Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The latest in track cleaning

Recently I came across a YouTube video about using something called NO-OX to clean model railroad track.  After looking at a few more videos and also finding some other references to it on the internet I decided that I wanted to give it a try.   Turns out that this has been around for years and I was quite surprised that I had not heard of it before.

Shopping for NO-OX I found that it is used in a wide range of applications to prevent corrosion and to promote electrical conductivity.   

I ended up buying this 8 ounce tube on ebay.  Considering the tiny amounts used to clean track and how long the effects of an application are supposed to last this tube may last me for a very long time.
Because this is a paste like substance I was concerned about loose ballast getting stuck to it so want to keep the application very thin.  The way I applied the NO-OX was to smear a thin layer onto the pads of my Woodland Scenics track cleaning tool.   Did not press hard, just slid it around the track.

I still use my Aztec track cleaning cars with the frabic rollers and my home made Masonite wiper car.  I may also be able to use one of the wiper pads on my Atlas motorized track cleaning car to get into the spur tracks.



It has been about 3 weeks now since I have started using this product and the results have been quite noticeable especially at slow speeds.  The one application 3 weeks ago has not been repeated except for a few areas where I had leaned on the track while working on the layout.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tips for the No-Ox. I ordered a tub and have used it on the layout. Certainly seems to be promising. Please keep us posted re your progress on your blog. Thx. Regards Brendan

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    1. Hi Brendan, I actually learned of this from a Youtube video done by an Australian modeler. He was using an Australian product called "In-Ox" but mentioned that the American equivalent product was called "No-Ox" so that is what I looked for. Whichever one you use hope it works for you as well as it has for me.

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