Talking T Gauge

B 67 · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 5:27 am Post subject:

The aluminium paste was supplied by KK Eishindo. I do not know if it is to be for general release.

I have not tried any more paste since using Selleys RP7 on the rails. Today I ran the trains for several minutes at a time throughout the day. And they are still running well, despite not having cleaned the track or wheels for 10 days. So it would appear that oil on the rails has been a success - so far.
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Darren,
Stratford,
Australia.

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

Maybe we should break track cleaning and protection out from the lubrication thread?

Oiling the track. The idea is that a almost undetectable film of oil will prevent oxidation of the track. With nickel alloy track this isn't an issue as the surface oxides are conductive. With brass or steel (as in T gauge) this can be a factor. Obviously the protection has to be balanced against attracting dust, but it could make sense here.

Polishing the track. Some folks use a fine metal polish like Simi-chrome or Maas for the same reasons. These polishes have a fine wax, so after polishing off tarnish, they protect the metal with the wax. I've tried this in G -- the only scale I run that I don't use nickel alloy track. It doesn't seem to hurt traction, and the track does look good. I have noticed chattering of the wheels on tight G gauge corners, but again it might be worth trying in T.

My club NTrak uses a Centerline roller car with a Goo-Gone soaked roller cloth. Follow with a dry roller to pick up the loosened crud. This seems to be a nice non-abrasive way to clean track that is not used frequently. Maybe someone could make a similar roller car in T with a magnetic roller, as I can't figure that the mass of a T gauge roller would be useful in itself.

Bob

B 67 · Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject:

I'd like to point out that the following video was made on December 15. I used oil on the track on December 3. I've not cleaned the track or wheels since. As you will see in the video, although there are a few spots where the trains occasionally hesitate, basically, they're still running pretty well. So, it seems to me that the idea has merit.

The Video

The polish idea sounds interesting. The only metal polish I have would leave a white residue on the sleepers / ties, which won't look good. I also wonder if the wax would cause conductivity issues with T gauge. Then again, we thought that with the oil too. So I guess there's only one way to find out.
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Darren,
Stratford,
Australia.

rmyers · Joined: 19 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Evanston, IL USA

B 67 · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:45 pm Post subject:

Ah! That kind. Okay, I'll keep an eye open for them.

I cleaned the track on my layout yesterday, despite the fact that the trains were still running fine. "Victorian T gauge" was present and can confirm that the trains started running erratically, with one not wanting to go at all.

Again, I applied the RP7 oil to the rails, and both trains were running smoothly shortly after this. So there you have it. The oil works. I suspect it is doing the same kind of thing that the "Loco" liquid from Japan does.
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Darren,
Stratford,
Australia.

Toni Babelony · Joined: 21 Oct 2008 Posts: 46 Location: Bonn, Germany

tmanni · Joined: 17 Nov 2008 Posts: 9 Location: Germany

Hello Darren,

what a great -endless- video.

Must be a lot of work to made such a layout.

At present I am waiting for finishing my switches.
After receiving them, I will try to made a similar layout like yours.

tmanni

B 67 · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:55 pm Post subject:

Thanks tmanni.

I'd definitely like to build a larger T layout, but was limited by the amount of track I was supplied with. I shall await the release of flexible track before I begin my second T layout. Like many here, really hanging out for the release of the turnouts.
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Darren,
Stratford,
Australia.