Cleaning Unitrack Bridges?

[Markakis2014]

Hi all,

 

I just got a Unitrack set, half of it is new and the other half is used. The used track (which is all viaducts) wasn't working for awhile, my little tram would get stuck going up the hill. I feared that maybe the tiny pocket line tram motor couldn't handle it, but it turned out that the track just needed to be cleaned. So I worked hard on cleaning all of the track, just with a dry cotton swab, and it's mostly working. However, there are a few issues remaining. Namely, these truss bridges still stop my train when they encounter them:

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-ni2nh1gs68/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/42728/268907/09254953211964_syfb__62773.1681412805.jpg?c=2

 

It's really hard to fully clean these because I can't just reach the swab into there and run it along the bridge. But even then, I'm not certain that would work. I have some uncovered bridges too and they slow down my train as well (but don't stop it), so I think these bridge models must just get dirtier than the standard viaduct track. Does anyone have any good recommendations for cleaning these? I am a chemist and have access to pretty much any solvent you all can think of and can prepare any concentration.

[cteno4]

Hi Mark,

 

the best way to get at track in bridges like this is to use a small flat stick like 3/4” wide by lime 1/4” thick and round the end some with some sanding. Then take a small bit of cloth (old tee shirt Cotten usually is the best or old flannel sheets) and fold it up to the width of the stick and fold it over the end and rubber band it in place. With this you can get back into bridges like this to get at the track to clean it. It is tedious and an issue if you have a number in a row. 
 

Woodland scenics has a fancy cleaning wand and felt pads to do a similar thing. One was donated to the club and it works ok, but it’s proprietary pads and such and seems like more fiddling than the rag rubber banded to a stick!

 

on the chemistry side, there was a great article a few years ago on track cleaning that finally got into some real chemistry! Track cleaning has for ever been total religion in model railroading with very little evidence based work or science, reproducibility was very spotty. But this chap got the black gunk analyzed and it turned out to be metal oxides that form with micro arcing that occurs between moving wheels on the track passing current. Small amounts of c leaning agents will always be left behind in the micro pores in the metal and cleaning agents with high dielectric values increase the microarcing and thus produce more black gunk. This made a lot of sense as our club always used isopropanol as a cleaner and at times the more we would clean the faster the black gunk would appear! Also explains why some things like clipper oil and transmission fluid applied to track to stop black gunk from forming, but results in using these were very variable and also could cause issues with traction and very hard to clean off the track if needed.

 

so I’ve moved to using low dielectric value contact cleaners and it’s seemed to really reduced the need for cleaning. I think the residual black gunk I’ve seen and with the club is probably from what’s left on the wheels of trains which are more of a pain to clean well. 

 

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cheers,

 

jeff

[Markakis2014]

Very interesting, I like the scientific approach. I just bought a big bottle of hexane at work, I wonder if that would work good for the cleaning, so long as I'm careful not to dissolve the plastic itself, just using a lightly soaked swab.

Edited September 1, 2023 by Markakis2014

[cteno4]

Mark,

 

hexane I think is used a small amount in some contact and track cleaners. Xylene as well. But I do fear in higher concentrations they may attack plastics, I’m pretty sure xylene solvates styrene.

 

I’ve liked using the wd40 and crc contact cleaner. they were like $10-15 shipped each. So pretty inexpensive to have around. these contact cleaners seem to be very plastic and paint safe, I’ve seen no sign of roadbed wear from cleaning and only black gunk from track shows up on the cloth, nothing from ties. They are spray form but I just spray a bit on a cloth and wipe away. I’ve hardly used any of the raffle cans of each. I’m also using another contact cleaner that’s used on very high end audio gear, especially with plugs and such that can get arcing. It comes in liquid or aerosol and is expensive, but seems to be working well as well. Black gunk has been slowly disappearing with time and use of the low dielectric contact cleaners and less and less cleaning is done and I’ve noticed fewer slow spots we use to have that I chalked up to voltage loss at track junctions.

 

im also starting to put a tiny dot of the liquid contact cleaner on unijoiner ends just to help coat those connections as with Ttrak and time the ends get used a lot.

 

jeff

[Tuga]

Cteno is right, use WD40 Contact Cleaner. Make sure l that you are not using any other kind of WD40 or else it might get messy.

I remember that when I was a child my father use to use WD40 Contact Cleaner to clean all my HO track, it did work and for some strange reason I loved the smell of it. Still do. LOL

I use it on my N gauge layout, it's great stuff.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Tuga

[cteno4]

LOL, yes contact cleaner smell is pleasant if you like the organics! Model train huffing! Luckily using small amounts on a rag I’ve never had the odor get so string I worry about exposure. If that sort of thing worries anyone, just put a small fan to circulate the air or open the window for a bit. It dissipates fast.

 

Yes while wd40 lubricant probably has a high dielectric constant, it will cause traction loss! This was probably what made clipper oil and transmission fluid work to stop the black gunk, but for many folks cause horrid traction issues. Horror story from one friend where the club he was in they applied a lot of clipper oil to clean all the club layout track the day before a big open house and next day nothing could do grades and even shorter trains were slipping on level tracks. Was a very big mess to clean up the tracks and wheels for the club. That always kept me away from these solutions! 
 

the wd40 contact cleaner is a contact cleaner spray not the wd40 lubricant, it’s pretty much the same as the CRC contact cleaner.

 

I think the Tomix rail cleaner is similar to these contact cleaners (it did whiff of heavy xylene to me though, so wondered how plastic/paint safe) as it smells to have similar organics in it, and it works pretty well, but very hard to get exported anymore as flammable shipping restrictions. One thing I don’t like is the last bottle we had gotten (maybe 5 years ago or so) they added something that had the odor of urinal cakes (not of urine but those deodorant/disinfectant cakes themselves). Turned me off from using it!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[Tuga]

To be honest I never tried CRC contact cleaner, would make a good alternative for the WD40 Contact Cleaner. But looking at the prices here in the UK it is cost prohibitive, £30 for the CRC 500ml against £13 for the WD40 400ml.

 

I still use the Tomix rail cleaner with my Tomix "Cleaning Car" occasionally.  I don't fill the car reservoir with it, I prefer to soak the cleaning pad and run the car around the track. If I think it needs another go I just do it again, it works for me. Good to know that they changed the formula to an unpleasant smell formula. 🤢

Thank god i'm still using the old bottles and no new ones around. 😂

 

I also use the SR24 cleaner, it's similar to the Tomix cleaner. The SR24 does not attack plastics or damage paint work and after a short time it dries without leaving any residue. Some people say it attracts dust, not my experience. I use it to clean the wheels of the power cars and coaches, and when servicing to clean the grime in the cogs, worms, etc. You can even use it with the ultrasonic cleaning device. For me a top product.

 

Resuming I prefer the WD40 Contact Cleaner for track cleaning and the SR24 for maintenance and servicing my power cars and coaches.

[cteno4]

Tuga,

 

yes I wonder if it was one of those things add an unpleasant smell so folks won’t try to huff or drink the stuff! It was funny as the first time we used it was at a show at the fairgrounds that have very institutional restrooms with very strong smelling urinal cakes. I came back from the facilities and still smelled urinal cakes and thought I had stepped in something, but turns out someone had just wiped the tracks for the first time with the new tube.

 

really looks like the wd40 is a bit better than the crc (slightly Leo wer dielectric) so great. It was the opposite here that mail ordering crc was cheap so I got it first and then later found wd40 on the shelf at about the same price. I guess shipping aerosols now can be expensive in some situations.

 

the nice thing is once you have applied and cleaned with these low dielectric cleaners you stop getting most all the black gunk and also don’t need much at all to clean the rails. I need to dig out the old pad and roller cleaning cars to just do a small spray of contact cleaner and run around before each show. I’m finding more dust and grit from environment on the tracks more than any black gunk now. Need to get out the vacuum car and the little hand vacuum to get that stuff. I’m still surprised by how much metallic stuff ends up on the tracks on the small magnet I have on the old vacuum car.

 

jeff

[Tuga]

Can't imagine pleople using Tomix Cleaner with such an unpleasant smell, unless they offer a free weekend away after application. 😆  

I always vaccum the track before use with my Black & Decker Orb-It. Dust is a real issue, it keeps on coming. 😕

I also cover my layout with a thin sheet of plastic to avoid the accumulation of dust during the night or when not using it. I get it from amazon or ebay, usually it's referred as "Polythene Sheet Waterproof Protects Against Paint Spills, Dirt & Dust", it's good , not heavy so is friendly to the layout.

 

Honestly I never tried to use the magnet. Maybe because the Orb-It vaccum is powerful enough or because I cant see anything left on the track. Hummmm 🤔

 

Should I be trying this? 🤨

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Tuga

[cteno4]

I think I saw the magnet thing years ago in a model railroader magazine (I’m sure pre vacuum car dasys). My logic was that metal bits may be dense enough for the vacuum car to get or may be in more burr form as well. It has always surprised me the bits it can pick up. I’ve never gotten scientific with it and see if vacuum alone would have gotten all of it. Just figure it’s a super simple thing to do and does not hurt.

 

jeff