# Best way to clean brass rail?



## Don Trinko (Nov 9, 2012)

I am accumulating brass track over the winter for a spring outdoor (shed) layout. What is the best procedure for having the track ready to go in the spring? Thanks; Don


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

Depends on what you want. If you dont plan on running track power then leave the track as is for a weathered look. If you are running track power then I would just clean the top of the rails with a scrotch brite pad. I have also heard people putting the tack in a dishwasher to clean them. I think its overkill onless you want a clean look.


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## Don Trinko (Nov 9, 2012)

I will run track power. Don


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## TheFishGuy (Feb 1, 2011)

scotch brite pad and elbow grease. I tend to cheat and use a very very fine sand paper for tough spots, then I run my track cleaner non stop, it's good for maintenance... But yeah, nothing beats elbow grease...


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

The scotch brite pad comes in several grades of abrasive. I prefer the green, as it does the least amount of scratching, but it will take a few more passes. I have found that the maroon pad works well, but it will leave scratches. Scratches will allow more dirt and grit to accumulate on the track. 

Chuck 

PS here is a recent thread on track cleaning.

track cleaning


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## JPCaputo (Jul 26, 2009)

I have used Barkeepers Friend to clean heavily tarnished track without scratching. Does nothing for bugs or other besides tarnish though. Mix with a little bit of water to get a thick consistency paste. Just dip a rag or paper towel init, and polish a little bit with it. a few passes worked well, then a wet rag and wipe it off.


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## Colormepearl (Jan 25, 2009)

I will put my two cents worth here, on this one. I found that Acetone works well, keeping it off the ties, then a quick over with Scotch Brite. It economizes on the elbow grease and also causes minimum scratching. Give it a try once. You will be pleasantly surprised.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Don, there's a new product being marketed by W-I Trains..

Click on link.  Excelle Lubricants... 

The track cleaning stuff is very, very good... I have about 150 feet of powered track and the track cleaner cleans it better than anything I've used before... And no elbow grease... Just gently wet the pad and use it like you would a drywall sander on a pole. 

Not, I'm not on their payroll... It's just a good product.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Aren't you a battery power guy Stan? 

Greg


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 18 Nov 2012 04:42 PM 
Aren't you a battery power guy Stan? 

Greg Greg... Yup... But, I do have some "to and fro" and roundy, roundy's that are track powered..


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Someone ought to find the link to the other thread recently on this exact topic. 

I'm on vacation so too lazy ha ha! 

Greg


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## avlisk (Apr 27, 2012)

I have a brand new outdoor layout with brass track, my first one. I purchased several pieces of used track off eBay that was in poor shape, so I bought a track cleaning car off eBay that uses a Scotchbrite pad. It's a maroon-colored pad. I just used it dry. I had Thomas drag it around a half dozen loops and any rough-running was magically gone! I endorse the Scotchbrite method based on this small sample.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

A page on track cleaning:


*http://www.elmassian.com/trains/tra...k-cleaning*


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Ken:


I recommend the green Scotchbrite pad. I think that the maroon pad is too abrasive and will leave scratches on the brass track. In the long run the scratches will accumulate more dirt.

Here is the another recent thread on track cleaning.

track cleaning 

Chuck

PS the picture in the thread of of part my Patio RR in Sun City, AZ


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I agree, I have found the same and you can purchase the green stuff in bulk cheaply, found a bunch in the cleaning supply area in a supermarket. I also found larger sheets that I cut to size with a paper cutter. 

Greg


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

When I was in the die sinking trade (making forging dies), we would use green Scotchbrite to do a final "buff" (polishing) on the die surface faces, to give it a satin surface. The dies would produce a better looking surface on the forging itself and increase forging die life. Just a side note.


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Don, I use an old Swifter Wet/Jet mop that my wife did not use any more. It has velcro on the bottom and will keep the Scotchbrite pad in place while sliding along the rail. I cut it on the bandsaw to the length of the Scotchbrite pad to limit its damage to the ballast on either side of the track. The handle allows for the cleaning of the track without having to stoop down to the track level except when needed. Works well! 
Ron


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have the standard swiffer, which as I've stated many a time, is great for degreasing track, and it does not have velcro on the bottom. I'll have to look at the wet jet one, the velcro bottom sounds good... 

Greg


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## [email protected] (Dec 31, 2012)

I just cleaned 48 feet feet of terribly weathered LGB 2-footers with a solution of Hydrochloric Acid (.25 gallon HCL to 4.5 gallons water) in a 5 gallong bucket, a 5 gallon bucket of cool water with 2 lbs of baking soda, a 10-gallon aquarium with a slight mixture of Dawn detergent to 3" of cool water and Barkeeper's Friend with a mini brass wire brush. The rails look nearly new. CAUTION - You're working with acid here. Use common sense. No children or pets around. Proper ventilation (i.e. a garage with doors open and fan blowing out), thick rubber chemical-resistant gloves, safety eyeware and old clothing that covers all of your skin. Dunk each rail into into the HCL solution for 30 seconds. My two footers had to be dunked then switched around vertically as the solution level only covered just over half of the track. You'll literally see the weathered look disappear before your eyes. Once the rails have been dunked in the HCL solution, they'll turn a slight shade of pink. Dunk them into the baking soda solution the same as you did the HCL to neutralize the acid. Add four table spoons of barkeeper's Friend powder to one half cup of water into a small tupperware container to make a paste. Dip your small brass wire brush into the paste and scrub the sides and tops of the rails. With a little effort the pink will wear away and you'll be back to the brassy look. Once all of the pink is gone, lay the track into the aquarium and scrub the track liberally with a dishwashing brush and the soapy solution. Towel dry the tracks or use an air compressor with an air gun to air-dry them. Done! RINSE ALL TOOLS AND GLOVES IN THE BAKING SODA SOLUTION OVERNIGHT AND THROW THEM AWAY. CAP BOTH FIVE GALLON BUCKETS SO THEY ARE NOT SPILLABLE AND THEN CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LANDFILL AS TO HOW TO DISPOSE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS! EVEN THOUGH THE AQUARIUM SOLUTION CAN BE DISPOSED OF DOWN THE SINK (SOAP AND WATER) DO NOT PUT ANIMALS IN THE AQUARIUM (DUH!)!!! 

Don't jump on me people. I agree it is a very aggressive way to clean tracks and there are ways to clean them, as posted above, that work as well. I'm just sharing some knowledge. All from Chemistry class back in my old high school days.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nothing wrong with you chemicals, but what a lot of work! 

I'd say it's overkill if you are trying to sell it as new. All you need it is clean enough to conduct power if you are running track power, why clean the sides of the rails to shiny like new if it will age to brown in a month or two? 

I'd dip the ends in CLR or limeaway... rinse, not worry if it got pinkish, grease up some clamps and install. Then scrub down the top of the rail with what works, scotchbrite or worn out drywall sandpaper... 

i.e. I would do just was needed for good conductivity, and leave the rest of the rail alone.

Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

If it fits, I just place LGB units in the dishwasher!! 
This includes track, switches, cars and parts, but not any electronics!! 

Many items look like new when done in the dishwasher. 

Can not do Aristo this way as they use hot glue and things fall apart!!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Huh? Where is an Aristo switch held together with hot glue? 

I'll take a look tonight, but this is news to me. 

Maybe you mean some of the wiring? I believe the Train Li switches have hot glue on their internal reed switches. 

Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Train-Li reed switches are soldered to a board, no glue on the reed. 
Board is held in place by peening over a plastic tab. 
However, the magnet is glued in the switch point throwbar, but we do not use hot glue for this.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

OK, I remember the Train-Li glue... and suggest that it might not be great in the dishwasher. 

Back to the original question I posed to you:

I'm holding an Aristo WR switch in my hand (just put it down to type).... there NO GLUE anywhere I can see. 

Maybe people think I don't like Aristo... _but I don't like misinformation, nor do I like it when someone hypes up their product by putting down the competition_. 

As bad as other aspects of construction on this switch and the #6 are, I don't see any glue... all the wires are screwed to the rails, and so is the throwbar. There is no switch per se in this unit. 

In the #6 there is no glue either. (I just walked back outside and picked up a #6) 

While the Aristo switches need tweaking to work best, to come out of nowhere on a rail cleaning thread and pick on Aristo is not right. 

I won't mention the problems with Train-Li magnets and reed switches that I know about. 

Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Unfortunately this is getting out of hand, I meant in my original post (which never mentioned Train-Li in any way shape or manner) things other than track in the dish washer and these other things have hot glue. 

Sorry to all about this, but Greg mentioned Train-Li first and derailed the comments!! 

Greg, calm down, light up a cigar and run trains!! I guess I can place my El Producto cars on the track for my calming down as I do not smoke!!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm reacting to the misinformation below.... Quoted your words... Where did this come from?

(Also go back and read the thread, YOU mentioned Aristo falling apart in the dishwasher BEFORE any mention by me of Train-Li and Train-Li DOES indeed use glue in their switches)

Since you are a representative of a competitor to Aristo (Train-Li), you should retract the statement if it is untrue. (and it is!)

There is NO hot glue in Aristo wide radius or #6 switches (no one uses the 4' switches out doors and I don't have one to check) You can put Aristo track in the dishwasher any time you want.

Greg 
Posted By Dan Pierce on 04 Jan 2013 05:12 AM 
If it fits, I just place LGB units in the dishwasher!! 
This includes track, switches, cars and parts, but not any electronics!! 

Many items look like new when done in the dishwasher. 

Can not do Aristo this way as they use hot glue and things fall apart!! [/b] p.s., next time you say "Greg started it", you might re-read the thread first and see who started what...


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

AC uses a lot of hot glue but all on rolling equipment and locos. Yep not good there. Never seen any used on turnouts.







Later RJD


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

You forgot the whole quote and cars were mentioned 2 sentences above. 
My reference was not explicit enough about the cars being hot glued as I mentioned many things in the dishwasher, and this topic was switches. 

We all make mistakes!!! I will now run both cigar cars.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, topic was track, nothing to do with cars, and no need to cast aspersions on Aristo, unfair to them. 

OK, back to cleaning track... and I will smoke a cigar in your honor! 

Greg


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