DCC - keeping it clean

[ajcooper4]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question. My layout is taking shape and runnng well apart from what I think are some cleaning issues - I’v heard clean track is especially important for DCC.

The issue is occasional stops and some juddering which improves on cleaning. I use a Peco track cleaning rubber followed by cotton buds soaked in meths to remove track dirt.

What techniques do others use please and what would you advise? Many thanks.

[Steve M]

Isopropyl alcohol(IPA) is preferred to meths imho.
It’s equally important to clean the wheels of all locos and the pickups at the back of the wheels. And keep coach and wagon wheels clean or they will just drag dirt round the track.

[Walkingthedog]

Agree with Steve. If you have anything with plastic wheels change the wheels to metal ones. Plastic picks up and dumps dirt at an alarming rate.

[ajcooper4]

Thanks Steve. I’m pretty sure that I saw a wagon to buy that you put this stuff in and push it round the track.

[ajcooper4]

I’ll also check my wagons and carriages - a mixture of Bachmann, Hornby and a couple of Dapol. I expect it’s fairly easy to change the axles?

[brian1951]

Nothing beats using your hand and cloth with IPA, track cleaning machines dont do the best of jobs unless you have a very large layout with lots of areas you cant get to. The vacuum on some cleaners work well to pick up dust etc.

[Steve M]

Thanks Steve. I’m pretty sure that I saw a wagon to buy that you put this stuff in and push it round the track.

That's taking it to the next level. Have a look at Sharge UK - they do a very good cleaner of the type you are thinking of.
Won't clean your wheels though.

[Mike Parkes]

Traction tyres are also a big distributor of dirt- after running my DCC layout at an exhibition I was puzzled why some of the track was filthy and the others relatively clean, I then realised that the filthy rails were those on which the sole traction tyre fitted loco had run. Since then I have embarked on replacing traction tyres wheels with non traction tyre wheels and increasing weight in the loco to compensate.

[ajcooper4]

Would you clean wheels using a foam cradle for support and IPA on a cotton bud for thw wheels?

[Brian]

Would you clean wheels using a foam cradle for support and IPA on a cotton bud for thw wheels?

Foam cradle is ideal. I use the Peco one. However, you will need to turn the driven wheels of any loco. So consider a powered brush and scraper set or use a pair of fly leads powered from the controller (DC or DCC) and touched onto the pickup wheels to turn all the driven wheels to allow full wheel tread cleaning.