Rolling Stock question...

[Len]

Rail-Zip was banned at a club I used to belong to. One enterprising individual applied it to the track according to the instructions on the bottle. The result was locos, even with traction tires, just sitting there spinning their wheels. Took a week to get things cleaned up and running again.

If you're going to use R-Z at all, this is one instance where forget the instructions on the bottle. One drop per rail, and spread it with the trains. And not very often at that.

I'll stick to my clean cloth and Brite-Boy for the tough spots.

Len

[rogertra]

6'' bead on the rail head to be exact, and 15yre. not 10.
You had me worried I followed the wrong advice, even if I did it still works great.
[/quote}

I've since changed that to a few drops, possibly because after that initial application, a few drops is now all it needs, at least so far.

Wow, 15 years of use?  Didn't realise it's been that long. 

Yes, sorry about the mix up with the edited post but I'm glad that you like me, find it works great.

As far as the other posters who find problems with it, all I can say is they must be doing something wrong?

"Wheels spinning"?  What did they apply it with, a sponge or a paint roller?  Sparingly and only in one place, like the throat of a staging yard is all I can suggest, not all over the whole trackage, which sounds like the spinning wheel club did.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Len]

re: "Wheels spinning"

From Roger T's post earlier in the thread:

USE INSTRUCTIONS: FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY. Read all directions and cautions
before use.
Remove cap and apply Rail-Zip to clean cloth, cotton swab, felt pad or sponge. Apply directly to
surface area to be treated. A thin, uniform coating is best. Do not rub Rail-Zip. Product works
chemically, not mechanically. Allow product to work overnight (10-12 hours) to penetrate and
protect. Optional: Remove any excess residue by wiping lightly with clean cloth lightly moistened
with water.

The guy applied a "thing, uniform coating" to the entire layout. With the result mentioned.

Also not the bit in the instructions about, "...to penetrate and protect." Rail-Zip was developed in the 'bad old days' of brass track, which is more porous than nickle-silver, primarily to fight the blue-green oxidation brass is notorious for. It's really not necessary for NS track.

Len

[jbrock27]

All sounds like common sense on how to apply

Did not know that brass was more porous than nickel silver.

Roger, anyone, want to take a stab at whether RZ is the same as ATF?

[rogertra]

All sounds like common sense on how to apply

Did not know that brass was more porous than nickel silver.

Roger, anyone, want to take a stab at whether RZ is the same as ATF?

I think what jbrock27 was saying is the "spinning wheels" guy did apply a "thin uniform coating" over the whole layout.  That is where he went wrong.  Still can't find my original bottle but I'm sure the instructions from 15 years ago didn't say that.  However, the instructions I downloaded and posted, see post below, say "apply directly to the area to be treated".  Nothing about over the whole layout.  If he did put it over the whole layout, that's his mistake, as I said below.  I'm sure my bottle said to apply a thin strip on the rail head about six inches long, which is what I originally did.

Rail Zip was introduced about 15 years ago, way after brass rail went out of fashion so it is usable on nickel silver silver rail, which also gets dirty, as does steel rail.  So it's suitable for use on all rail.

As for RZ being ATF, it certainly looks and smells like it.  

Anyway, I will reiterate.  First time use: -  Apply a six inch strip on both railheads along your most travelled route, yard throat of a staging yard for instance.  Run trains, let the wheels of the cars spread the Rail Zip around the layout.  

I never clean mine from the railhead, I just leave it there.  Applied in this manner, hardly affects traction at all.  In fact, I had a rather steep grade, over 2%,  up from my staging yard and my 4-8-2s, both light and heavy and my 2-10-2s could all pull a 16 to 20 car train up the grade unassisted both before and after the application of Rail Zip.

Cheers

Roger T.

[Trainman203]

Off topic to Brock ..... 15 rental units put me over 200 k in the hole over those years, never to be gotten back. It was a misguided endeavor, it was an " under water"  deal that could not be quickly escaped despite umpteen lawyers examining the deal.  Think "1980's S&L Crisis."  It was a privilege to get out and get my life back.  Lessons... Always research investment deals thoroughly, and never have "partners".  (Code word for "chump".)

Maybe you can see now why a couple of bucks here and there in model railroad stuff doesn't matter much to me.

Model railroading is fun.  Cheers.

[trainmainbrian]

UPDATE...I used the Dust Monkeys on my layout during a operating session this past weekend... I installed the Monkeys mid train on the rear set of wheels on a Boxcar The Monkeys worked well on all parts of my Layout across all my Switches on the main part of my layout the Monkeys also had no issues in my yard area smooth across all my 13 switches & Crossovers... NO Derailments or issues with the Boxcar wheels at all... After 1 - 1/2 hrs of running I inspected the track on my layout All the Rails where nice clean free from dust... I looked at the monkeys themselves & they had signs of dirt on the them I was surprised & well Pleased on how this product works on keeping the RAILS free from Dust & Light Dirt.... I will still use the tried & true method of using a Bright Boy to clean my rail's but will use the Moneys as well.... Nice Product to have... Thanks for all the Input on how other keep there Rail's Clean...

[jbrock27]

Thank you for the reply Roger re: ATF.  BTW, I was not the one who talked about how someone had applied RZ.  My only comment about it was it seems like common sense would be applied to how to apply it.

TM, I am sorry to hear that  .  It sounds like at one time you, or someone you know said "hey this would be a great $$ maker".  It was good you bailed out when you did w/o  further financial damage.  Someone approached me about this great idea back in the '90s and I said, "I'll pass thanks".  They tried to convince me to do it bc they knew I was handy.  I said just as you pointed to, I don't want to have my life taken away by this, so "no thanks".

Still don't have any trouble with dust bunnies on the layout.

[jward]

around here we have ads on the radio all the time about flipping houses. seems like just another get rich quick scheme to me. it's amazing how little research people do into these things, especially what happens if things go wrong. the promoters will make their money and get out, leaving the gullible with a mountain of debt.

[electrical whiz kid]

Jeff;
Solution:  If you are going to invest, make sure you do your DD. on a stock or whatever.  Also make sure you know exactly how this whole mechanism works.  I have made a good part of my retirement in the market-but I still do not recommend it to anyone.  As far as I am concerned, I got very lucky at the right times.

On "Rail Zip"...  If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...
Wahl's, if not the exact same thing, is a verrrrrrrrry close second.  My personal opinion  is that you are right about the ATF thing.  It is like anything else; learn about it before you use it.  What do I have in a can under my layout?  Yep-you guessed it!
SGT C.

[jward]

sarge,

I have a much better solution. do not invest in anything you don't already understand. it is possible to make money through good old fashioned knowledge and hard work. in fact it's what this country was built on. too many people want to take advantage of others, then cry when they themselves get scammed.....

maybe I am in the minority, but I would rather have something I earned than something I got by less than honourable means.

[jbrock27]

All very good points gentlemen.