Track cleaning fluid, what should I use

[bc6]

Hi Guys I need to clean my track and Kato recommends a plastic safe cleaner, what do you suggest?

[jappomania]

Hi,

I use Tomix cleaning car whit Tomix clean fluid, or if you find on store use isopropyl alcool, normally used in the past to clean the old VHS or tape head (now in Italy is much expensive because is pure alcool and you need to pay add tax, on sale in drugstore or electronic repair shop) don't use normal alcool for cleaning (whit rose adictive in europe, I don't know if in your place is the same) because this adictive is corrosive (and venom obviously)
(sorry for my bad english...)

ciao
Massimo
 

[bc6]

Hi,

I use Tomix cleaning car whit Tomix clean fluid, or if you find on store use isopropyl alcool, normally used in the past to clean the old VHS or tape head (now in Italy is much expensive because is pure alcool and you need to pay add tax, on sale in drugstore or electronic repair shop) don't use normal alcool for cleaning (whit rose adictive in europe, I don't know if in your place is the same) because this adictive is corrosive (and venom obviously)
(sorry for my bad english...)

ciao
Massimo
 

Hi Massimo Ive got a bottle of isopropyl alcohol around the house Im sure. Here in the states it cost 99 cents, I need to get a couple of more bottle. I totally understood what you said thanks  again.

[Martijn Meerts]

Whatever you do, don't use anything that looks and feels like oil, because most likely it is oil. It might be conductive oil, which means your trains will run great for a little while, but oil tends to attract dust particles, so after a day or so you'll have to clean the tracks again.

Unfortunately, most of the miracle track cleaning fluids work like that ;)

[CaptOblivious]

Isopropyl alcohol is great, but will eat the paint on the Tomix cleaning car (experience speaking!)

I use the Aero-Lube stuff (no. ACT-6006); it takes a while to dry, but it seems to work very well without eating paint. I have a review of it here: http://akihabara.artificial-science.org/2009/07/review-tomix-cleaning-car/

[jappomania]

note: the original cleaning fluid can damage paint too (I think it's isopropyl but I'm not sure), it's write on paper infos and user guide, maybe for you is much simple to find the original cleaning fluid from Atlas RR shop, the Atlas cleaning car is the same like Tomix
http://www.atlasrr.com/pdf/PartsPDFs/NTrackCleaner.pdf

ciao
Massimo

[alpineaustralia]

Isopropyl alcohol is great, but it will:

(a) eat the paint on your Kato Rainbow Express Cars (experience speaking!)
(b) take off the paint off the Kato tracks (ie the balck paint off the railway ties and the grey paint off the road crossing track) (also experience speaking)

But will leave you wil clean tracks.

[le_monkey]

Is that right? Isopropyl alcohol can clean up oxidize from track?

[Shashinka]

I've used everything out there and to date I prefer IPA. I have had no issue with it eating the black paint from the unitrack at all. I'm using 98% IPA.

[CaptOblivious]

Is that right? Isopropyl alcohol can clean up oxidize from track?

Oxidization? Maybe very light oxidization yes. But for you, you will probably want some sort of scrubby or abrasive if there is corrosion or oxidization on the railheads. I thought nickel track wasn't supposed to oxidize? Are you using steel track?

The Tomix/Atlas cleaning car comes with an abrasive pad that may be just what you need.

[Mudkip Orange]

I use Windex. Actually, I use generic store-brand blue glass cleaner.

[alpineaustralia]

I think the Nickel track did oxidise and aswell but not in the form of rust as we all know it.

[le_monkey]

Is that right? Isopropyl alcohol can clean up oxidize from track?

Oxidization? Maybe very light oxidization yes. But for you, you will probably want some sort of scrubby or abrasive if there is corrosion or oxidization on the railheads. I thought nickel track wasn't supposed to oxidize? Are you using steel track?

The Tomix/Atlas cleaning car comes with an abrasive pad that may be just what you need.

CaptOblivious
Thank for your suggestion, now I use silverware polish for my HO steel track, so far so good, may be try to get one of Tomix cleaning car for my N scale.
is the pad easy to find?