Track Stix

I was reading about them on a site the other day and they said they are no longer manufactured. Has anyone ever used them? Are they really just like a fine sand paper? I have access to some REALLY fine sandpaper (2500+) just wondering if it would work to clean the track?

Zac, I have never used Track Stix before. Here is the deal on cleaning track. You can get 20 different opinions and answers, but the tried and true way is to use the eraser type deal you get at your LHS. I use a popsicle stick most of the time. Cut off the round end and it fits the track perfectly. Many apply 91% rubbing alchohol after what ever cleaning method they first use. I don't use it that often. As for sandpaper. I have some 2200 wet/dry paper around but I'm afraid to use it on track. You will get a good shine, but there is also some micro-scratching that will be left behind on the rails. Small to our eyes but a place where hard to get at dirt will fill in eventually. So I believe the consensus re. sandpaper, no matter how fine, is to not use it. M2CW Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Jim,

One big caution on track erasures. Many leave grit on the rails. This will get into the gears of Z locos. Been there, done that. You will have problems down the road. I do keep erasures on hand for very tough grime build up, especially after doing scenery or ballasting. These are great to remove glue or paint that may build up the rail. So definitely a good tool to have on hand.

The easiest way to go is a very soft lint free rag and rubbing alcohol. It is very basic and your rails will shine. Many folks go over their rails with alcohol after using the erasures to pickup the grit. Not a bad idea, but I find that most of the time, I don't need the erasures.

I also use Gaugemaster's since I am not running DCC. They are great and really keep the engines going.

Rob

Rob, This hasn't happened to me yet. That is why I mention the alchohol. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

I use an old lens cleaning cloth and toothpicks when something has to be rubbed off. Popsicle sticks would work too. There are cloth based track cleaning cars, even from marklin (item no. 86501). They are good too, but it's a good idea to push them around, instead of pulling, so the track cleaning engine won't pick up the dirt before the car cleans it up.

Although there is always a risk of leaving grit behind when using very fine sandpaper, it will improve the finish of the metal, not make it worse. If you examine brand new rail under magnification, you will see loads of scratches and ridges; when the metal is drawn to make rail, it is not polished in the process. So, some modelers will polish the rails, beginning with medium sandpaper and continue up to very fine grit. Their thinking is that, by giving the railhead a polished surface, it will eliminate micro-scratches and reduce the tendency of the rails to collect dirt. The trouble is, no one has been able to definitively prove that any of this matters.

In my own experience, after running a huge N scale basement layout with a friend for nearly 40 years (a layout with track from every manufacturer who ever made N scale track), we've found that new rail, polished rail, or rail that has been scratched and filed and ground to death with tools and rust erasers of all sorts show no difference in performance. Instead, what we have found is that rail profile makes a big difference: rail with a slightly rounded head tends to collect far less dirt than any kind of flat-top rail. In fact, we hardly ever have to clean rounded-head rail at all. But this kind of rail probably does not exist in Z scale.

Considering the fussiness of Z scale mechanisms, my recommendation would be alcohol on a paper towel. For tough gunk, a small block of Masonite, held with the rougher side facing the rails, is a good substitute for a rust-eraser, and leaves no pesky grit behind. As always, actual mileage my vary.