if I had your resources I’d consider a Tony’s Trains tank car for solvent (a non polar hydrocarbon or Wahl’s Clipper oil diluted with 90% non polar hydrocarbon) and basic wiping followed by a Centerline Products D30 to wipe up after.

I use Wahl’s Clipper oil directly on the track and send a bunch of metal wheeled cars around for a while then follow with the Centerline wiper about once a year.  Then every once in a while I send the Centerline around with a fresh side of the cleaning wipe showing.  That works for me.  I can leave for the sunny south (your part of the world) in the winter and return in the spring to a running railroad too.

I wish I’d known about your club three years ago, I would have liked to visit!

Nick 

Use the search box in the upper right.  It searches all of the MRH posts pertaining to what you ask it.

Isn't mineral spirits a nonpolar hydrocarbon?

Recently I've been using that to clean locomotive wheels and track (just the tops of the railhead, don't want to remove any paint and weathering).  I feel it cleans better than alcohol, including the 90% isopropyl alcohol.

Definition of a nonpolar hydrocarbon (for academic reasons, as I didn't know):  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon

It seems these would be petroleum spirits, which is what mineral spirits is.  A petroleum-based paint thinner.  I've used it to remove some gunky tar-like substance from my wife's washing machine.  Dad would use some gasoline dabbed on a rag to remove gunks of tar from the car.

Not trying to be all science-ish (I majored in music in college).  But this is an interesting concept.  If I rememeber past conversations, isopropyl alcohol is NOT a nonpolar hydrocarbon.  It will clean, but it requires more 'scrubbing' than mineral spirits.

Thoughts?

We currently use 2 cars with masoite followed by the abrasive roller with magnet.  We have a tank car with the pad wetted with cleaner.  We are in a museum and the trains run a lot.  We put a counter on our track to just see how much they run when we are not there.  In a 3 week period where the museum is open 6 days a week.  The train ran 26.88 hours for a total of 10.65 miles just on one engine.  We also run metal wheels only.  Even with all we do track cleaning is a major chore.  Just trying to see what other people are using to access our situation.

Joe

Have you tried applying graphite to the rails?  Since I started doing that, I've only had to clean my track twice in about 3 years.  Before that, it was every time I ran a train (about every 4-6 weeks).

If I rememeber past conversations, isopropyl alcohol is NOT a nonpolar hydrocarbon. It will clean, but it requires more 'scrubbing' than mineral spirits.

Polar solvents encourage the buildup of metal oxides on the track more quickly (the "black gunk" we're all familiar with). Non-polar solvents tend to discourage micro-arcing, so the buildup of metal oxides on the track takes longer.

A very thin layer of graphite also inhibits micro-arcing and improves electrical conductivity. But the graphite needs to be very lightly applied. If you can *see* the graphite, you've applied too much and it will cause a loss of traction and inhibit conductivity.

I have the electronic car from Miniatronics and the brass tank car from Tony's train place.........I use 91% alcohol.........I have done this for the past 8 years on my 10 year old layout and have yet to have any problems.

I have the electronic car from Miniatronics and the brass tank car from Tony's train place.........I use 91% alcohol.........I have done this for the past 8 years on my 10 year old layout and have yet to have any problems.

It's not that we're saying polar solvents like alcohol won't work, it's that your track will stay cleaner longer when cleaned with non-polar solvents.

In other words, you should find you don't need to clean your track as often with non-polar solvents (mineral spirits being a prime example of a non-polar solvent).

SBNSF Fan, You might want to look at this post for a further explanation.

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/31348#comment-305058?page=4

Polar and non-polar solvents

Polar solvents (less ideal for cleaning electronic contacts):

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Ethyl alcohol
• MEK
• Acetone
• Ammonia
• Water

Semi-polar solvent (better than polar solvents)

• Ethyl acetate

Non-polar solvents (best for cleaning electronic contacts)

• Kerosene
• Turpentine
• Mineral spirits
• Toluene

But yes I agree, I think Joe had a typo in his first statement. It probably should have read:

Polar solvents encourage the buildup of metal oxides on the track more quickly (the "black gunk" we're all familiar with). non-polar solvents tend to discourage micro-arcing, so the buildup of metal oxides on the track takes longer.

MRH: Yep, Joe's statement has been corrected to read as above.

Here is some scientific research that has been done on this issue.  Long thread but well worth reading!

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/3229