This is a topic that is a source of constant discussion and differing opinions.

For the purposes of this page, I'll address track powered situations only.

There are basically two different things that affect running trains:

• Dirt, oil, bugs, etc. This is physical contamination or obstructions.

• Oxidation or corrosion that affects the electrical conductivity between the rail and the wheels/pickups on the cars.

Both will interfere with power pickup.

Dirt and physical obstructions:

Dust, dirt, pollen - other dry material

Most of these things can be swept away. You do not need anything abrasive. (In general you want to avoid abrasives, they can put scratches in the rail that help trap dirt and grit)

Track power can often make a fine carbon "dust" on different rail types, and it's different for everyone. I believe it has to do with a lot of factors, current draw, type of metal on the wheels, length of trains. No one has satisfactorily characterized this in my opinion, but I've seen the dust and many people have reported it. I think the electrical arcing of currents helps produce some kind of carbon or oxide "dust".

Also, plastic wheels have been known to abrade to a fine dust also, and also when hot the dust has combined with other factors to adhere more firmly.

In most cases these two above are usually easy to remove. 

You can often also wash these  containments off with a hose.

Leaves and larger items might need a broom, or a sweeper car: Click here

To clean these types of items, you can use a track cleaner that has a cloth or something like ScotchBrite (like the green scrubber on your kitchen sponge)

You can also use solvent-based cleaners, but you do not need to be careful of leaving a film behind.

Gooey dirt, bugs, etc:

Dead bugs, tree sap, snails, etc, are a bit tougher.

I've had success with a track cleaning car with ScotchBrite, since the open weave will help "collect" the junk, not smear it around.

"eraser" type cleaners will just clog, they are not a good solution.

Bad tree sap might need a solvent. If you use solvent cleaners, be careful you do not use something that will attack the plastic ties. I would recommend alcohol. Not that it is a big deal, but rubbing alcohol has a bit of glycerin in it, so pure methyl alcohol is better.

As above, fine dust from electrical current and/or plastic wheels can combine with moisture, oil, track cleaning fluids, bug sprays, mildew sprays, and sap to make something that is harder to remove. Solvent is usually the best way to get rid of it.

In the smaller scales, it's very important to finish a cleaning with a solvent. If you get a lot of dirt, or gunk on your rails, look to do "wet cleaning".

Oxidation and/or Corrosion:

This is normally the big bugaboo. It is most prevalent on brass track, but can affect almost any metal track given the right (or wrong) conditions.

Oxidation is caused by the oxygen in the air combining with the metal to form a new compound. Normally oxides are an insulator. Pollutants in the air can cause this process to happen faster.

One way to remove oxide is mechanically. You actually scrape the surface off to reveal "new" metal. In the smaller scales, a rubberized compound is typically used. You may remember the "Brite Boy" block. Most of these are a mix of rubber and an abrasive like silicon carbide. See the brand name "Cratex" for this.

The stuff comes in many shapes. You can put it on a sanding block, like the LGB hand block.

There are companies that make track cleaning cars (like Aztec) with rollers of this material.

This stuff is a relatively mild abrasive, so it may take several passes around the layout, but will not leave big scratches in the rail head, or excessively wear the rails.

Another way is to use something much more abrasive, like the open mesh "drywall sandpaper" which looks like window screen with silicon carbide on it. This will "clean" rail very fast, but it will remove a lot of material, and in my opinion, scratches the rail, and the scratches help cause oxide to form more rapidly.

Who makes what, and my opinion: (in alphabetical order)

AristoCraft:

Aristo makes a track cleaning car, it is a bobber caboose with the cupola off. It has a weighted block underneath. The surface looked like masonite at first glance. I now understand that it was packed with goo, and it's a rubberized compound like cratex.. It's ok. It does not clean quickly, but very low abrasion. You need to clean the block because it tends to smear gunk on the rails when it gets dirty.

Not a bad choice for general, everyday use if kept clean. Will not clean aggressively.

Aztec:

Aztec (www.aztectrains.com) makes some of the best track cleaning systems in the smaller scales. They recently made a unit in large scale, often in a shorty Aristo box car. They have a roller in a beautifully machined and hard anodized holder. There is also a magnet in it. The roller is not exactly perpendicular to the rails, so there is a light scrubbing effect as well as the constant rolling of the unit. You can also get them to custom make a roller with canvas for you if you wanted to "wet clean" your rails.

Very high quality, probably cannot be used on track with a bunch of dirt and leaves. Should do a great job, I will report back, just bought one in early 2008.

(Aztec notes: to replace canvas on roller, put it in lacquer thinner or acetone, that will loosen the cement. Use contact cement to apply the new canvas. Clean the roller with a tooth brush and warm soapy water, let air dry)

Bridge-Masters:

This is a metal framed car with a free floating block that you can clamp a piece of ScotchBrite on, or even drywall sandpaper. I like it and it is the only cleaning car I use. It will go over Kadee magnets. I added more weight to mine, the frame is pretty light. I wish they would sell it set up for couplers on each end.

See the picture below for how I added a couple of fishing weights. The frame is so light that when it hits obstructions, it jumps up in the air, the weights help here, and also help keep it on the track if you are pulling it with a body mount coupler on a long wheelbase loco.

Centerline:

Large heavy brass frame with free floating roller:

(This is the S scale one, the G scale looks the same) $233 list, expensive. http://www.centerline-products.com/

CMX Clean Machine:

I believe this is only distributed through American Hobby Distributors to other dealers. http://www.tonystrains.com/products/cmx-products.htm This unit has a brass tank with 2 weighted cleaning pads, and the cleaning liquid can be metered from the tank to wet the 2 pads. I have not used one of these, but they look very well built. This unit can do wet cleaning or dry cleaning. You can put different pads on the system. Basically you can do whatever you want.

The only shortcoming would be that the pads are small, thus could load up with gunk more readily, also the center of the pads are not cut out, so it will definitely bump over magnets and switches. It would be nice to be able to control the solvent flow to only one of the 2 pads, but this is a iceing on the cake request.

I would say this is probably the ultimate cleaner, but it comes with an ultimate price: $250.

R&L Lines:

Interesting. Not pretty, but the rollers are inexpensive throwaway paint rollers. Nice inexpensive way to clean rails. You can drip some cleaning fluid on the rollers, not really convenient, but doable. Many good reviews. Wendell Hanks reports that the width of the Track Scrubber car -- with the foam rollers set at the angle received from the manufacturer -- is 4". He guesses that if the rollers were set "straight out" at a 45 degree angle, the car width would be 4 1/2 inches. Both height of the rollers and their angle is adjustable.

$129.99 G-Scale with Aristocraft trucks, knuckle or hook and loop couplers or MTH knuckle couplers (includes 4 rollers, cleaning solution not included, $3.99 extra)  http://www.rllines.com

Trackman 2000:

Very nice looking unit: http://www.trackman2000.com heavy, and with a synthetic pad that cleans the rails. They are about $135. The cleaning pad is suspended between the 2 trucks with a clever mechanism that keeps it centered over the rails. The cleaning pad block has the center cut out to help get over track magnets and switches.

The cleaning pads are made of something called "Bear-Tex". It is made by Norton, and looks identical to 3m's ScotchBrite, but tougher, and they say it's better and snags and shreds less. The replacement pads are $4.50 per set. It comes with Aristo couplers.

I have not used one, but they look very nice. You can adjust the tension on the pads for a light dusting to a thorough scrubbing. I believe they would work very well, a trifle expensive for most. It does not do wet cleaning.

Note: it was reported to me in 2008 that the owner of the company has passed away. I called in Feb 2008 and the phone number on the web site has been disconnected. As of August 2008, the following comes up when you click on the order now link:

DUE TO A FACTORY FIRE IN JANUARY 2008, ORDER DELIVERY ON TRACKMAN PRODUCTS WILL BE DELAYED INDEFINITELY. IF YOU ORDER YOU WILL BE PLACED IN LINE FOR DELIVERY WHEN AVAILABLE. WE WILL NOT CHARGE YOUR CREDIT CARD. WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT BEFORE WE PROCESS YOUR CREDIT CARDS FOR PAYMENT. WE WILL MAKE SURE YOU STILL WANT THIS ITEM BEFORE WE PROCESS YOUR ORDER. ORDERS WILL BE PROCESS IN THE ORDER THEY ARE RECEIVED.

Conclusions:

If your priority is money, then buy a pole sander from Home Depot, and put a piece of scotchbrite on it, or the drywall sandpaper if insist on the least effort and don't mind risking the rail surface if you use the sandpaper. Use the Maroon scotchbrite is my suggestion.

If you want something to kind of keep the rails clean and you do not have a severe oxidation or cleaning problem, get the Aristo unit and run it every time you run. Used this way and often, it will keep everything clean for cheap, and just clean the block fairly often with a rag with a mild solvent or with a stiff bristle brush.

If you have a lot of oxidation, or want to clean it faster, get the Aztec or the Trackman2000 or the CMX. Non is cheap, but they will all do a good job. The Aztec rolls over the rails so it can be in a long train, and does not need extra locos.

If you have a bunch of gunk on the track or weird buildup, then I would use a solvent based machine, like the Aztec with a canvas roller, or the CMX or the R&L. You can get the rails squeaky clean.

Remember, if you have gunk on the track, you do not want to just smear it around, it needs to be picked up somehow. Oxidation can be rubbed off with an abrasive.