Nothing abrasive should be used on tinplate as it takes of the tinning.
Scotch bright are very abrasive. Track cleaning fluid is sold in the stores if
you can still find one.
I think they work better with fluid as it can help break up the oil grease
and carbon residue but a lot still comes up with dry.
Don, thanks for the kind words. It was great fun watching your
grandson run trains.
I clean my track periodically by hand. Depending on usage on
the layout every month or so. In between I run my track cleaning
cars to just keep things tuned up. The track cleaning cars don't come
close to hand cleaning in my opinion. I have three different ones and
the conclusion is the same. They're just okay. Not great.
I use 99.8% alchohol on a cloth or wipes and then follow up with a
clean cloth to wipe up the residue. I wear a face mask filter when using
it.
However, my track is solid nickle silver track and can take the strong
solvent. I would recommend a somewhat less stringent solvent
for standard Lionel tinplate track. Perhaps odorless paint
thinner. Some use 50% alchohol. Some use Goo
Gone.
The main thought is use the least toxic and harsh solvent
possible to get the job done.
I shy away from using scrubbing pads like Scotchbrite as
they scratch the surface of the track leaving more crevices for dirt
and grease to lodge in.
Bill
On Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 9:59 AM,
<don448@aol.com> wrote:
I
want to thank Bob for the great time I and my family had at his place last
week. My grandson was overjoyed at being able to run the "BIG"
train. I have never seen so much equipment and rolling stock in one
place outside of a toy store. That looks like quite a few years of
collecting and hard work at assembling the layout. I got the feeling
from the conversation that it was still "A work in progress". The
snacks and talks were great fun and I picked up a few pointers to get my old
steamers running a bit better . Thanks to all.
Another
question!!
I just picked up a Lionel 3927 Track cleaning car in pristine
condition. As to those cleaning pads - is there some solution you put
on them or do you run them dry? Do you wipe the tracks down with
something beforehand to maximize the value of running the car? And
procedural advice appreciated.
Regards,
Don
Newman