This piece provides a short update 12 months down the track so to speak.
The track cleaner has been used extensively and is an effective tool for track maintenance. The rubberised pads (the only ones that I used) have worn, but that is to be expected and they are not to the point of needing replacement.
My earlier post was more circumspect about the wheel cleaning tool and it languished, almost unused, over the past 12 months. On the few occasions when I did try to operate it, the tool usually failed to activate the locomotive long enough to complete any significant wheel cleaning action. However, a recent comment on the original post by Bill Roach provided a suggestion that prompted me to have another try.
Bill had sprayed the white cleaning treads on the tool with CRC 2-26. Having finally been able to locate a can of this fabled product, I was able to do the same. In addition, I also sought to address the tightness and lack of movement in the centre plate (the black middle section with the two brass contact strips running longitudinally) that had previously inhibited the cleaning process. To achieve this, I pushed the white cleaning treads outward slightly until the centre plate moved freely. Previously, I had suspected that this would reduce the contact between the wheel and the cleaning tread but this does not appear to be the case.
The results are shown on the two photo below.
And a bit closer...
I don't know if it was the CRC 2-26 or the adjustment to the cleaning treads or a combination of the two but the wheel cleaner certainly operated more effectively, and at least now, I don't feel the purchase 12 months ago was wasted.
PS. The darker area on the first photo is due to the mug photographer forgetting where the light was.
