Track Cleaning - The Easy Way With "Rust Erasers"

Just for a change of pace, we're going to show you a tip that will make track cleaning very easy.

A few years back, I discovered that Lee Valley Tools sold a 'Rust Eraser" used by gardeners to remove rust from their tools yet doesn't scratch or mar the metal surface.  It's softer and more pliable than a "Bright Boy" that we sometimes use for cleaning the tracks.  We don't have to have a track cleaning car, a bottle of rubbing alcohol or "Goo Gone".  We simply rub the rust eraser along the tracks as we walk around the layout with our train.   

I use the fine grit "Rust Eraser" which costs $5.50.  Each eraser measures 3 3/16"x 2"x 3/4" which I saw (hacksaw, razor saw, band saw) up into 3 pieces.

Actually "grit" is a misnomer.  Unlike sandpaper or a sanding sponge, when I run the rust eraser through my band saw to cut them into 3 pieces, there might be a couple of sparks at most.  And, when I look at the track after erasing, there are no nicks, scratches, or cuts on the rail.  For cleaning turnouts, I start at the frog and clean the rails back to the points.

Here's what the "Rust Eraser" looks like after I've sliced one into three pieces.  .