# Lazy man's low cost track cleaning car



## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi all

My new Aristo Craft Brass track has been down for about two months and I noticed my 060 Steamer was slowing down as it went past the freight station even though I had not touched the throttle. An inspection of the track showed the track was getting dirty. So, what to do? Buying a track cleaning car is out of the question at this point in time. Getting down on my hands and knees to clean the track is also out of the question at this stage in my life. So, what better than a little ingenuity on my part. As show in the following picktures, I started with a Bachmann Gondola. Bought some drtwall 320 sandpaper from HD and a strip of 1/4" brass that I had bought from the local hobby shop. Since the sandpaper was pretty much the same width as the gondola, I didn't cut it down. I cut two pcs off the brass the width of the sandaper and drilled a hole through both pcs at each end for a small screw to fit through. I then used an xacto knife to poke holes through the sandpaper where the screws would fit through. I slid one pc of the brass strip over the struts on the bottom of the gondola, folded the sandpaper strip in half and sandwiched it between the other brass strip. I inserted the two screws and used nuts to hold it all together. At this point, the sandpaper by itself didn't seem to have much tension against the track, so I inserted a small pc of styrofoam between the two sides of the sandpaper. With the car on the track I loaded the gon with a brick to hold the wheels down on the track and it was ready to go. I have a mainline that is approx 70 lineal feet around. Three trips around the track and the rail head was shiny as new. I put the locomotive in reverse and pushed the track cleaning gondola around the track backwards and it worked flawlessly.

Randy


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice going Randy, what grit did you use? I assume it's the sliicon carbide "open type" drywall sandpaper. 

Regards, Greg


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg: Randy mentioned 320 in the write up but if you look at the photo of it attached to the car it looks like it reads 220. So which is it? Nice job making the rail cleaning car Randy. Later RJJD


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

Randy,
Good job on the cleaner. How is the level of drag created ? 

JimC.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

This is just a suggestion as I have no experience with track cleaning (don't need it since I run Live Steam only).

I see a problem with trying to wedge a piece of material between the abrasive (sandpaper) and the car that is dragging it around because the pressure to hold the abrasive down is also lifting the car such as it tries to lift the wheels off the track.

If you suspend the abrasive below a car with a floating weight holding the abrasive down, but not so thick that the top of the weight is also pressing UP on the bottom of the car then the media of the abrasive pulls the weight around when it is pulled by the car.

See the attached drawing:

The "Slots" and the "Suspension" are a method off keeping the weight aligned on top of the abrasive and under the car without any lifting force on the car to derail it.


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## Rod Hayward (Jan 2, 2008)

http://www.smegworld.org.uk/spaf/sp/sp.htm


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

ok 

It is 220 grit. As for the drag being level, the bracing for the struts on the bottom of the gondola keep the drag pretty much level. Being the sandpaper is attached to the forward struts where they angle up towards the bottom of the gondola the sandpaper already has the tendacy to push down and away from the bottom of the gondola thus drag the rails. The styrofoam just stiffend the assembly and forces the sandpaper against the rail with more tension. The brick adds enough weight to prevent the wheels from derailing. Thus the snadpaper is actually wedged between the Gondola and the track. 

CT, your drawing looks good and would most likely do a very good job. With the gondola I was using, the struts on the bottom didn't leave enough room for this type of system and I didn't want to chop it up. 

Randy


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

LS and does not clean track? Eventually you will accumulate enough crud on the tread of your wheels that you may start to have derailing problems. I run LS also but still clean it so I can run the spartkies also. I see a lot of residue left on the track after running the LS. Later RJD


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By aceinspp on 03/02/2009 4:47 PM
LS and does not clean track? Eventually you will accumulate enough crud on the tread of your wheels that you may start to have derailing problems. I run LS also but still clean it so I can run the spartkies also. I see a lot of residue left on the track after running the LS. Later RJD


Lessee... track laid in 2000, 
Ran L[/b]ive S[/b]team (out of respect and to prevent confusion of not knowing whether L[/b]arge S[/b]cale or L[/b]ive S[/b]team is meant, I always use the whole words instead of using the initials) every Sunday afternoon in the Spring, Summer and Autumn (and often in the Winter when the temps allowed me to be outside... well, sometimes in the Summer the temps kept me inside, too).
Tracks taken up Summer of 2008 to facilitate rebuilding the structure of the Elevated Mainline over the Eyeshudmowsoon Jungle.
In those 8 years I NEVER cleaned the track and the only derailments that occurred were because the company's beloved ol' Switch Tender screwed up once and one time a joint in the track separated.
Ran over Leaf Hoppers, bird poop and at least one Cicada (it played "chicken" and lost!), acorns, twigs, leaves and Helicopters (Maple seeds) and didn't derail.
One engine was hit by a bird (Fireman thought sure it was Rodan, but he is known to spend too much time testing the alcohol fuel and also claims to have seen pink elephants and a six foot long toad) and didn't derail.
Ran two Aster Mikados, one Ruby, one Three Cylinder Shay, one K28, one Live Diesel and one LGB "Peanuts" motorcycle w/sidecar towing Snoopy's Doghouse "parade float" (battery car).

I also have plastic wheels on all the rolling stock and if you do rub your hand over the track yer pinkies will be black and gooey from the oil, grease and plastic dust (and bird poop and ground "Rose" granite ballast).

Still, no derailments due to crud on the tracks that I don't have to clean since I don't use track power.


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is my cheap track cleaning car........ actually 2 of them, they have been used for 8 or 9 years now......They work great and look good.....










Check my *How-to*.....


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

Lazy mans low cost track cleaning car means remove a Aristo track cleaning car out of the box , place on the track and couple to a train , and run ! 

Pay the $52.92 card charge next month , and that IS , lazy man ! 

http://www.ridgeroadstation.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=25546952!255


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By aceinspp on 03/02/2009 4:47 PM
LS and does not clean track? Eventually you will accumulate enough crud on the tread of your wheels that you may start to have derailing problems. I run LS also but still clean it so I can run the spartkies also. I see a lot of residue left on the track after running the LS. Later RJD


Live steam track does need to be cleaned to get the grunge off. I use kerosene on a sponge mop to do mine. It works great, no bending down. One swipe and it is cleaned. The sponge mop can then be washed off and reused the next time. I do not use abraisives. Kerosene will work for sparkies also as it leaves a small lubricating residue that keeps brass track from oxidizing. I used it on my HO scale track for years with excelent results. It beats all the so called commercial track cleaners hands down. You can use a similar track cleaning car with a sponge like applicator in place of the sand paper.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Here is one of the three different types I've made.

This one uses a "scrubbie" (scotchbrite) pad and follows the car with the drywall pad removing the brass debris and appling "magic elixer" to the rails. Instead of brass strip (that could short out the rails), I use plastic "sock hangers" with the hook cut off to hold the pad.










And in position.









A "pad" was constructed of veneer and craft sticks to hold a "scrubbie" firm against the rails.









The pad is trimmed to fit the bolsters.









And the "scrubbie" was put in place.









Ready to provide service. A load of PVC pipe was added (afterwards) for weight.


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

toddalin , THAT iS , cheap , quick , and easy , a great idea .


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dennis Paulson on 03/04/2009 6:55 AM
Lazy mans low cost track cleaning car means remove a Aristo track cleaning car out of the box , place on the track and couple to a train , and run ! 

Pay the $52.92 card charge next month , and that IS , lazy man ! 



Dennis

That works if you have a job. As the subject line states, (Low cost) was a priority.

Randy


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

And the Aristo car is not the answer for everyone. It will not clean as fast or as well as Randy's drywall paper. I have one and it gets gummed up with organic material, which is more important with stainless steel. 

I have one and will sell it as soon as I get the chassis back from the sweeper crew... 

Regards, Greg


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I put a piece of drywall screen over the pad on my Aristo track cleaning car, really improved it.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry Barnes on 03/05/2009 9:04 AM
I put a piece of drywall screen over the pad on my Aristo track cleaning car, really improved it.

I do exactly the same. Just loosen the existing "pad's" screw, cut the screen to size with a sizzors, tuck it in place around the existing pad, and put a small hole in the middle to tighten the screw. Works much better than the A/C pad and I'm still on my original A/C pad nearly 10 years later.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I probably got the idea from you!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well I went over board as I have three track cleaning cars that I run as a work train. They are all different as to cleaning process. Sure cleans the track up nice. Later RJD


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

ok RJ, spill it! I think you might describe which you use and what works best on what? 

You aren't getting off that easy! 

Greg


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