Author Topic: DIY rail cleaning car  (Read 8489 times)

faithie999

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
DIY rail cleaning car
« on: February 14, 2021, 06:29:55 AM »
if anyone has built a rail cleaning car, I'd be anxious to get some pointers.

thanks

ken



ON28

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 256
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2021, 02:30:19 PM »
An old school solution is a piece of masonite installed under a weighted boxcar and shoved around the layout. You can epoxy two nails to the masonite and secure through holes in the car's underframe. 

Joel W

  • Fireman
  • **
  • Posts: 10
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2021, 09:13:07 AM »
What scale are you working in?
JoelW
Rushbury Valley Railroad
Burlington, Ontario

faithie999

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2021, 04:38:24 PM »
HO.  sorry, should have mentioned that.

Joel W

  • Fireman
  • **
  • Posts: 10
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #4 on: February 16, 2021, 10:59:19 AM »
Google:-  John Allen Track Cleaning Car
-an easy way to continuously clean your rails.
JoelW
Rushbury Valley Railroad
Burlington, Ontario

G8B4Life

  • Signalman (Global Mod)
  • Conductor
  • *****
  • Posts: 1192
  • I'll think of a catchy tag line one day
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2021, 08:26:47 PM »
I think most people these days that use an in-train method of cleaning the rails use some variety of commercial unit such as those made by Centerline Products and the like. That's not to say the Masonite pad under the boxcar isn't still popular but I have to admit I recall only ever seeing someone use that once in my lifetime.

For myself, if I ever find the need to have a rail cleaning vehicle I think I'd make a work train style set up, something like a rail grinder or weed sprayer train that has the sliding pads under it. The pads can be easily disguised with such a train. You can let your imagination run wild on the design and it doesn't even have to be big, Hamerlsey Iron, one of the top heavy haul railways in the world used this diminutive rail grinder train for a few decades before replacing it with a much larger unit.

https://www.westonlangford.com/images/photo/111916/

If you can find one Model Die Casting/Roundhouse many eons ago made their boxcab diesel model with a track cleaning setup. It used sandpaper pads which I would not recommend using but I'm sure something else could be substituted.

- Tim

Joel W

  • Fireman
  • **
  • Posts: 10
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2021, 10:13:56 AM »
"Scotchbrite" pads work well instead of Masonite, but they don't like points or frogs (they tend to snag on anything sharp).  I use then regularly in G scale.


That's not to say the Masonite pad under the boxcar isn't still popular but I have to admit I recall only ever seeing someone use that once in my lifetime.

For myself, if I ever find the need to have a rail cleaning vehicle I think I'd make a work train style set up, something like a rail grinder or weed sprayer train that has the sliding pads under it. The pads can be easily disguised with such a train.

If you can find one Model Die Casting/Roundhouse many eons ago made their boxcab diesel model with a track cleaning setup. It used sandpaper pads which I would not recommend using but I'm sure something else could be substituted.

- Tim
JoelW
Rushbury Valley Railroad
Burlington, Ontario

faithie999

  • Conductor
  • ****
  • Posts: 163
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2021, 04:17:07 PM »
scotchbrite pads are a good suggestion for manual cleaning.  I built my layout with flex track that was at least 20 years old and I used some 1000 grit sandpaper to clean it up.  but I don't like the idea of sandpaper, even that fine.  I have a bunch of brown scotchbrite pads left over from a project.

Ken

Tom

  • Engineer
  • ***
  • Posts: 78
Re: DIY rail cleaning car
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2021, 08:09:12 PM »
Why is no one recommending Peco PL-1?  Just asking because maybe I should not be using.