Comments on: Sanding Rails – Good or Bad Idea?

By: Steve Harris

Steve Harris — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 13:09:39 +0000

On most projects I use the solvent cleaner specifically designed for cleaning PVC windows.
It’s safe on most plastics and “death” to paints. Used sparingly on a cloth or tissue it should get the excess of including oily deposits. Great for cleaning paint brushes as well.

By: Juan C.

Juan C. — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 19:18:24 +0000

I don’t have enough years on this hobbie, but I use 1.500 and 2.000 grit paper with a piece of wood to hold it over both rails, when they are shiny, I just wipe both rails with alcohol on a piece of cloth, until it dosen’t came dirty, then I vacum all. (I can’t find rail erasers at home, Colombia)
Probably it is a mistake, but it look to me that it works well, any case the wheels of any loco, don’t have the shine the rails recently clean have.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:26:26 +0000

I’ve used 2 different methods to clear the rail tops after painting. While the paint is still wet, run a cloth over the tops to remove paint. Otherwise, I’ve used the Bright Boy from Walthers with good success. Although it is mildly abrasive, I haven’t found that it scores the rail the way sandpaper does.

By: Joe Graffi

Joe Graffi — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 17:13:02 +0000

2,000 grit “wet’n’dry” (black) sandpaper with 70% alcohol. Not only cleans the rail but polishes it. Then I go over whatever portion I have just “sanded” with a “blue gene” pad (could use a piece of course fabric attached to a kitchen sponge), dampen it with 70% alcohol and clean off the rails.
That being said; I cut long strips of blue painter’s tape a little less than 1/16″ wide and mask the top of the rails before I spray. When it’s dry, just pull the tape. Wait 12 hours and wipe with the “blue jean pad” (described above) and you have nice, clean rails with weathered sides..

By: Frank B

Frank B — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:28:31 +0000

Track rubbers leave particles of grit and rubber on the track. Any kind of sandpaper will leave grit.
This is bad for contact and bad for loco gears and motors.

I suggest the best thing, immediately after painting, is to gently wipe the paint off the top of the rails with a tissue slightly dampened with the appropriate paint solvent.

Any paint remaining when dry, scrape off (as suggested above), with an old credit card or piece of wood or anything that does not scratch the rails.

By: Kim Fokken

Kim Fokken — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 08:00:35 +0000

I have been using track eraser which is a very fine grit flat bar which is design for cleaning rails and is it purchased at train hobby retailers.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 05:30:01 +0000

I have watched many videos on rail painting and track cleaning. Of course, there are many opinions, but most say using sandpaper of any kind is bad. They say the scratches left on the rail collect dirt quicker and it gets on the wheels of your locomotives which causes poor electrical connection. I have used lacquer, acrylic, and latex paints on my rails and found none of them stick very well (they might if you used a primer, but I have never seen anyone do that). As recommended by several modelers on YouTube, I use nothing more than a small block of hardwood to burnish the top of the rails. With lacquer, you may want to do it just before it completely dries, but acrylic and latex will come off after drying. As mentioned by others, the old credit card and pink eraser would probably work just as well.

By: Rudolph William Blaw

Rudolph William Blaw — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 05:26:49 +0000

After painting my rails, I used a razor blade to remove the paint from the top of the rail. If you have to, use 440 grid paper or finer (the stuff I used for polishing glass optical fiber when I worked in the fiber optic industry would possibly be harmless and work, but I wouldn’t know where to get that). Generally speaking, avoid any sanding paper if you can. I used a pink eraser to remove spots.

By: Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 03:19:42 +0000

One of the best thing to use is the “OLD SCHOOL” Pink rubber eraser. It will rub most things off, just remember to vacuum up the little shreds of eraser.

By: Sundaram

Sundaram — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 03:05:57 +0000

Use of Abrasive rubber seems a good option as well. I have used it to good effect over the years. These are sold in many Railroad hobby stores.

By: Jim Johnston

Jim Johnston — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 03:04:11 +0000

I generally apply a darkened acrylic wash when I am “weathering” track on my layout. Naturally some of the wash goes where I did not intend it to go and I just let it get a point of near complete dryness and give the rail heads a quick pass over with the edge of an old, no longer used credit card. The easily removes any of the offending paint. A light vacuuming and the system is all good to go.

By: Hervey

Hervey — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 02:47:55 +0000

If you have a good quality filtered respirator mask and nitrile gloves a cloth with some lacquer thinner on it will remove just about any paint. All you need is a little elbow grease. This stuff is really not user friendly so don’t try it without the proper protective equipment.
The problem with abrasives even the very fine ones is they will scratch your rails and will result in dirt traps that will cause you nothing but headaches going forward.