The problem is that everyone has a different opinion as to what works best on their track,
and there are many to choose from as everyone seems to make one.

Dapol
Bachmann
Walthers
Atlas
Proses
CMX
Sharke
are just a few, but from personal experience, I would stay away from Dapol and Proses.

 

I recently purchased this Walther's cleaning car and it is nice and sturdy and heavy and very good quality. I am not sure if they make them in different road names but I was super impressed when I unboxed it and felt like I could have gotten a nice lightweight curling session in!

Here's the link with the description and where I purchased it - WalthersTrainline 931-1483 Track Cleaning Boxcar -- Pennsylvania Railroad, HO Scale

Looks like they make several different roadnames as well - Search: 29 results found for "ho walthers cleaning"

 

I recently purchased this Walther's cleaning car and it is nice and sturdy and heavy and very good quality. I am not sure if they make them in different road names but I was super impressed when I unboxed it and felt like I could have gotten a nice lightweight curling session in!

View attachment 622947

Here's the link with the description and where I purchased it - WalthersTrainline 931-1483 Track Cleaning Boxcar -- Pennsylvania Railroad, HO Scale

Looks like they make several different roadnames as well - Search: 29 results found for "ho walthers cleaning"

Thank you so much for your extensive reply--even with photos--so nice of you. Great information. Much appreciated! I will definitely look into your suggestions and open the links.
It is truly appreciated in that you took so much time to help me on this.
That's why this is such a great site to take advantage of all the experience of so many avid rr hobby people.
Again--THANKS

 

They make a few more roadnames….

 

Check out the more recent Youtube videos.
Also how do you want to clean, dry (friction), wet (soaked pad), brush, powered cleaning heads, vacuum, or any combo.

 

Make your own using a Masonite slider. It's easy and very effective. Pick your choice of car. I prefer those with a drop down frame that disguises the slider.

 

Thanks for the information---a good idea, for sure.
Not sure I am that handy--but just might give it a go.

Thanks for the idea.

 

These CMX clean machines are not cheap, but I have found them to be the best way to get your track clean. They are very high quality. Kadee couplers, metal wheels, and built like a tank. I use electrical contact cleaner in it and my track and locos have never been happier.

Like I said, they aren't the cheapest, but buy once - cry once, then enjoy the carefree life that is immaculately clean track.

 

These CMX clean machines are not cheap, but I have found them to be the best way to get your track clean. They are very high quality. Kadee couplers, metal wheels, and built like a tank. I use electrical contact cleaner in it and my track and locos have never been happier.

Like I said, they aren't the cheapest, but buy once - cry once, then enjoy the carefree life that is immaculately clean track.

These work great. I use mineral spirits in my custom HOn3 version (made from an N gauge) and in our HO version on our club layout.

 

I build my own version of the dapol cleaner with a higher strength motor and it uses the same cleaning heads. I made mine out of an old bachman ft locomotive though so it has a short wheel base as well as dcc for the cleaning head. I’ll normally use low scent mineral spirits on my tracks, run that “locomotive” with a polishing pad, and then follow it up somewhere in the train with my walthers track cleaning box car. I can get my whole 10x16 layout cleaned within an hour and make it run flawlessly

 

Count me in as a VERY SATISFIED CMX user. I use it about once every 3 months. Wonderful and it will NOT scratch the rails.

 

I’ve found that a thin coat of no-ox grease helps with oxidation on the rails.

 

I have this all metal boxcar that is so heavy, I stopped using it on the layout. NO way it is even close to NMRA standards. Then I saw this thread and "DING!!!" ...I glued a small paint paid to the bottom and saturated it with lighter fluid and ran it around the layout with a SD 40 pushing it...it works AWESOME!!!!! Thanks for posting this thread, ibis! 😀

 

Can you take a pic of what you did to give a idea of this
thanks Pat

 

Hello. This is good cleaning car on my opinion

 

If you’re in O scale….

Edit:

Centerline also makes them in S, G, HO, HOn3, and N scale….

Centerline Rail Cleaning Cars

 

The brass one sold by Tony's Trains, although quite expensive, works very well I have found. You can use whatever solvent you choose and regulate the flow to the pad on the track.

 

These work great. I use mineral spirits in my custom HOn3 version (made from an N gauge) and in our HO version on our club layout.

Once again

Count me in as a VERY SATISFIED CMX user. I use it about once every 3 months. Wonderful and it will NOT scratch the rails.

-thanks all for the advice. Often you get what you pay for--sounds like the CMX car is woirth it.
thank you.
ibis

 

Gosh, that is an expensive track cleaning car but I can see it looks like it is made of brass.
I watched this video....

...it got me thinking I might be able to add a bladder to my boxcar and a pneumatic valve to control the drip...it got me thinking how to engineer something similar.

 

You are correct--not cheap. Many of you are far more skilled than I in creating a substitute that works without spending the money.
Thanks again,
Ibis

 

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I've something similar on back order from a small family run company, but about 1/3rd the price of a CMX cleaner.

Sharge uk – Model Railway Track Cleaners

 

I've something similar on back order from a small family run company, but about 1/3rd the price of a CMX cleaner.

View attachment 623341

Sharge uk – Model Railway Track Cleaners

About $115USD plus shipping...I imagine shipping to be about $30USD dollars, more or less...not a bad alternative.

 

Still more than the cleaning car in post #24 ($109.00)

 

The currency is pounds, not Euros….the UK is still sterling pounds….