Track not working after spraying rails

[Hepworthnot]

Hi,

DC track was working fine.

Then gave it all a coat of Railmatch sleeper spray.

Now both loops are dead.

Using a Gaugemaster transformer. 

What have I done wrong?

Thanks for your help.

Phil

[Fazy]

You need to clean the tops of the rails and points will  also need special attention 

[Bulleidboy]

fazy has explained your problem - especially the points. When spraying track or even laying ballast, points need extra special attention. Put tape over the point blades or even between them, especially where the blade makes contact with the stock rails. You can alway paint/touch-up the points with a fine paint brush, after you've sprayed the rest of the track.

[Chrissaf]

Paint is an electrical insulator, you have to be very careful where you put it on track and rails.

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TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

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[96RAF]

You answered your own question.

[Hepworthnot]

Thank you all, very helpful and thanks Chrissaf for your tip.

Any suggestions on what to clean the rails and points with?

Thanks

[Bulleidboy]

A Hornby Track-rubber (there are others) will deal with the top surface. Between the point blade - where it makes contact with the stock rail, you could try whatever thinners you have for your paint - neat on a cotton bud or you could use the finest wet and dry sandpaper (used on car bodies) you can find - in dry form - do not use sandpaper, it's to course, and it will only require gentle rubbing back and forth to remove the paint - all done carefully.

[Chrissaf]

Erm ... paint remover maybe.

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Particularly on the sides of the moving rails on the points where they contact the fixed rails. This is a key critical electrical contact area that must be kept spotlessly clean and shiny. Being on the sides and the gaps not being very big, you are going to struggle to remove any paint that has accumulated in those locations. You might get away with a paint solvent (matched to the paint type you have used) soaked onto a 'cotton bud'.

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Once you have removed the bulk of the paint chemically from the tops of the rails and also preferably the upper half of the inside rails**. Then you might be able to recover the situation with a commercial model railway track rubber.

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Note** the flanges of loco wheels also provide an electrical pickup contact area on the inside side edge of the rail tops.

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Whatever you do, do not resort to aggressive abrasives such as sandpaper, emery cloth, wire wool, coarse wet-n-dry etc to remove the excess paint.

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You may have to accept that you may never get back to flawless running again, if you have been over-board with your painting. Particularly if using 'rattle can' spray paint which is a lot thicker than using an 'air brush' method.

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EDIT: BB posted whilst I was typing my reply.