Large Scale Central

Scratch Built Track cleaning cars

Modeling Rolling stock
#1

My Railway being out side in Canada, get a lot of abuse from the elements. I have not found a commercial track that really appeals to me as I think track cleaners should look like purpose built rolling stock, not disguised as something else. So I built two cars, my lite duty single and my heavy duty dual. The bodies are plasma cut from 10 guage steel and welded together. The cleaning pad has a piece of drywall screening slung beneath. Their not pretty but they work.

http://sites.google.com/site/scrapworksrail/Home/track-cleaning-cars

#2

Rob, Those look pretty cool. Look like something industrial. Hope you don’t mind if I display your picture here…

(http://sites.google.com/site/scrapworksrail/_/rsrc/1253291544750/Home/track-cleaning-cars/DSC04882g.JPG)

My home-brew cleaner has a Scotch-Brite pad stuck to a block of aluminum slung underneath a free-lance MOW car… [url=photo.cvsry.com/MOW6-1_1280.JPG]

(http://photo.cvsry.com/MOW6-1_640.JPG)

[/url]Click to enlarge Works fine to get mud splash off stainless and brighten up indoor brass. Probably would not do well on outdoor brass.

#3

They use cars like your photo 2 at the Botanic. One truck has a pin mounted underneath to drag the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad is a piece of “diamond” grid with a scotchbrite pad glued underneath. They have quite a stack of different “MOW” devices they use on the outdoor brass every morning, and sometimes during the day if we’re having trouble with pickup.

#4
Rob Coleman said:
My Railway being out side in Canada, get a lot of abuse from the elements. I have not found a commercial track that really appeals to me as I think track cleaners should look like purpose built rolling stock, not disguised as something else. So I built two cars, my lite duty single and my heavy duty dual. The bodies are plasma cut from 10 guage steel and welded together. The cleaning pad has a piece of drywall screening slung beneath. Their not pretty but they work.

http://sites.google.com/site/scrapworksrail/Home/track-cleaning-cars


Rob,
Very cool …but can you run the metallic drywall sanding screen with track power? I use this on a pole but never tried with power on? I do have a large box of fuses that were contributed to me though so perhaps I should try this instead of assuming it’s a dead short.

#5

Just make sure it has a metal handle

#6

Rob,

The drywall sanding paper does not conduct electricity. I’ve used pieces of that on an Aristo track cleaning car for many years.

#7

I have this do-hicky in G-scale .

(http://www.weatheringdoctor.com/sitebuilder/images/Trackman2000-531x321.jpg)

Works awesome !!!

#8
Ric Golding said:
Rob,

The drywall sanding paper does not conduct electricity. I’ve used pieces of that on an Aristo track cleaning car for many years.


Really???
The screens don’t conduct electricity…just asking as I never tried

#9

Drywall screens are usually made of fiberglass or a similar product. They work well. Haven’t used one in three years. :lol:

#10

Here’s how we clean on the CCRR.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jebouck/cleaner2.jpg)

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jebouck/cleaner1.jpg)

#11

Each time I click to enter this topic without being signed on to the LSC site, I am presented with a username and password signon name action box for a site ‘www.outsidetrains.com’. Why is this so? When signed on to the LSC site the box is not presented to me.

Note that when not registered and not signed on to the LSC site, I can simply cancel the popup action box and see the topic, but wonder as to why the action box pops up in the first instance.

Further to this topic, I logged out of the site and then rechecked this topic thread, without logging back in and the username/password signon action box for the above site did not pop up. This is indeed strange.

Further to this, the website password signon action box referred to above, , I believe, is associated with Tom Ruby. Why would I receive a popup box to signon to Tom’s site, simply by opening this thread?

#12

Tom Ruby’s avitar is [code]

(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/avatarlsc.jpg)

[/code] - Something odd is going on there. Tom ???

#13

I also run one of these!!!

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/blower.jpg)

#14
Steve Featherkile said:
Drywall screens are usually made of fiberglass or a similar product. They work well. Haven't used one in three years. :lol:
Interesting as they sure don't look like it!
#15

I have a clearner very much like John Bouck only made out of Aluminum. It did cost a bit but works on the CCRy almost every operating session. I am going to run it on the SVRR in a day or so since I repaired a major support member earlier this week, and the knees are still recovering!! I’ll get a pic or two to show it off. I got mine at a local train show at Puyallup a couple of years ago.

Paul

#16

Odd. It’s working here. But then, Ralph asked the other day if outsidetrains.com was still my site. I did just renew the hosting…

#17

Sean McGillicuddy said:
I have this do-hicky in G-scale .

(http://www.weatheringdoctor.com/sitebuilder/images/Trackman2000-531x321.jpg)

Works awesome !!!

Hey Sean, it looks like you and I have very similar approaches. I built a single and double car as well

(http://sites.google.com/site/scrapworksrail/_/rsrc/1253291560228/Home/track-cleaning-cars/DSC04878g.JPG)

I used my wifes CNC Plasma cutter to cut parts out of 10 gauge steel and then welded them together. I push them with with my shay usually.

#18
Tom Ruby said:
Odd. It's working here. But then, Ralph asked the other day if outsidetrains.com was still my site. I did just renew the hosting...
Some other "Ralph", I presume. For most of my life I've not met anyone named Ralph. Then I started browsing the train forums and run across a bunch of Ralphs. I guess I'm on the tail end of the generation that used the name. Sorta like being a woman named Gertrude. Ralph
#19

John Bouck said:
Here’s how we clean on the CCRR.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jebouck/cleaner2.jpg)

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/jebouck/cleaner1.jpg)

I have seen these but were do you get one?