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Dirty track can take all the fun out of model railroading. Kent Johnson shows you how easy it is to shine up the rails and keep your trains rolling smoothly in this video.
Basic Training: Cleaning track
By Angela Cotey | October 19, 2013
| Last updated on February 11, 2021
Does wd 40 work well on tracks????????
HOW DO YOU CUT KATO UNITRACK
Those blue and expensive hobby product liquid track cleaners are an about equal mixture of cheap automobile windshield washer fluid and ethyl alcohol from the hardware store. Mix your own and save $ ¥ £ € or whatever.
good basic info but left me with more questions
Why do you show track that has no ballast? The article is informative, but I want to know if there are special problems in cleaning ballasted track.
I heard that track cleaning cars (except CMX)don't work because they don't apply enough pressure to the rails. Especially the Aztec rollers.
thanks Kent I need to clean my tracks
I once had an "older" fellow club member scream at me because I was using 70% isopropyl to clean some wheels/track saying, "If it's only 70% alcohol, the other 30% is water and water rusts rail!!!" Being one not wanting to argue I just calmly put the bottle away and decided to do some research. The next week, I happened upon the same person using 91% IA to do the same cleaning I was performing the prior week. I just laughed and said, "How is 9% water vs. 30% any better – it's still water – it still "rusts" the rails, right?" He fumbled around, but had no answer, so I showed him an article on how there's no iron in nickel silver, so it CAN'T rust. It however, can tarnish/oxidize which some say does or doesn't conduct current – I'll leave that argument alone too. I err to the side that there's nothing better than clean rail for best conductivity, no matter what method you choose. I have been using Denatured Alcohol since and it seems to work brilliantly in conjunction with an abrasive block for the stubborn areas. Thanks for the unbiased and "clean" info Kent.
I like the way Kent did not favor one method of track cleaning over another one.
Disappointed in the video content. It would have been nice to tell which household cleaners to stay away from as they are KNOWN to damage track, foam, roadbed or scenery glue. I know you don't want to mention specific brand names but you certainly can mention the "active" ingredients to stay away from and why such as "91% alcohol can soften scenery glue and remove paint, especially over a period of time" or "some citrus based removers can leave a sticky film and you will need a second cleaner to clean off that sticky film". Information like this will help the rookies avoid mistakes a lot of us veteran modelers went through.
Can you use wd40 on the atlas code 83 track or on snap track
Thanks so much for your comments! Glad to see these tips are useful to you, Gary and Vianney!
Stephen — To demonstrate these techniques, I used a 4×8-foot HO scale layout made famous by Milwaukee modeler Dick Cecil and actor Michael Gross in their 2001-2002 effort to promote the World's Greatest Hobby program. David Popp, now of MRVP fame, developed the track plan and drafted a brief overview of the layout for the July 2002 issue of Model Railroader magazine.
Kent Johnson
Associate producer
What Layout is this?
A nice video covering multiple methods – Thanks Kent!
Thank you very much for all the advice!