# Track Cleaning Car



## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

I am investigating ideas on a track cleaning car to make. I have LGB pads as seen here.










I would like to make one that would be unique but need some ideas. I would love to see what most of you have done and what works and what does not work..

Lets hear it all.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Since track cleaning is in a way a "Maintanence Of Way" operation... I would think that the track cleaner car should look like standard MOW equipment.

Some people have made a track sweeper, with a big rotating brush out front to clear larger debris and cleaning pads under to wipe the railhead.

How about a "tamper".... These often have those long pantograph type extensions out front that measure track gauge, but under the main part of the unit there are "paddle" or "spoon" shaped rods that go down into the ballast and shake to shove and pack ballast under ties, maybe they could only appear to be pushed there while something hidden behind that mechanism could vibrate and scrub the rail head.

Or make a "rail grinder". Instead of flat pads that wipe over the rail, have rotating wheels that look like grinding stones but are soft cloth instead (don't wanna really "grind" our expensive track!). Maybe use the MotoTool type polishing wheels. You could get carried away with this and put some lighter flints near the wheels with a striker wheel hidden behind the simulated grinding wheels to throw sparks!!! (Might get expensive buying flints, but would be spectacular at night!... maybe flashing LEDs would be better!)


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm making one also, using the Broom kit from Bill and ideas from R&L lines...

I've got a collection of information on track cleaning cars and links: 


*http://www.elmassian.com...>*

If you want it to be effective, it's hard to make it look nice underneath... up top you can have fun...

I'm starting with an Aristo searchlight car...


Regards, Greg *
*


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are some examples of railgrinders in operation...







You need an engine (or two) to pull, a "B" type unit for train power, a tank car (or cars) for the cooling/fire fighting and a "grinder" car (with the cleaning pads).


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## Joe McGarry (Jan 4, 2008)

I
I just modified an Aristo track cleaning car by attaching a piece of polesander abrasive (220 grit) to the ineffectve Aristo cleaning pad.I ended up removing the screw as it would hang up on switches. It is now held on by a couple of strips of double backed carpet tape. It does a very effective job, two laps around .
the layout and the tracks are clean. I'm considering makeing a MOW car with one of these pads and adding some sort of felt pad to just wipe the rails

Joe M.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I've tucked drywall screen around the regular cleaning block on the AristoCraft track cleaning caboose and added weight to the pad to make it more effective. It helps a lot and I've never had to replace the AristoCraft pad in over 10 years.
.
Next I made a scotchbrite cleaning car out of an LGB flatcar using sock hangers to hold the pad in place. It's effective and is documented on this site.

But my best track cleaner is a piece of steel strap bar with the holes in it and a floating drywall sander head:

The drywall sanding head is removed from its pole and its swivel removed. Even though it is of fairly heavy pot metal, I add lead sinkers to the back for even more weight. The two fastening screws that hold the screen retainer bar (one one either end) were removed and replaced with longer screws after their heads were ground flat so as not to interfere with the rubber pad and screen. 

The screen is attached under the retainer bar with a nut (as normal) except that the fastening screws are now extra long. Round Plastruct "bushings" go over the screws and into two holes in the steel strap. This lets the sander head "float" up and down as it is dragged along by the steel strap.

On my drywall sander's head, the area of the swivel curves to an arc along each side. The steel strap metal was also curved to fit within these arcs so as not to interfere with the floating motion. (Alternativey, I could have ground these arcs off, but didn't want to ruin the sander if the cleaning car didn't work out.) Other holes in the steel strap were used to mount the trucks and couplers, and weight was added over the trucks for better tracking.

This makes for a VERY effective track cleaner requiring far fewer passes than with the modified AristoCraft caboose set-up.


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's what I did.....I made made 2 of my own track cleaning cleaning cars, it only took a couple of hours to make and works great.









When painted it's hard to see which car has the cleaning block/pad (it's the car with the tractor.) 










I also made a track cleaning gondola with the scratch built "snap on snow plow" but because it doesn't snow here in Southern California it is really a leaf, twig, and debris remover.... 


*Click here for more info.....*


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## ohioriverrailway (Jan 2, 2008)

I've built 2 cars using the LGB pads.












M517 started life as an Eggliner. The pads are visible just behind the pilot. 


The next effort used a flatcar frame as a base. A tank was added, along with tubes that aim down in front of the rear wheels. I use those cotten things the dentist stuffs in your mouth to convey nail polish remover to the rail head. The LGB pads scour the rail; the cotton swabs help to remove the surface crud.






















The torpedo-shaped things are fishing weights to give it a little heft. I can pull it or push it with a locomotive as desired.


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## DarkTalon (Nov 8, 2008)

Since this is a topic I've been considering myself...I was wondering, are there any negatives to using abrasives on the rail heads? I would assume the little grooves created would be basically a grime magnet, and thus cause more cleaning?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, bad... but you will get all ranges of opinions of how "tolerant" rail is... some people are content to use the "drywall" grit that looks like window screen and will definitely remove metal... some will only use very fine abrasive, endless discussion since there is, for every type of abrasive cleaner, at least one person who loves it and one person who hates it. 

A discussion that will never come to a single answer, although most people will agree not to use a very coarse abrasive. 

Regards, Greg


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