Recommendations on wheel cleaning apperat

[mac1960]

Any recommendations for mechanical wheel cleaners for locomotives and stock.

Cheers 

Mac

[Caley Jim]

For loco driving wheels I have a Minitrix wheel cleaner.  You sit it on the track with the two brass strips on the base in contact with the running rail, apply power, then hold the loco stationary on the two strips of brass wire 'brushes' on the top.  Power passes from the strips to the brushes and drives the loco wheels.   There's one listed on the Bay of fleas, but it's marked as out of stock at the moment.

 

For carrying and tender wheels I use a brass wire wheel in a minidrill, applied to the rim of the wheel which makes it rotate and cleans it in the process.

 

Jim

[Nick Mitchell]

I use one of these for locos: https://www.plazajapan.com/4957265125220/

No idea about current shipping costs from Japan.

 

You can buy the identical item in the UK with a Gaugemaster sticker on it for 4 times the price: https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/gaugemaster-gm47.html

 

Gaugemaster also do a version of the Minitrix brush @Caley Jim mentioned: https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/gaugemaster-gm59.html

 

I also use an unpowered version of the Japanese cleaner for stock: https://www.plazajapan.com/4957265125237/

I don't suppose it would be too difficult to make something similar to this.

 

Nick.

[Ian Lilley]

Cheapest  shipping £7.67 according to website(just purchased one)

 

Ian Lilley

[mac1960]

Nick

I am in Japan in a month so will follow up on your recommendation.

 

Cheers

[2mmMark]

I have a couple of these Japanese wheel cleaners I use for my narrow gauge locos. One has failed because the conductive foam that the wheels press on to has ceased to conduct.  There's no obvious break in the material but tests with a meter show a lack of continuity.  The second one still works as designed.

 

However I think the Minitrix style cleaners work better.  I've modified one to have a terminal block on the end to which wires from a power supply can be directly wired. This makes it easier to use.

I also have a Kadee wheel cleaning brush which has a small enough seperation between the brass bristles to work down to Z scale.
https://www.dckits-devideos.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1259
 

That also works well.
 

[dpgibbons]

Some believe that abrasive cleaning of metal wheels leads to scratches, micro-arcing and accelerated formation of gunk.