Cleaning model railway track

A couple of interesting things have happened on my layout at the moment that may be of interest. Firstly, I am still playing around with some track modifications to better suit my Australian prototype-themed layout on the back of my former Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DME) track plan. I am trying to follow the advice of good friend and mentor, Alan Saatkamp, who reckons that if you want to change prototype on an existing layout, then apply the 80/20 rule: if you can make the necessary track changes to only 20% of the layout, then it's worth sticking with the existing layout. If not, might be worth starting again.

As a consequence, it was also time to clean the track! And what a range of options, opinions, and disagreements we have on this topic. Here's a picture of just a slice of some common model railway track cleaning products (specifically I am talking about HO scale track). You can click on the image to make it bigger and easier to see. Note I haven't included some popular items such as WD40 and mineral turps.

Now, I am no expert on this topic and rely on people within the hobby with more credibility on the topic than most. Currently, I use white spirit as my primary cleaning option. I often follow up with a few drops of Wahl clipper oil dropped sparingly around the layout. I will then run some trains to spread it over the tracks (an action I am still not totally convinced by). I sometimes (rarely these days) use the abrasive track rubber from Peco or Fleischmann but ALWAYS vacuum up the black particles that fall of the rubber onto the track. I have used Railzip in the past (which someone once told me was just car transmission fluid but I don't have any evidence on that one way or another). 

Both Inox and No-Ox-ID have been recommended (Greg from Fishplate Films and Ron's Trains N Things) but I haven't used them even though I have them. I understand that both those products (and Wahl clipper oil and Railzip for that matter) aren't good for locomotives with traction tyres so if you have some old Powerline 48s (like I do), then beware. 

Model Railroad Hobbyist a couple(?) of years ago arranged some chemical testing of popular track cleaning products and determined that non-polar substances were better to prevent arcing (causing the build-up of black gunk on rails and wheels) and to improve electrical conductivity. It is important to understand that cleaning the rails is not just about having shiny track but also to enhance electrical conductivity, especially important with DCC layouts. Funnily enough, kerosene topped the list but safer and effective options included WD40 contact cleaner (regular WD40 could also be used but not as good), CRC contact cleaner, Deoxit, Mineral Spirits, Wahl clipper oil, turps, graphite (used lightly), CRC 2-26, and Railzip. Products tending more to the less effective and more of a polar solvent included IPA, acetone, and water (which was the worst).

I'll leave the choice up to the individual modeller but it sure is a helluva discussion topic!

In tandem with the choice of cleaning product is how one applies the substance to the rails. I have tended to use old cotton t-shirts or singlets (back in the day) but will do so no more. Why is that, you ask? Take a look at the photo below.

 

That's right, a curved Peco point wrecked by the tail of the t-shirt catching on the point and ripping the rail away from the sleepers. At just on $60 for a replacement turnout, this was an expensive track cleaning mistake.

So whatever you decide to use on your tracks, please take care!!!