Pictured: One of the oldest track cleaners is a simple pad of cotton or cloth attached to an extended arm. You just gently rub the pad back and forth and it cleans the track.
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OK, some people thought I was crazy for owning model train snow ploughs. But get this... I just got an ad for a model train track sweeper.
Yes, this new track cleaner comes equipped with a front-end spinning brush. It reportedly keeps dirt – and, if outside, leaves – off the tracks.
Now I have a traditional track cleaner. It has a cotton swab you pour alcohol over and as it rolls around the track it wipes down the metal rails. At the back of the unit is a polishing disc that shines the rail for good electric contact.
The cleaner cars come in both HO and the larger O scale. There are two schools of thought on track cleaning. Some modellers run the cleaning car dry around the track and it does a good job. Others prefer to wet the cotton with either alcohol or mineral spirits. The wet cleaner appears to pick up more crud.
But a brush sweeper. I am headed to YouTube to see if I can find one in action. I will report back to you.
YES! There are several videos on the new brush sweepers. Several modellers made their own. I have yet to find a commercially made brush sweeper.
Most modellers like the new sweeper idea. They stress it is more for outside use. Yes, several modellers have outdoor layouts. A little more work but lots more space. But I am OK with my layout indoors.
Oh, did I say layout? I meant layouts. I have both HO and O scale train sets.
OK, I must also confess I did lay some track out on the porch rail outside too. And yes, I do have a trolley that runs one direction, gets to the end, hits the stop bumper and reverses back to the start.
But that is not the same as running a train, making stops, switching cars and trying to keep to a schedule. The outside trolley is just for when I am on the porch sipping coffee in the morning.
But a track sweeper. That beats all. Or so I thought. One modeller mounted not one but two small hand-held vacuums to a flat car. One points forward, the other back. He tows the unit around the layout. After a few passes he opened up the new vacuums. And guess what? They worked. Both picked up dust. The front one had more dirt but the back one seemed to collect the dirt the first cleaner knocked loose.
So whether you choose to sweep or vacuum, remember your trains will run better if the track is clean.
Until next time, hope to see you around some clean track.
