Tony has a question for Garden Railroad enthusiasts and asks:

“How do I maintain both my locomotive and diesel motors/engines? Do I have to lubricate them, oil them or grease them? Please be specific when explaining how to. Thank you.”

Please add your suggestions if you know the answer.

Model railroader John has posted this tip for others in the hobby:

“Hi this is John with a quick tip to try for those of you in the hobby who are wondering how to clean your track. I have tried many commercial track cleaning products in my years of model railroading. They all have there benefits and drawbacks. This is something I’ve been doing for a long time now and have found that it works great. Take a paper towel and wrap it around your finger then take a can of WD-40 and spray the tip of the towel and rub it across both sides of the track rails. If you have really dirty track it may take two applications. You will be surprised to see how much dirt you get off. After the application of WD-40 take a bit of rubbing alcohol and rinse the rails to remove any residual WD-40. Next,rub your finger over the rails and see how smooth and shiny they are. Try it and see how well it works.”

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Tim would like some help from anyone who has a garden railroad and asks:

“I have a garden railroad and I always have a terrible time keeping the track clean. Should I consider using another source for power or is there a better way to keep the track clean between uses.”

Comment below.

Paul sent in this helpful track cleaing tip:

Often the first indication of dirty track is a flickering locomotive headlight. My advice is to be careful when using any abrasive to clean your track. New track is generally nickel plated and you can often remove dirt without harsh abrasives. Once you remove the smooth coating with an abrasive, your track is exposed to oxidation and will need cleaning more frequently. The track will also be more likely to collect dirt. I use LaBelle #105 DCC Track Conditioner. Just clean your track with this product, and leave a micro-coating on the rails to dramatically improve your DCC reliability.

Edward has a comment, or is it a question? I think he is hoping someone will be able to provide some helpful advice based on their experiences. If you can help him please do. Edward says -

"I have several G scale engines that need drive axle gears that stripped from the worn gear. Iave spent weeks looking for a salution. I can't see why they make them from plastic. If I just can't find them, I guess I will just have to make them. I will need to spend lots of time with very few tools but I will have to do it. I personally find Lionel and Backman are the worst."

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Neil asks readers:

“I am resurrecting my fathers engines for my grandson. Is there a good cleaning solvent for the motors once they have been taken apart? I was going to use CRC 5-56 but not sure if suitable. Thanks”

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Here is a problem that affects many in the hobby. Geoffrey asks readers for advice:

“My locos have a habit of stopping dead I don’t know why. I clean the track regularly, but cleaning the wheels on the locos is impossible because they wont turn. Dismantling is not on unless I know what to look out for. So I need some advise please.”

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John has a question for readers about cleaning trains:

“I have two brand new train sets.The 784 B and A freight set, all original, including boxes. Excellent condition. The other is the 1872 General set. Both sets have never been run, but are shelf displayed in my living room. After all these years displayed, they have accumulated dust on them. I would like to clean them, but don’t know how or what to use so as not to scratch the surface. Has anyone ever cleaned theirs with no problems? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank You.”

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Mike asks a question that is fully answered in the Model Train Help ebook:

“How do you clean the track and how do you keep it clean?”

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John has a question on cleaning locomotive wheels and asks:

“Could a reader please tell me, what is the best way to clean loco wheels, both diesel, and steam? Also Peco advise that you use their power lube pl-64 on the track after cleaning. Would this not attract dirt and grime to the track?”

Comment below.

Bill has three questions for readers:

Are there any N gauge steam engines available?

Also - I've been looking for an old mine building - buildings suitable for an old NW track layout. I haven't had much luck with Ebay. Does anyone know where I can get engines repaired? I have an engine I bought on EBay, that may work if I could get someone to take a look at it?

Also, what are the pros and cons of soldering tracks together to prevent cars coming off the track at the point where tracks meet?

Danny has a question on HO locomotive repairs and asks readers:

"I have a late 50,s or early 60,s ho steam engine that has a gear on the one wheel. The gear is broken on the wheel. It is pressed on. Is there any why to fix it?"

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Michael wants help from those reading this model train blog and asks:

“Can someone help me and explain the proper way to oil and lube an HO diesel engine?”

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Jim has a question regarding track cleaning and would like to hear what others think:

“I have the Lionel Fastrack. What’s the best ‘thing’ to use to clean the track; center rail and outside rails? The engines have a rubber band on the drivers for tracksion and the outer rails do get dirty too.”

Add your comments below.