Santa Fe Trouble! Help Mr. Bach Man!

[lilwaffleboy]

are there any track cleaning cars I can buy? I see them on model train layouts where the engine just pulls the track cleaning car around and WALAH! Clean!

[Guilford Guy]

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/226-CMXHO
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/116-10003

[Teamanglerx]

First you will need a shaman, some holy water, book of the dead....

Kidding.   I don't have a DCC system but my whole layout is ez-track.  If the track is not connected all the way my locos do the same.  Also, check to make sure that the track is connected in the rail joiners.  If they are not the n reconnect them.  One other thing, look at you layout to make sure you don't have a reverse section.   When your train hits this it will definately act up.

[lilwaffleboy]

Thanks! This has solved my engine problem! Now I need to worry about keeping the track clean. I do not want to walk around my track with an eraser. Do you know where I can buy a cheap (around $20 or less) track cleaning car so that I can just attach it to a locomotive and let the car do the rest?   

[Guilford Guy]

 http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/116-10003
Follow the directions and attach that beneath a 50ft boxcar. One the best, and cheapest track cleaners. I know another forum member makes a great track cleaner but it is only sold on ebay, and I can't find any at the moment.

[SteamGene]

GG's find on Walther's is John Allen's old track cleaner turned into a kit.  Great idea!  IHC makes a caboose track cleaning car.  It's main problem is that being plastic, many solvents work on the car's body.  There is a new company that makes a track cleaner from a Bowser 70T covered hopper.  Check Walther's for "track cleaning cars."  
Gene

[lilwaffleboy]

Thanks, but they are all expensive. I don't have a 50 or 40 foot boxcar right now. I only have a Santa Fe, and an Acela Express. Is there a cheap track cleaning car out there for about $15?

[Guilford Guy]

A Boxcar costs 10$, and the John Allen track cleaner kit costs 7$. Most cheap track cleaners don't work very well.

[lilwaffleboy]

oh. ok. What track cleaners would you reccomend for me, a guy on a budget?

[SteamGene]

John Allen's track cleaner uses abrasion, not a cleaner.  I THINK the J A track cleaner kit at Walther's is $4.95.  You can probably still find a Blue Box Athearn boxcar for less than $10.  
Gene

[SvFiat]

Had the exact thing happening here. Clean the track Clean the engine wheels and use 2 drops of Wahl Hair clipper oil on the track. All my engines run smooth and steady since I started dong this.

HAGD

[lilwaffleboy]

ok. thx.

[Santa Fe buff]

Oh, and if your locomotive has trouble, any kind related to the track being dirty, what I did is put the track cleaning car in front of the locomotive.