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AF track cleaning ideas?

2K views 17 replies 6 participants last post by  AFGP9 
#1 ·
It's getting close to the time that my S stuff comes out.
I've got a couple of tubs of track. Every year I clean only what I use for my setup, rotating as such.

I just saw a couple of YouTube videos, submerging the track in a bath of white vinegar for 24 hours. Then rinsing & drying in the oven at 200 degrees.
It looked like it worked pretty well. My running surfaces are rust free but the sides are a ***** to clean with a dremel (I'm lazy).
Anyone try this?
 
#2 ·
I have not tried it. The track I use for the holiday layouts is all in rubber roadbed. Fortunately it does not rust when in storage. All I need to do is clean the top surfaces of the rail with a solvent, then make sure the track pins are clean and have a fresh, thin coating of conductive grease and are tight in the rails.
I find that I need to take off the bottom plates of some of the turnouts to clean the sliding contacts.
 
#3 ·
I know you guys with layouts &/or roadbeds or non AF track probably wouldn't. I don't use d. grease but my running surfaces shine. My sideplates are hard to get to even with my Dremel.
I'm wondering what the Vinegar might do to the the non metal insulators. I think I'll give it a try on some really bad track; a few pieces.

It might be a couple of days, but I'll post back the results, maybe with pictures. Thanx. There are so many tips/tricks here. I'm like a sponge.
 
#4 ·
My permanent layout uses Nickle Silver rail on weathered plastic ties. The sides of the rail are coated to resemble rust. Cleaning this track is simple but tedious since there is 700' of it. I was referring to Gilbert track in my previous post.
The Gilbert track picks up "dirt" much quicker than the NS track. To address this a few people have burnished their Gilbert track with good results. There are YouTube videos of this as well.
 
#5 ·
The top of the rail is the part that needs to be clean. If the side of the rail being rusted or tarnished is bothersome, then a Dremel tool with a wire wheel is the what I've used but is a pain and takes too long I.M.O. My only concern with the vinegar is that it might remove the bluing on the ties. They would have to be painted because they will quickly rust.
 
#6 ·
If the side of the rail being rusted or tarnished is bothersome, then a Dremel tool with a wire wheel is the what I've used but is a pain and takes too long I.M.O. My only concern with the vinegar is that it might remove the bluing on the ties. They would have to be painted because they will quickly rust.
I thought about the bluing issue too. The video didn't address that issue. It was hard to tell about the 'after', but it didn't look like it.
I think it's worth a test on a few pieces. I've got some really bad ones. I'll let you know how it turns out.

On another front I've gotten my 302AC running, it was a garage sale find last fall that I just left in the box until last week. It's a diecast, time stamped June 1950. Very good shape. I put it on my test track after putting some smoke fluid in it. It smokes like a bandit. I'm glad I did that; one less thing to tinker with. It's getting a full tune up!
 
#10 ·
What I've got soaking in 5% vinegar now is sacrificial. Nothing out of my other tubs that I use. I too was concerned about the paper insulators.
As far as the bluing of the ties, again we'll see. I believe they are steel of some sort (magnetic). Do you think they might be anodized? They don't look "painted" to me.

They do look like they're whiter then b4 the bath.
 
#13 ·
The pictures I took didn't turn out well enough to post.

Yes the track came out clean.
Yes the bluing was removed.
Yes the insulators were undamaged by the vinegar.
Yes the track started rusting right away.

Was it worth it NO.

I'll go back to cleaning my track with the Dremel and solvent.
It was worth a try.
I've used YouTube videos to fix a bunch of stuff; cars, motorcycles, appliances, etc.
You never know until you try.
 
#14 ·
The more interesting question to me is why is the track rusting. I have seen badly rusted Gilbert track at some train shows but all the track I bought over the years was clean and it has not rusted since I bought it. I now store it in plastic tubs in the attic but when I lived in Chicago and Pittsburgh it was in cardboard boxes in the basement. I also have some GarGraves flex laying loose in the attic and it has not tarnished or rusted.
 
#15 ·
Last summer at a garage sale there was a box "under the table"
For $10.00 I got a
302AC in very good shape.
640 hopper
642 boxcar
638 caboose all of these link couplers and decent shape.
The bad stuff
Type 2 AF transformer
Lionel 125 whistling station
and a bunch of the worst track I've ever seen.
Hence the attempt to save the track.
Everything was dumped in the box for a quick sale.
 
#16 ·
You got your money's worth even if you can not get the track usable. At worst throw it away. I am going to take the ties off my crummy track, I have some with rust or bent rails, and cut rails to fit in a gondola
and use the vinnegar to remove the rust. I plan on having a track repair train. Crane,
gondola of rails, gondola of gravel, and maybe a service car, and a work caboose.
Maybe a flat car with wood ties. Its all usable.

AmFlyerFan, I see you said the rust was gone but immediately started coming back. For my use I will
just use spray can of polyurethane to coat the rails. Don't forget to use baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
 
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