The Science of Dirty Track
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- In this 'How 2' video I take a look at a new track cleaning product on the market called Track Magic™. Starting with a little bit of info on why track gets dirty in the first place, I then go on to show you how good this particular cleaner is at getting it off! Enjoy
AVAILABLE NOW from Trident Trains (and other model railway shops)
All diagrams, images and channel graphics have been created by me. Sound effects used in the intro have been recorded by me at local railway stations and depots - files are available upon request.
Gee. I just learned how to open a bottle cap, and would you believe it, learned how to close it. This guy is a realpiece of work!!
XD
Definitely look them up. I know they are available for systems like Hornby and Gaugemaster and are probably available for the Digitrax one you use too. They basically boost your DCC signals so that they can get round the entire layout without problem, so that all those little 1s and 0s get to the locos OK!
You've found a solution to clean the solution on the solution swab off of the solution swab! Now that's what I call a solution!!! :)
I recently got all my old Hornby bits and pieces out the attic and went through each piece to clean it, having little to no knowledge of model rail proper cleaning practises here was my approach.
-For cleaning track I took cotton balls and dipped them in a water/baking soda mixture and cleaned the track piece by piece, this was to erase oxidisation and generally clean the track, I then finished it off by wiping each piece with microfiber cloth, this was to give the track a smooth wipe down and remove any moisture left after air drying.
-As for locomotives and rolling stock I dissembled them following online tutorials and initially used a can of compressed air to blow out large chunks of dust and dirt along with a small sized paint brush (dry, never used), following this I took Q-tips and dipped them in a small bottle of 'Surgical Spirit' - which for intensive purposes has the same/or similar qualities as Isopropyl alcohol and scrubbed the plastics and gearbox externals. I used a drop of Wd40 into the gearbox and inner wheel axles as lubricating oil (perhaps not the best choice, but what I had lying around), and lastly I dunked Q-tips into the surgical spirit and used that to clean the outer wheels for good contact.
-Lastly the loco/rolling stock's body, I simply took a Poundland spray bottle and filled it with a small amount of vinegar and the rest water, sprayed each piece of bodywork and scrubbed gently with a purpose bought 'soft' toothbrush. Ran under the cold tap to rinse, then left to air dry.
A couple hours work with utensils and products laying around the house, and a clean working order set of Hornby.
What a wonderful hobby. :)
Thank you I am 12 years old and my mum will make me do I my self thank you for giving me the Ida for cleaning my track
Nice vid Will...that little bottle of tricks seemed to do the job quite well! Cheers, John.
thanks for the comment, No, the fluid is not harmful to engines or anything. I guess the only down side to it is the price, at about £8 per bottle.
Very Good video, might get some of that sometime better than using kitchen roll which breaks up all over the sleepers at times when rubbing. Very good tutorial :)
Another thing would be to use that solution with the dapol track cleaner, i got 3 of the things and i use them all on one train, 1 for hoovering 1 for washing and 1 for drying/polisting
you are spot on - and yes, this solution (as with many) can be put into a semi-automatic cleaning car like those made by Dapol.
It sounds like you were payed to make this video! Great as always
Oh wow! Thanks for the comment and that's nice to hear! Oh yes definitely get some liquid like this - they are less abbrasive than track rubbers and so you'll end up cleaning your track less frequently in the long run.
Hmmm, the white spirit will leave the track very dry tho, and if the eraser is abbrasive then it will mean the track gets scratched too. The two elements combine to give you a piece of track that will oxidise faster in the future, getting dirtier quicker, and you may notice you need to clean more and more and more often.
another nice video......think I am going to be busy next weekend cleaning my track......:))
Clean the track until there is no more black coming off of it. Take Oxguard and apply a very thin coat on the rail head, where the two pieces of rail touch on switches, and on track joiners before putting track together. Also clean all your locomotive wheels and freight and passanger car wheels, which should all be metal for this to work; until no more black comes off of them. Then apply a thin layer of the Oxguard to the wheels that pick up electricity on the locomotives and passanger cars and freight cars if any are powered. It doesn't matter what you clean the track and wheels with and I use mineral spirits. If you run trains two or three times a week you won't have to clean the track for 6 months and if less it can be up to a year before you need cleaning. Its all depending on how much you run. You got to make sure everything is throughly cleaned track and wheels and that you have all metal wheels on everything for this to work. 👍
yes, it can be used in the Dapol cleaner.
Nevermind Will. just found their website. going to get me a couple bottles with the extra track magic swabs to make sure my brand new Hornby mallard and all my other Hornby models includeing my live steam by Hornby and my American steam locomotives and diesel locomotives and rolling stock stay in good running order. thanks for the video Will. your a model railway guardian angel.
i was running my bachmann henry a while ago and that sparky thing happened
it was bright blue and short circuited my layout
turned the power off then on it was fine
but i freaked out from the spark so you've really helped me out with this vid
You're right! It can be used in the dapol track cleaner. I'll only use it's cleaning pad tho as I'm trying to minimise how scratched the track gets from now on- now I know how the science of it works haha.
A very intresting video well done. I think i will get some cleaning stuff because my track has not been cleaned yet.
the only problem with using white spirit is it evaporates quickly, and completely - leaving the rails very dry. Dry rails will oxidize faster than rails with a protective film on them.
Both of those you mention leave the track VERY dry - which over time will increase the rate at which it oxidises and deteriorates. Specific cleaning solutions like this one leave a thin film coating the rails, which improves electrical conductivity and helps to protect them against oxidisation.
Oh gosh, definitely then! Well this stuff is not cheap but does a good job.
Trident Trains but it should be available from most model railway shops now.
thanks for the comment! I think track cleaning is something that's important to a lot of people which is why I did a new one.
Thanks for the comment! Oh yeah, definitely - it really is quite good.
I should think that by now it's in pretty much every model shop going - but you can get it online really easily too. This one came from Trident Trains.
I Would highly recommend that on your new layout you paint your rails with Woodland Scenics Rail Painter Pens. They are easy to use and look very realistic!
Thanks,I was suprised how cheap it is.
Just add a light film of ATF Automatic Transmissian Fluid on the track for about 2 inch on a few spots. And you will never have problems with dirty track .
Interesting video. My Hornby mixed freight shunted had pitch black wheels in the end. If I ever set a train set again I will bear this in mind
Hi IC82, I bought some & it's brilliant, i normally use a track rubber but this stuff is so much easier & cleaner to use, thought it was rather pricey though, i paid £7.25 for mine but it's good stuff. Don't think the swabs will last long though. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Cheers, Tony.
Thanks for the video. Have been using the amazing Gaugemaster rubber on the garden layout. But have been toying with getting track magic for some of my soon to be laid pintwork.
BTW, your videos played a major part in my coming back to the hobby after a 25 year break... so thanks.
BOTH haha, but it would be great pulling freight, espeically tankers if you have any.
I've found a couple of dabs of automatic transmission fluid around the layout helps eliminate electrical contact issues.
I agree. Forget about any magic, ATF is the answer and it lasts for a long time.
Thanks for the comment John! Oh yeah, it does a great job.
I'm pretty sure it is, check out Gaugemaster and Hattons not to mention Trident Trains.
Good sicence lesson mate now we know why track cleaning is important! Lol
dude! your kitchen roll is epic
You are spot on! It sure could!
you're welcome! I hope you get your track clean soon :)
a track rubber is quite abrasive and will scratch the surface of the track, meaning the rails will become dirtier faster in the future and will get worse and worse and worse. Liquids like this are much better as they are not as abrasive and even leave a thin protective and conductive film on the rail.
I agree. I'm looking into alternatives to the swabs as we speak! I shall do a follow-up video on it. In the meantime, if you find anything else that's suitable, please do let me know! Thanks
Great video, im off to buy & try now. Liked.
thank you for watching it!
thanks for the comment!! and well spotted, that will be uploaded on Wednesday.
haha true, this is better than my previous video. Thanks for the comment!
yeah it can be conpatable with the Dapol cleaner.
Yes, a beautiful engine.
This video has only been uploaded today and look how many views you have well done. (just prove's how famous you are on RUclips). :)
I'm pretty certain you can use this solution in the CMX cleaner too. The N gauge will be featuring in Series 4 (Sept).
Well its helped Peppercorn A1 60121 silurian now
the yorkshire pullman is now running smoothly again
thanks for the comment! I got this bottle from my local shop, Trident Trains
haha awesome video mate ill have to get me some of that magic stuff too :)
Yup, you're righ Ash! You can pour this solution into the Dapol Track cleaner too. Be careful with the track rubber. Try not to use it too much - because, while it will remove debris and grime, it will scratch the surface of the rail too, making it easier for oxidisation to occur in the future.
I would recommend using a cleaning fluid like this one on just a small part of your layout and observe the results, before applying it to all affected track.
It depends on how often you use it. I clean mine every couple of months or so, using it about 2 or 3 times a week. But sometimes I have to clean it more than that.
mate, I agree. This stuff is a godsend! Thanks to your vid, I know now what the fine swab is for. My Steam Team will be running so much better now.
Cheers.
Haha I wish! No, I'm not being paid to do this just like I don't get paid to review any locos either. However, I did spend over 7hrs trying to make this vid!
If its a tempary layout u have on the floor or on a track mat try pushing the points down and see if the locos run. If so u need to weight them down with something or wedge bits of card .ect under it.
Cheers
Cameron
lol Percy helps out usually - he's not too bad.
Percy: Ive never be this dirty
Rails: What about us
Percy: No one cares about you any way if rails can talk then ................AAAAAARRRRRRRR
Good tip! I think it does say that on the bottle.
virtually all metals, apart from maybe gold, platinum and a few others will oxidise in time. But yes you are right, scratching the surface of any rail with things like track rubbers will speed up how bad the rails get.
Ever since I watched this video for the first time I have been using this track cleaner since then and it is a little expensive but it is worth it but my only complaint is that it doesn't come with the white cleaning sponge, it comes with a rubbish little orange sponge on a thin plastic flexible stick and the sponge rips apart easy so if you do get this stuff buy some of the extra sponges that deluxe materials sells just for this track cleaning product, but like I said it is worth it
haha I wish! No, no, as with all my vids, I have not been paid to do any of it. Adverts are active on the channel but that's it. It is genuinely good stuff.
Thanks, I shall definitely look into it.
01:14 Bad Percy, you will stay in your shed until you are wanted.
Ringo Starr awesome narrator, as well as George Carlin (I'm not American) and Micheal Angelis
Isoprop works just as well. Or a contact cleaner
thanks for the comment! I'm sure it will not let you down.
haha thanks! Many more to come!
yup! If the metal was originally iron then it's iron-oxide, if it was nickel then it's nickel-oxide - and so on.
oxidisation is the loss of electron and we modellers need those electrons for our trains to run well.
Awesome video. Thanks. I going to buy this and try it out.
the dents and scratches get filled with debris and oxidized particles - a build of them is what stops electricity being conducted.
thanks for the comment my friend!
Thanks for this nice and usefull video Inter. Always interesting and pleasant to watch your videos :)
The 30 yo track that we have is literally black and the trains spits sparks when I manage to got them rolling. Also the wheels are not silverish anymore. I know why they doesn’t work as they used to.
Cool video! I'm deffintly getting this!
thank you for the comment!
be carful when using meths, it does remove oxidized particles and dirt BUT it leaves the track very dry, meaning it will get dirtier again, faster. Best to use something like this or another proper track cleaner if you can.
the biggest problem with the HF cleaner and similar systems, is they're not compatible with DCC.
its a kind of Magic :-D Guss i'm going to have to buy it
What points are they? And what trains are you trying to run over them?
the black soot is only bad for brass/iron etc rails. nickel rails form nickel oxide III (the 3 is important). that black layer you can wipe almost instantly a train goes over is actually conductive to electricity and harms nothing. it is not possible to not have black soot. one pass and it happens. its a reaction of electric transfer between the metals and simple oxidation of the metal from sitting. people are panicking way too much over it.
nice i cant wait to get started
Your voice at the start is like a a voiceover in one of those "the environment is dying" videos and Ringo's narrations
I have just show my mum and she said she will get it to morrow then I will clean it utter school you are my faverut youtuder I will tell my youtuders to subscribed your chanle
*after
*youtubers
*Favourite
*Channel
@InterCity82
I suggest you let the solution dry before you start running trains, or you'll lose traction with heavy loads.
hey i just did an article on this to send to hornby's colectors magasine and i mention this video so they can see a video of it and told them to subscribe to you!!!
that could be a enteresting video
Don't use one too much - they scratch the track and that can mean the track deteriorates quicker.
Thanks dude, interesting video. What makes this better than Goo Gone, rubbing alcohol, Acetone and a million others (everyone seems to have their favourite)? They also leave a film on the track and also clean track extremely well, but nothing long-term.
I just got a set and some pieces dont transmit the electricity how do i fix that?
Love your videos... Keep them coming
thanks will never thought of that before haha !! have to go down and get some
ahhh yes! I saw them in the shop the other day actually!
if there's no contact for it pass electricty from the rail to the wheel and vice versa then yup you're right, it will just sit there and refuse to move.
both are perfectly acceptable. I did look that up first ;)
How big is the layout? Is the layout so big, and is there so much track for the DCC signals to get thru that they are struggling to make it all the way round to certain parts? Have you considered getting one of those DCC signal booster/repeaters?