HO.html