Track cleaning is essential. I have tried an eraser, the Bright Boy, Aztec track cleaner car, and lately lap pads. The eraser works, but it leaves a lot of material behind on the layout and it tends to spread the muck on the track to another location on the track. The Bright Boy is also good, but it scratches the tops of the rails.

I have used the Aztec cleaner car (see photo below) with liquid, and I am now convinced that cleaning track with a liquid is bad. This tends to be a contentious issue in the model railroading community, but my personal experience has shown that moist track attracks dirt like a magnet. I will continue to use the Aztec cleaner car, but only as a way to wipe up dust from the track - without liquid. It has a magnet underneath the car to pick up errant metal pieces (this feature is very effective, especially during a first-run after laying track).



For removing paint and glue from the rail heads, the eraser or Bright Boy is good. However, for regular cleaning, I will only use "Babycare" lap pads. A fellow model railroader highly recommended this method to us. Since I don't have children, I never had the "pleasure" of needing this material. It is a dense 100% cotton pad that is used under the baby when he/she is changed. Because it is a dense pad, it doesn't tear apart or get snagged by rail joints. I usually cut about a 1"x2" rectangular piece (about the size of an eraser) and rub it along the track, using the eraser on top of the lap pad. The eraser helps hold the pad in place and also keeps it horizontal as it moves over the two rails. You will notice a difference on how the pad interacts with the rail. If the pad doesn't move freely, it is a clear indicator that there is a layer of muck on the track.

In the January 2003 edition of Model Railroader magazine someone mentioned the idea of using metal polish to keep the rails from oxidizing so quickly. This is a problem for DCC since constant communication with the decoder is essential for locomotive operation. I have not tried this on a working layout.