JAM Solutions HO Stealth track cleanersThe Stealth Track Cleaner consists of four spring-loaded pads fitted with either abrasive or felt cleaning disks that ride on the railheads. When the locomotive or car is placed on the rails, the cleaning disks are slightly off-center toward the track center line. This makes each of the pads rotate as the train moves so the disk’s entire surface is used to polish the railheads. Cleaning fluids aren’t involved since the cleaning is strictly mechanical.
JAM offers the Stealth cleaners in kits or ready-to-run in late-model Athearn GP and SD-series hood units, Stewart F-series B units, and Bowser American Car & Foundry (ACF) two-bay covered hoppers. The original underframes on all of these locomotives have their fuel tanks modified to carry the cleaning pads, which don’t interfere with the original mechanism.
Each pad assembly is mounted on a machined-steel mounting screw that has a smooth shank. The screw slips through a hole drilled in the chassis and counter-bored from below. A soft coil spring fits onto the screw and up into the frame to provide pressure on top of the cleaning pad.
I tested the covered hopper track cleaner on my Ohio Southern layout and found the dry felt pads worked well on the usual accumula¬tion of dust. I also tried cleaning some areas of fairly heavy corrosion with both pads fitted with abrasive disks. It took a number of passes, but the Stealth car eventually did the job.
The only problem I found is that it takes considerable power to haul the track cleaning car-it’s equivalent to 22 free-rolling cars on straight and level track. For this reason, I’d rather use it as part of a work train than lose that much “tonnage” on a regular train.
Running a powered cleaning unit in a locomotive consist seems more practical as it minimizes the drag problem. It’ll still affect that unit’s pulling power, but it won’t be as noticeable as the short train.
For best results, the manufacturer recommends the following minimum radii for locomotives fitted with the Stealth Track Cleaners: 18″ for the Stewart F units; 20″ for the Athearn GP40, GP50, and GP60; and 22″ for the SD40-2, SD50, and SD60 units.
JAM Creations offers a variety of Stealth Track Cleaners and a custom installation service for existing models. See the firm’s Web site at www.jamcreations.net.
The Stealth Track Cleaners are handy additions to the arsenal of track cleaning tools for our ongoing battle with dirty track.
Price: Athearn hood unit kits, $149; Stewart F units, $119; chassis only, $99
Manufacturer
JAM Solutions/Creations Inc.
6035 Vinton Ave., NW
Comstock Park, MI 49321
www.jamcreations.net
Description
HO locomotives and cars fitted with concealed track cleaning pads
Features
Kit, ready-to-run, or custom installation is available
Mechanical cleaning device
Numerous road names
