OK, I tried the MAAS metal polish last night. Since my layout is still under construction it doesn't see much running and the rails were quite dirty.
I took a piece of a "super" paper towel, wrapped it around a wooden block, and did one pass up and back on the track. Except for a few stubborn spots that's all it took. The towel was black. The track was clean and shiny and a 2-8-0 ran slowly with no stuttering or hesitation.
Obviously this says nothing about how long it will last. But it certainly is the most effective cleaner I've seen. In fact, if it doesn't last and I try the NoOx, I'll use the MAAS to clean the rail first.
As the saying goes, YMMV.