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LGB Newbie

After almost 60 years in tinplate, HO, HOn3 and 2-rail O and On30, a friend made an offer I couldn't refuse, and I am now also into LGB. I eventually want to put a loop into a flower bed. My initial question is about cleaning the rails. My old HO experience was that one needed to Bright Boy (like a heavy duty ink eraser) brass rail about weekly for good operation. This used LGB track is brass, but seems to have been anodized or something, so that even though it looks pretty dull, the train seems to run fairly well. The train does hesitate at a couple spots, so I am tempted to Brite Boy the tops of the rail. Is this OK, or will I ruin some coating or treatment LGB has done to the rails? Gary Q

Reply to
Geezer
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So far I can't prove it, but my personal belief is that once a brite boy is used on the track it scratches the surface and from that point on it gets dirtier faster. The scratches holding in more dirt. I've prepared a science project to (dis)prove this but so far have lacked the time to execute it properly. So right now, I'm in the "polishing the rail top for clean track" school of thought.

I seldom clean my G-scale track but when I do I just wipe it with a rag containing alchohol, ammonia, or other some other residual free cleaning fluid. For things like tree sap that get dropped on the rails, I occasionally use goo-gone but then clean the goo-gone off with some other agent.

Others will swear to wiping the rails with electrically conductive lubricants such as LPS-1 and Amsoil MP (Metal Protector).

Reply to
SleuthRaptorman

So far I can't prove it, but my personal belief is that once a brite boy is used on the track it scratches the surface and from that point on it gets dirtier faster. The scratches holding in more dirt. I've prepared a science project to (dis)prove this but so far have lacked the time to execute it properly. So right now, I'm in the "polishing the rail top for clean track" school of thought.

I seldom clean my G-scale track but when I do I just wipe it with a rag containing alcohol, ammonia, or other some other residual free cleaning fluid. For things like tree sap that get dropped on the rails, I occasionally use goo-gone but then clean the goo-gone off with some other agent.

Others will swear to wiping the rails with electrically conductive lubricants such as LPS-1 and Amsoil MP (Metal Protector).

Reply to
SleuthRaptorman

It is OK to clean the top of the rails. LGB actually makes a cleaning block similar to a giant "brite boy". If you don't want to crawl around on the ground, buy yourself a "drywall sanding pole". It has replaceable sanding sheets. Use the finest grade you can get because you don't want to scratch the brass. With the pole, all you need to do is walk along the track, lightly cleaning the rails. Changing all your wheels to metal, will also help to keep the track clean. How often you need to clean depends on how much you run trains, how many & what type trees you have. ( sap ) Bugs on the rails. I use Aristocraft brass track, and don't need to clean very often.

-- Bill

Reply to
LGBer0672

If you like to spend money (and who doesn't?), LGB makes a track cleaning locomotive for about $440(US). It has a pair of wheels which have a bright boy like surface (replaceable) which counter rotate to clean the track. It probably scratches the rails about as much as a bright boy as long as it is moving. It must be watched while it works: if it stalls, e.g., it derails but stays powered, it can damage the rail according to LGB. See their website for a description; you can even download the documentation.

Ed.

in article snipped-for-privacy@mb-m07.aol.com, LGBer0672 at snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote on 4/4/04 1:57 PM:

Reply to
Edward A. Oates

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