Large Scale Central

There could be a problem

Track and Trestles
#21
Mark said:
TAC - LOL No I don't clean the little beauty with a dry wall sander, but I do use a 2 inch brass (tooth brush look alike) and a similar stainless brush on it occasionally with some pretty astrigent sovents.....but it seems to shoot better when it's dirty so it doesn't get cleaned too often.

mark


My point, which you seem to have missed, is that using the LGB track-cleaner locomotive is the equivalent of using a dry-wall sander on the track - which is why LGB say that it is verboten.

The plating on the LGB track appears to be only about a pathetic 2-3 microns thick, and as Mike Morgan points out, any plating is only as good as its foundation metal and the preparation applied to cleaning it in the first place prior to plating of any kind. Brass is NOT a good metal to nickel plate - it needs a copper plating first. This does NOT appear to be the way that LGB did it.

You would be surprised to learn that even over here in UK we have heard of brass-bristled brushes. Even though many of the inhabitants have dried grass on their roofs, and keep animals, we are steadily moving towards civilisation. Some of us even have electrical lighting in our huts, although it is admittedly uncommon in rural areas, such as my own locale.

Hark! I hear the bell of the approaching dung cart! Is it is our turn to be taking away, or bringing?

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS

#22

Terry,

You sure they are not saying, “Bring out your dead, bring out your dead…”

Wait a minute, that was a different movie… :lol:

Here in the vast Pacific Northwest, we have just recently made peace with the natives, and have just uncircled the wagons.

#23

I’d take an exception to the LGB track cleaning loco being the same as a dry-wall sander… the open pore silicon carbide sandpaper is WAY more abrasive. I have had a LGB TC loco, it’s relatively gentle. The problem LGB had was probably with it sitting in one spot spinning away. The compount on the TC loco is mild brite boy stuff, like Cratex. More like a strong eraser, it will not leave scratches in the rail head, it’s much finer.

Regards, Greg

#24

I’ve seen a layout where the track cleaner had completely worn the entire head off the rail. All that was left was the web. :frowning:

#25
Warren Mumpower said:
I've seen a layout where the track cleaner had completely worn the entire head off the rail. All that was left was the web. :(
You know I've got a polisher with a 180 grit that will polish to a relative shine in 20 seconds or less....... if an LGB track cleaner is more aggressive than that I don't need one!! A sander with 400 to 600 grit provides a fine flat finish for paint on metal so anything more aggressive is over kill. I guess it could be the main thing it's used for is to take kinks out of the track at all costs.....

mr

#26

OK

The LGB rail cleaning machine works just fine if

used as intended - supervised so that when it gets stuck it doesn’t polish the railhead to smithereens!

used what it is intended for - solid track of whatever material except perhaps alu. I’ve never heard of anyone polishing alu track either.

Would I buy one? No! In my opinion it is too expensive!