Large Scale Central

Making a very simple and cheap track cleaner

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

I was tooling around Lowes the other day and happened to pass the drywall section. I noticed they had a velcro hook and loop drywall sander attachment that looked very slick. I believe it was $15 plus the pads and my gears instantly started turning. I figured this would fit nicely under one of my gondolas and if not I would have a new sander for my pole. Well it doesn’t fit under the Aristo gons but it does fit very nicely under USA centerbeam flat. The nice feature about this as I was going to use the older style pad with the clamps on the end but changing pads would be difficult or you would have to take the whole thing back off the car where as with this set up you just tear off the velcro pad and put on a new one. All you need is this pad 2 screws and some medium sized springs(I had them on hand using 1/10th RC car shock springs).Remove the pole attachment on the pad, remove the bulkheads on the car and the centerbeam. Locate your centering point drill and countersink two holes add your springs and screws. The tension can be adjusted with the screws, I have not run this car with the centerbeam in place as I feel it may interfere with the screws if the pad hits an object so I did not put it back on but you could drill out the bottom of the beam a bit. A picture says a thousand words

The materials

Drill your holes slide screws into car add springs over screws and screw into pad

The hole in the center was drilled to center the pad on the car then I removed the screw.

I’m sure you can paint the pad and shave it down if you wish but I’m leaving mine like it is. Cheap and simple just like a few guys I know(no names mentioned) :wink:

#2

Nice idea,but I think I might have run the screws up from the pad.

#3
David Marconi said:
Nice idea,but I think I might have run the screws up from the pad.
Thought of that but restrained from it for many reasons. When is your next build ? :)
#4

How heavy is the car?
Is it heavy enough that you do not need to add weight?
You could wrap some lead weight with wood load wraps that USA sells.
Nice idea!

#5

The car isn’t real heavy …just metal wheels. However like I stated the tension can be adjusted with the screws and it has good contact and drag so I don’t think weight is needed at this point. Gonna try a full test run today.

#6

Ran this today as well and it worked as planned…note to self…check track for dog deficate before running new track cleaner.
Damn dog!

#7

So you now need to build a POOPER SCOOPER!!!

#8

We have some at the Botanic that consist of a piece of diamond plate aluminum, like 1/8th inch with a scotchbrite pad glued on. A pin is mounted to one truck of the “mow” gondola that goes through a hole in the aluminum and drags the works underneath the car. Works swell. (I can’t do the whistle like the beaver in “Lady and the Tramp.”)

#9

One idea, I think it was in GR a while back, was to have the retaining/locating screws actually pass up through the floor of the box-car, with a substantial weight attached to them. This served to push down on the pad and add friction.

Sadly, over here in UK there is no dry walling ‘as we understand it, Jim’, so the basic tools you note are unavailable to us to use in the fust place. So I buy MY supplies when we are back over in CN or US.

Besp

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#10

http://www.toolsnob.com/archives/2009/08/gator_drywall_sanding_head_san.php

Available in the UK Terry. I have a pole and the sanders in my garage: it is No.2 sons profession. However, I prefer to use ‘scotchbrite’ kitchen pads on my brass track’. Even when I operate by battery power I clean some of the track - lots of birds, snails etc. here so I prefer clean wheels.

#11

Terry,
Alan’s pictures shows the pad I used in the center shot…works like a champ!
Thanks Alan
:wink:

#12

Now you need to add the pooper scooper also. Take care of two task at once, multi tasking. Later RJD