Tomix Cleaning cars?

[Samurai_Chris]

Guys, I would like to get one of these in order to keep my track clean, but am curious..

 

Do they need a loco to pull them around. Or do they run by themselves?

 

Chris

[Tecchan]

Guys, I would like to get one of these in order to keep my track clean, but am curious..

 

Do they need a loco to pull them around. Or do they run by themselves?

 

Chris

 

I think they need a loco.

[Samurai_Chris]

Ok, no probs.. What Kiha trains would you suggest for the Fukuoka Sasaguri line Kumo?

 

Or even the Tagawa local line?

[Guest JRF-1935]

They definately need a Loco

Rich C

[Tecchan]

Ok, no probs.. What Kiha trains would you suggest for the Fukuoka Sasaguri line Kumo?

 

Or even the Tagawa local line?

 

I must admit I don't know those lines as I rode mostly on the Nishitetsu Tenjin-Omuta line (I missed this splendid set and waiting impatiently for HS to restock it: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10119756 ) and on the Kagoshima line (also want to get the new Kato red and grey 813 Series, already own the Relay Tsubame :-) ) to my home at Minami-Fukuoka (Zasshonokumo station on Nishitetsu line).

 

For me most emblematic kiha on kyushu are the plain red and yellow ones (sorry I don't know the names) that you find near the center (passing by Aso-san or Yufuin) and of course the gorgeous Yufuin no Mori that I never had the chance to ride (always fully booked and it's reservation only).

[Samurai_Chris]

Ok, no probs.. What Kiha trains would you suggest for the Fukuoka Sasaguri line Kumo?

 

Or even the Tagawa local line?

 

I must admit I don't know those lines as I rode mostly on the Nishitetsu Tenjin-Omuta line (I missed this splendid set and waiting impatiently for HS to restock it: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10119756 ) and on the Kagoshima line (also want to get the new Kato red and grey 813 Series, already own the Relay Tsubame :-) ) to my home at Minami-Fukuoka (Zasshonokumo station on Nishitetsu line).

 

For me most emblematic kiha on kyushu are the plain red and yellow ones (sorry I don't know the names) that you find near the center (passing by Aso-san or Yufuin) and of course the gorgeous Yufuin no Mori that I never had the chance to ride (always fully booked and it's reservation only).

 

Omuta line... That hideous blue train!! lol

 

I might go to Shin-Iizuka eki tomorrow and see what rolls in from Tagawa....

[Tecchan]

Omuta line... That hideous blue train!! lol

 

Man, this is emblematic in Fukuoka!! :-)

 

 

Like this Colibri from SBB:

 

It's not the nicest but as it's the train I rode to go to secondary school during my childhood, I kinda want one! :-)

 

 

Rail modeling is about nostalgia most of the time! ;-)

[keitaro]

Everytime I look all I can see is long soldout and terminated. How does one get their hands on a new one.

 

Also I heard these don't do corners ?? Is this true.

 

Thought I might bring this to your attention chris as doing corners is important. Especially in tunnels.

 

Maybe it's only 280's and less but I do recall reading the cleaner pieces are too small and get caught on corners.

 

I am in no way trying to ruin your dream of owning one. I also want one as currently I use warlocks to clean the track

[CaptOblivious]

Mine will make 243mm radius turns no problem.

 

You will need a stout loco, especially on inclines. Very heavy, and lots of friction from the various cleaning devices. Don't even think about trying to pull it with a KIHA, it's simply not going to happen: it's too light, and will lose adhesion pretty quickly.

 

All that said, you don't /need/ a loco. It has a slot in the roof where you can plug a Tomix FineTrack feeder directly in to the unit to power it directly, to make it easy to push it by hand without risk of losing power if you accidentally tilt it a little bit.

[to2leo]

I love my Tomix Cleaning cars so much that I now have two.  I use Kato's SBB Re460 because of its weight and pulling power via rubber tires.

 

 

I got my first one from Tam Tam and the second one from HWJ.  However, they can also be found in the US through Atlas.

[clem24]

Man I ran mine twice (bought the Dr. Yellow version with DD54 set) and it's dead already... Except I don't find the vacuum cleaner mode works very well but that's probably because I used it with my Tomix 1000CL controller and we don't that doesn't nearly put out enough juice to run anything...

 

BTW if you're in the USA, just buy the Atlas one. It's cheaper. Same thing.

[brill27mcb]

Man I ran mine twice (bought the Dr. Yellow version with DD54 set) and it's dead already... Except I don't find the vacuum cleaner mode works very well but that's probably because I used it with my Tomix 1000CL controller and we don't that doesn't nearly put out enough juice to run anything...

 

BTW if you're in the USA, just buy the Atlas one. It's cheaper. Same thing.

 

The only accounts I have read of the Tomix track cleaning cars burning out are from DCC installations -- think I read them on this forum, in fact. The Tomix N-1000-CL power pack has a very quick-acting electronic overload protection circuit, so it should have cut off the power well before any burnout.

 

That pack and the very similar replacement N-1001-CL are both rated at 1.2 amps. In the Tomix catalog/guides, they list electrical current info at the front of the Control Systems section showing that a motorized loco or MU requires 0.3 amps and the track cleaning car also requires 0.3 amps, so these power packs should have plenty of power to run them together as a cleaning train. I have also read of people running multiple Tomix track cleaning cars in a train, each performing a different cleaning function. I know Jeff has written that he is surprised how much the vacuum function picks up.

 

If the Tomix packs are not heavy-duty enough for you, the standard  Kato 22-014 power pack will also be too small at 13.5 VA (or just under 1.2 amps at 12 V DC, with a clunky thermal overload protector.) I know that I have run four Modemo trams (even four of the crudely-powered Bachmann trolleys) at once using my Tomix N-1000-CL for hours at a time at train shows, with no problems.

 

Rich K.

[to2leo]

I use Kato power pack and they work wonders.  I don't use DCC so maybe that's the reason why it is reliable???

[Samurai_Chris]

SO what would be a good  strong loco that would look canon for Northern Kyushu.. Also, do the cleaning cars need to be pushed or pulled?

 

Chris

[to2leo]

The cleaning car can be pushed or pulled but the car can only go one direction since the vacuum fan relies on the electrical current.

[cteno4]

these do work well, especially for the vacuuming of smutz off the tracks. the buffing wheel also works very well. have not used the abrasive wheels, but not so into using abrasives much on the tracks.

 

i have a little train of a tomix as a vacuum, followed by a little heki tank car that dispenses cleaning fluid (isopropanol) onto the track, followed by a big brass centerline wheel track cleaner car (big rolling wheel on the tracks) followed by a second tomix with the buffing pad on it and lastly a small wagon with a strong magnet in it that sucks up any stray metal filings.

 

odd looking little train, but it does clean well. runs off fine of the transformers i have at 1.2-3 amps.

 

cheers

 

jeff

[CaptOblivious]

The cleaning car can be pushed or pulled but the car can only go one direction since the vacuum fan relies on the electrical current.

 

I had thought that it didn't matter, because isn't there a bridge rectifier on the circuit? I don't recall.

 

Anyway, when scrubbing with the soft pads, direction matters too because, when scrubbing the tracks, the foam "mop" needs to be forward of the scrubbing pad in order for the cleaning fluid to be applied for proper scrubbing.

[CaptOblivious]

SO what would be a good  strong loco that would look canon for Northern Kyushu.. Also, do the cleaning cars need to be pushed or pulled?

 

Chris

 

Perhaps an EF81-400, or one of the stainless steel EF81-300's?

[cteno4]

SO what would be a good  strong loco that would look canon for Northern Kyushu.. Also, do the cleaning cars need to be pushed or pulled?

 

Chris

 

pushed would be tough as its a heavy car with some resistance, ive not had it pull apart pulling.

 

also i like not driving the loco over newly cleaned tracks that may still have some isopropanol on them, better to just let it dry.

 

one of your club members swears by orange oil on the centerline cleaner, he has had not slippage problems or traction tire problems.

 

jeff

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

Clem, the set with the yellow cleaner and the DD54 isn't actually the Dr. Yellow version. The did a limited run on a cleaner car in Dr. Yellow livery with Dr. Yellow couplers :)

 

I have 3 of the cleaner cars, and they run fine on any curve except the tomix mini/tram curves and turnouts. They should also run fine on regular DC, just make sure the little switch on the top is set to track voltage (it has 3 positions. Off, track voltage and external power). On DCC you need to make sure not to set it's speed to max, because the motor will burn out pretty much instantly.

[clem24]

Clem, the set with the yellow cleaner and the DD54 isn't actually the Dr. Yellow version. The did a limited run on a cleaner car in Dr. Yellow livery with Dr. Yellow couplers :)

 

Yes I realize it does not have the Dr. Yellow trucks/couplers but it IS the same car as the Doctor Yellow version down to the lettering. But still... It's quite dead and it's hardly been run hahaha.

[Martijn Meerts]

Clem, the set with the yellow cleaner and the DD54 isn't actually the Dr. Yellow version. The did a limited run on a cleaner car in Dr. Yellow livery with Dr. Yellow couplers :)

 

Yes I realize it does not have the Dr. Yellow trucks/couplers but it IS the same car as the Doctor Yellow version down to the lettering. But still... It's quite dead and it's hardly been run hahaha.

 

Have you tried taking out the motor and running that one by itself? I have one on my father's layout, which has been running in vacuum mode a lot, and hasn't had any problems (or at least, not after the initial problem where we burned the motor because it's speed was set way too high :))

[clem24]

Have you tried taking out the motor and running that one by itself? I have one on my father's layout, which has been running in vacuum mode a lot, and hasn't had any problems (or at least, not after the initial problem where we burned the motor because it's speed was set way too high :))

 

LOL you know.. Such a simple comment but to the tell you the truth, I remember I looked at, it seemed like it was impossible to disassemble, and then threw it back in the box. I think I will look at it again! Thanks for remding me LOL. If I loco wasn't running, this is exactly what I'd be doing.

[Martijn Meerts]

Have you tried taking out the motor and running that one by itself? I have one on my father's layout, which has been running in vacuum mode a lot, and hasn't had any problems (or at least, not after the initial problem where we burned the motor because it's speed was set way too high :))

 

LOL you know.. Such a simple comment but to the tell you the truth, I remember I looked at, it seemed like it was impossible to disassemble, and then threw it back in the box. I think I will look at it again! Thanks for remding me LOL. If I loco wasn't running, this is exactly what I'd be doing.

 

It's actually quite easy to disassemble, would definitely be worth taking a look. As I said, I have several of them, and none of them has ever shown any problems (that weren't my own fault anyway :)) even after running for long periods.

[Hezekiah Strawbody]

For more info, see this page -> http://jmtn.wordpress.com/2010/05/02/tomixs-cleaning-sytems/