UNITRACK PT2

Unitrack part 2 of my how to series. How to properly gleam or burnish your track for long term non maintenance performance.

[@ericogden8237]

Time consuming but worth the effort. I wish I'd seen this before I assembled the track but I plan to take it apart section by section; add more rail connectors as suggested, and polish as I go. I added a plastic screw cap (Home Depot) by hot glue gun to the top side of the SS washer. It gives a bit more contact with my finger and I always know which side I should be using to polish the track. Excellent advice! Thanks. Eric NS

[@themaddogyoung]

I tried this and it works great! It's taken me a long freakin time but ut's worth. My engines and track all work like new YEA! Thanks again Peter!

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Glad to hear it. Enjoy running those trains.

[@odalesaylor]

Very thorough!

[@drumday]

This one definitely goes in my tutorials playlist! - Jeff

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Glad you found it helpful, thanks for the comment and sub.

[@jackwhouck]

I've tried every method and gizmo known to model railroaders. Some are effective but don't last and I'm in a climate controlled environment with a dedicated air purifier,. That's why I'm anxious to try your method and I promise to heed your warnings! Thanks again for sharing this helpful tutorial with us.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

jackwhouck also if your running n scale or ho make sure all your rolling stock wheels are metal not plastic. Plastic deposits all the gunk picked up on the track. Metal does not. However, you will have to clean your wheelers on your most uses rolling stock at least once a year or two depending how often you run trains

[@DGModelworks]

Looks like a really good trick! But man that's a lot of work. This is one of those tips that I would have to weigh the benefits vs. the time. LOL Great 'how to' Peter!

[@PeterCPRail8748]

It is time consuming, for me it befitted the time spent. For other might not. My basement tends to get real dusty so tried this and love how little I have to clean the track.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Glad you liked the vid Dyrek.

[@akr3985fan]

On my Kato Track I used what one of the Guys at Model Trainstuff suggested & sells and he uses it on his own HO Layout ACT 6006 it's used for Model Railroading and Slot Cars Auther Huston uses this as well on His HO Layout I didn't see him on Videos burnishing the Track but it may be a Thing to Try where I live in a small Apt. complex Our apt is older place so do see dust & dirt more often than in a newer place and what I'm having to deal with is smokers that live in the Building that dont always go out side the Complex to smoke and with that when I wipe my track I'm seeing traces of nicotine.. its Frustrating as hell & angers me that me and my Folks dont smoke and are bothered by it And we have to put up with it.. Hopefully we can move in the near future.. But We Enjoyed the Video & Happy Holidays...

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Yeah unfortunately model train track is like a dirt magnet when it has electricity running through it. It's like static cling. Picks up crazy amount dirt and other crap.

[@jackwhouck]

Good thought but I'm ahead of you. All my rolling stock have Kadee trucks with metal wheel sets. Couldn't believe how much crud and filth plastic wheels can accumulate in a short period of time. A good suggestion to others using plastic wheel sets though.

[@dacuzzz]

him Peter... fantastic tip.. i can see it would take about 2 week to do a fair sized layout.. did you change your YT user name??.. thanks for sharing.. vinny

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Yes it's a long process. But we'll worth me time. As I have my layout in a more dusty environment it sure cuts down on the frequency of track cleaning. As for my user name I did change it, wanted something more fitting to what my channel is about. Hence my last short video before this one giving all my subscribers a heads up. I hope you like it.

[@thomashelm8985]

Do you do this cleaning technique before or after spraying paint to weather the track and before or after gluing ballast to track? Also, how to you clean and polish track that is in a tunnel?

[@jackwhouck]

Excellent tutorial Peter! I HATE cleaning track. My question is how far will the stainless washer go before changing out or can you merely wipe it clean and keep using it indefinitely?

[@PeterCPRail8748]

jackwhouck mine lasted whole layout with minimal wear. The good think is that being nickel silver track not alot of the nickel tips on to the stainless washers. My best advice is to just keep on eye on the washer serfice. Also do this once track is ballasted and glued with surrounding track scenery done. Or else you will be doing this again lol

[@modelrailer]

Great how to Peter. So you dont have to sand the track every time? Just run the polish over the trouble spots?

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Yes the sanding and washer is done the first time and dry cloth wiping or further polish of rail with polish. Over time like a few years down the road in a more dusty and non climate insulated room like a unfinished basement you might need to re sand and washer the track.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Peter CPRail8748 sorry meant to say dry cloth wiping or minor polishing with polish for up keep. If you keep your engine and rolling stock wheels clean the dry cloth wipe from time to time will be enough.

[@tomwcameron]

looks like a very effective way to keep track in good operating condition Peter. I live in the gta but can't find nickel silver washers. Where did you get yours pls?

[@PeterCPRail8748]

tom cameron Those arnt nickel silver washers. You want to get high grade stainless washers, what happens is by rubbing the stainless on the nickel silver. Some of the stainless transfers to the rack giving it a more oxidizing resisitance Hance less cleaning if you run trains alot.

[@tomwcameron]

Peter CPRail8748 thanks for clarifying this Peter. it's way easier to get good quality stainless steel washers. I've got my bottle of Silva and very fine grain emery paper. all I need now is the elbow grease 😉

[@Mercatoyd]

Hi Peter..I have a couple of questions about this technique.. In your experience with this would you do this step prior to or after weathering the track. My thought is once the polish is applied wouldn't that keep the weathering from sticking? And, two.. once the track is ballasted..wouldn't the maintenance procedure leave white residue on the ballast much like polish between paint and chrome on a vehicle and wouldn't the rag tear up the ballast as you clean the track? thank you in advance.. Tom

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Overland Transportation System yes i would to it after track is weathered and ballasted. Two, I use a q tip to apply polish to rail heads, but some does get on ballast. I use a stiff bristle tooth brush to crumble and lift polish rescue of the ballast once polish is dry

[@Mercatoyd]

ok..Peter..thank you for the tips from experience.. Tom

[@themaddogyoung]

Does this technique work with DC too?

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Yes it works for both basically what the process does is two things. It gives the track head a more polished prototypical look from constant metal on metal friction. Second it helps eliminate the dirt and crud to stick to the rails so if you run trains regularly the wheels pick up the grime leaving track cleaner and more self cleaning so to speak. You will notice when you run your finger over The rails after this process after a month or so you will see a very pronounced dirt line on it. Compared to non gleamed track where dirt sticks to it because of the electrical current going through the rail. This has saved me hours of cleaning track since I did this.

[@kinzer4329]

Does this work with HO? Or is that track a different metal?

[@PeterCPRail8748]

As long as it's non brass old school track it works with any of the more modern tracks like Nickel or Nickel Silver.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

But this process does not hurt your track at all. So you can always do it and see the results.

[@kinzer4329]

Peter CPRail8748 Okay thanks. Also, you seem like the track master... can brass track hold frequencies the same as nickel/nickel silver? for example, I got a piece of track that's very old (It was the only one I could find) and its brass, not nickel/nickel silver like the rest of my track. It kept causing a problem in conductivity.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

Kinzer Hurt unfortunately brass before my time I am afraid. Just going by the technique from the guys on the forums gleaming has no effect on brass according to them. It will clean the track but won't have long lasting effects. Sorry I can't help you with brass.

[@kinzer4329]

Peter CPRail8748 okay. Thanks anyways. I actually recently scrapped it and was wondering if it could really be used.

[@jackwhouck]

Got another question for you Peter. You didn't happen to mention how long you leave the metal cleaner on the tracks before wiping it off. I couldn't find the metal polish you use nor Mothers but the guy at the hardware store suggested a product called Flitz. Instructions say not to let it dry on the object so I have been leaving it on for like 3-5 minutes. When I do wipe it off the cloth is like pitch black and, of course, the more I wipe the less of an intense black it becomes. In fact, even after 50 clean cloth wipes I never completely get all the black off. Is this pretty much your experience as well? I fear that wiping that much removes all of the metal polish "plating" effect.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

jackwhouck unfortunately I have no experience or knowledge of flitz from what I read on gleeming metal the best polish to use is fast drying like mother's, silvo and such. They dry in under 5 mins as for the black it never fully whips from the rail s, as long as the rail has a nice luster it worked. Most important is using a polish for Chrome and silver contant metal. The Polish oxidizes serfice impurities and dirt therefore the solid black residue when first wiped. Hope this helps

[@jackwhouck]

It does help. I was afraid I might be doing it wrong. Investigated this Flitz and apparently it is good stuff and does a good job of removing oxidization. The track does shine brightly after having removed the residue and buffing it. So it appears I'm on the right track, pardon the pun. Thanks for all the replies to my questions. Happy railroading

[@seand6323]

Dumb question... this should be done prior to weathering and before mounting as well for ease of access

[@PeterCPRail8748]

No dumb questions you can do it before or after you permanently mount your track. Many swear by doing it before, others after. Only issue I can see before is you might have to go over the track with a quick polish just using the metal polish to get rid of any dirt and grime from weathering and gluing down track.