Tomix track cleaner - Old style on eBay for decent price

[rpierce000]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOMIX-TRACK-CLEANING-SET-OF-2-LOCOMOTIVES-IN-ORIGINAL-BOX-VERY-RARE-N-SCALE-/320860319982?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4ab4c3f0ee

 

I just saw this today and they are HARD to find, I would not part with mine!

 

Grab it while you can!

[The_Ghan]

... but don't EVER use it to clean your track.  It was Tomix's first attempt at a cleaner and it grinds the rails and stuffs up points.  I remember reading about it on Doug Coster's page.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

It's an interesting mow car but Ghan is right its grinders are harsh and it's a super heavy set. These actually come up on ebay a surprising amount for such an odd old train.

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

It's like Ghan says. I got a second hand one years ago, it seemed like a good idea at the time but I've hardly ever used it. The treads of the wheels on one bogie are like files and run in the opposite direction to the others and grind the track. I was thinking of unpowering or replacing the grinding wheels and using the set to propel a Tomix track cleaner car until I got the idea of using a Micro Ace East I 'D' instead.

[The_Ghan]

However, if it is the consist you want, Tomix make a couple without the track cleaning component: 92922 and 92139.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Martijn Meerts]

The worst is when the motor car stops for whatever reason, but the cleaning bit still has power.. You'll end up having to replace the track where it stalled :)

 

It would be interesting to have to go with the rest of my cleaner collection really, but 80 dollars for what's likely going to be a display model only is a bit much.. And besides, the guy only ships to the US :)

[rpierce000]

The one I have comes with a second bogey to replace the grinder when you want to run it as a train.

 

I run it as a "grinder" only on REALLY gross UniTrack that is GREEN or BLACK, then I wipe it down and run the Tomix vaccuum car. I agree that I would not run it through a point, it is really for removing what a "Bright Boy" type cleaner will not touch!

 

(BTW, has anyone ever tried using some of the Electrician's antioxidant on the gross green or black stuff that forms on older used UniTrack?)