Wow! Your layout looks great. Your trains are running on schedule. Things are going well until they are not. You may have heard the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.” Did you forget something like maintenance… Yep, just like real trains, model trains require a bit of maintenance. No, do not throw the electric train in the dishwasher!
Let’s first start with the track.
Grab a paper towel. Fold it several times into a 3-inch square. Now just wipe your track down lightly. Turn the towel over. Are there black lines? Yep, the track is dirty. Not a big surprise on St. Maarten where salt and Sahara dust are in the air. So, what do you do?
Well, you can go out and purchase a track cleaning car. Or, just get an old box car with doors that open, flip it over, and place a piece of sponge under the car. It needs to be just thick enough to touch the rails but not lift the train. So, cut it to fit and then tie/wrap it in place.
Now there are many schools of thought on cleaning solutions: You can spend money on track cleaner fluid; but rubbing alcohol seems to do a great job and is readily available on the island. Wet the sponge and run the train around the track a few times. You can even take the sponge out of the tie wraps. Turn it over, slide it back in, and go around a few more laps.
Let the track dry and then wipe with a paper towel. Repeat until the towel comes up clean.
Okay, the track is good. Now you need a Q-Tip and must clean the wheels of all your cars. Let the wheels dry and then rub a power towel over them – are they clean?
Last but not least, add maintenance to your schedule. Your trains will run smoothly, it will be more fun, and you will be operating like a real railroad.
Until next time, I hope to see you around the tracks.
