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iHobby Expo 2008 show report

Trainfest 2007 show report

  Atlantic Coast S Gaugers

Tidewater Division

OUR NEW TRACK CLEANING CAR

We met a new vender at the show who was selling track cleaning cars modified from S Helper Service 40’ boxcars.  As seen from the photos below, the car has two AC motors that spin while spring pressure between each motor and pad pushes down on to the track (the car also has weights).  The result (with no chemicals) is a scrubbing action over the rails that does an excellent job.  Matthew Poissant, of MNP (Many New Products; A Model Railroad Manufacturing Co.) let us try out the car on our layout at the show.  After about ten laps around each of the three track loops, the pads were black, he then put a new set of pads on as seen, and this is how the pads remained for the remainder of the show.  About every two hours, we ran the track cleaning car around the tracks.  The Tidewater Division decided to pool resources ($149), and we bought one of the cars for our shows.  Looks like Matthew will also be our next sponsor, which will allow a 10% discount for anyone else in ACSG who may be interested in purchasing a track  cleaning car.  He also makes track cleaning cars for N, HO, O, and G scale.  Check out the web sit (www.mnpinc.com).

Model Railroading > New Track Cleaning Cars shown at Timonium - 2/2007

 

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It works! Since Flitz is non-toxic (USDA approved for food service), it can
be spread on the felt pads with fingers.

Just put a small dab on the pad and spread it on so that it there are no
globs left on the surface. The PULL the car SLOWLY over the section of track
to be cleaned (that way, the locomotives wheels don't get any on them. There
trailing wheels of the MNP track cleaning car will get some). Once
application does about 10 feet of track, maybe more. You can continue to
reuse those pads as Flitz applicators until they run out. It would be good
to have second set of rubber discs). You only need to make a single pass
over the section to be cleaned.

Wait about 10 minutes for the  Flitz to work.

Then change pads to plain felt ones and PUSH the car SLOWLY over the same
section. Again, push the car so that the loco wheels only go over cleaned
track and don't pick up any dirt. Note that even if they do, it is Flitz
dirt and will be easily cleaned off of the wheels as you would normally do a
wheel cleaning.

I made about 10 polishing passes over the test section which was pretty
dirty. The rail heads looked like they were plated and no more Flitz came
off on a clean cloth. There was NO  Flitz residue  on the  sides of the
rails or anywhere else.

Note that once the Flitz is applied with the cleaning car, it would be
faster to use a shop cloth (one of those red cloths one buys for use as rags
for automotive work: they have NO nap) wrapped once around a wooden block to
polish the rails where you can reach them.

My take on this is that the MNP car does the best job I've seen of applying
products like Flitz (MAAS metal polish is also reported very good, though
I've not used it), and then maintaining the rails in top condition between
re-applications (every three to six months; even longer if I keep my grimy
fingers off the rails  :-) .

I like Flitz better than any of the GooGone or AeroLocomotive Cleaner
products because:

There is NO "conductive" or other residue which you can feel left on the
tracks. GooGone leave enough behind that plastic wheels can be affected by
it.

Flitz is NON-TOXIC. You probably shouldn't use it like mayonnaise, but, but
it is USDA approved for use in food service.

It leaves an anti-oxidant bonded to the metal. It is conductive and I can't
feel it with my cloth or fingers. I think it just wears out after a while,
but the rails stay CLEAN and shiny.

So, I'm retiring my Aztec cleaning car completely.

Regards,

Edward A. Oates

 

 

 

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Last modified: October 10, 2023