rubbing alcohol used for the wheels?

[jettrainfan]

I read this off the bachmann board that 70% rubbing alcohol does the trick and after seeing the bottle, i noticewd that it was the same kind my grandpa used when he tested some of my trains. To see if it was worth the $2.14, I swiped the tracks with a cleaning eraser 3 times and only a little was picked up, but when i dabbed some of it on a paper towl and did a quick swipe, it was pretty dirty! So that just replaced the track eraser for now. Also, i saw a part where it says it could clean wheels, is this only wheels or could it also be parts? Lastly, what is the method? (drip it on, rub it, ETC.)

Thanks for any info!

[ABC]

You can submerge a locomotive's motor under alcohol and give it some juice to clean it, but personally I wouldn't suggest doing this because it could start a fire, especially if you are not experienced or expose it to oxygen (air). Stick to track and wheels for now. To clean the wheels and track apply it sparingly to a non-fibrous cloth.

[jonathan]

I'll second that.

I use old t-shirt strips with just a dab of rubbing alcohol.  Cleans the wheels and tracks very well.  I use to apply Goo Gone, but I read somewhere Goo Gone can eventually build up a non-conductive residue.  Never had that issue, but I stopped using it anyway. 

Rubbing alcohol is more economical, too.

Regards,

Jonathan

[NarrowMinded]

hey jet,
To clean wheels I dampen a cloth or paper towel then lay it across the track, the place half the wheels on it and the others on the track. I hold the loco in place and apply power as the wheel spins on the cloth press down lightly.  This cleans wheels very well, when your done applie a light "conductive"<-- really thin oil to the wheels

NM

[jettrainfan]

NM, do you know where I could buy that kind of oil?

[termite]

Atlas has their "conductalube", should be easy to find. I'm not sure if Labelle has anything similar.

[NarrowMinded]

Its really all just very thin oil I personally use labelle 108 there are other made specifically for wheel tread an track.

NM

[Jim Banner]

Labelle 108 or Labelle's new "track conditioner" are good choices.

In addition to being very light (thin,) a good track oil will not attack plastic wheels and will not oxidize when exposed to air.  Bachmann's E-Z Lube Conductive Contact Lubricant meets all three of these requirements.  Check out this link:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1086

It is not cheap, but a tiny bit goes a long, long way.

Jim

[Doneldon]

jetrain -

Some folks find Wahl clipper oil works well.  You should be able to find it at a store which sells Wahl clippers, a good hardware store or on the Internet.
                                                                                                              -- D

[Clovis-73]

I use Wahl Clipper Oil - it works just fine.