Railhead maintenance

[faithie999]

Alan--I just found my way to a 2010 thread on Model Railroad Hobbyist (https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/3229) that you started by posting results of a chemical analysis of dirty track.  the thread was a very interesting read.

I'm wondering, 10+ years later, what your methodology is to maintain your rails.

thanks

Ken

[Alan]

Graphite. Hopefully graphene when I apply it right.

[ON28]

I didn't go through that whole thread, but is there a scientific consensus on using light oil on the track to improve conductivity?

[faithie999]

without re-reading the thread, I would say that there wasn't really a consensus on any method!!  but the proponents of the light oil approach were rebutted by the oil-attracts-dust faction.

I would say there was a near-consensus in the thread on using No-ox as a corrosion retarder.  but it would be interesting to hear from all those proponents of 10+ years ago and see what they are doing today.

as in the rest of life, everything is a tradeoff!!

[nodcc4me]

I set up my current layout nine years ago using all new track and a RP PWR-75 power supply. Since then I have had almost no buildup of anything on the track. I run a cleaner car around the layout about twice a year to remove any accumulated dust, but it really isn't necessary. The track just stays clean. In my former DCC powered club the track used to get horrendously dirty in a short time and required constant cleaning.


Ring touts the clean current provided by their power supplies. From my experience I would have to agree. 

[G8B4Life]

Amazingly, this topic is being discussed right now on an email list I'm on and more amazingly it appears only one of them, besides myself had heard of MRH.

May 2019 Joe Fugate from MRH did a research article on different compounds to use on track to help keep it clean. If you haven't read the article it's worth the read.

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mrhpub.com/2019-05-may/online/index.html?page=9

- Tim

[faithie999]

that's the article I came across the other day that started me down this rabbit hole.  there is a link on the second page of the article to a 2010 thread started by Alan.  He is the model railroader that Joe Fugate referred to that sent a piece of dirty track to a chemist for analysis.  the thread is an interesting read.

[G8B4Life]

Well I learned something new today, that I obviously never followed the link in the article to Alan's thread  . I wasn't reading MRH's forums way back when Alan posted it too so I never saw it at the time it was posted.

Well done Alan for that contribution to the hobby.

- Tim

[Gibs]

Aussie version :

 

[G8B4Life]

Aussie version :
 

 

[Gibs]

lol, Gregg's an ok guy, just a bit full on at times but he has a great layout in the making.