2e0dtoeric Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 As my photo still has not appeared, I assume the gremlin has eaten it!If it works this time, this is the bottom view of my hardboard track-polisher, and if you look, you can see the parallel stripes of muck.The board is free-floating on the two countersunk screws, which pass through the old triang carriage floor, and have a couple of chunky washers and nuts on t'other end to give it a bit of mass. (The two screws merely stop the board from rotating).One day I might replace those horrible plastic wheels, but as they are of the style where the axle end protrudes though the bogey side, I'd need to find some way of sticking those little brass cones into the hole first! /media/tinymce_upload/ab32662abb6e16615d308ba3fd415ae7.JPG If the missing pic turns up now, would someone kindly remove one - thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo1707820979 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Nice one, 2e0. A distinct visual improvement over my "home made" hardboard track-cleaning wagon posted a few months ago (though mine has a very easy and quick 3 second option to swap boards). Thanks for the photo. 😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Mine does, too - two bits of board, stuck shiny faces together by a couple of dots of silicon glue. Ease an edge in between and one 'pings' off the other. It takes longer to cut a scrap of wood up to fit, on my modeller's jigsaw! 😛Now - if you put this contraption together with my self-powered radio-controlled T66 diesel, I can clean the track without having to power up and wonder if a loco will make it round the first couple of times without stalling on muck! (Cat's bootprints, spare fur, yesterday's midnight snack, etc!)It will also find a home on my garden railway, if I ever build it - no concerns about leaking volts after a rain-shower or real leaves on the line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman Prat Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Quote: Track cleaning is a minefield If it's any help, I've done several minsweeping courses 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Were there lots of mines in letterboxes PP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman Prat Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Mines were about the only menace on the other side of the door that I never encountered. I always said it would have been a good job if it hadn't been for all the letters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 The term 'mine' seems to cover a rather broad range of weapons. Some of us may think of the large globular metal things that have spiky horns, nowadays sometimes hollow and seen painted red on a sea front plinth with a slot for donations to a Merchant Seaman's charity. These were 'sown' in the sea from ships and aircraft as a hazard to shipping, some were activated by contact, others by magnetic influence or sound waves, which exploded to damage and sink shipping. However there are also the nasty anti personnel devices buried under the soil intended to blow the legs of any unfortunate person who stepped on it. During the Blitz the Nazis also dropped 'mines'. from aircraft on to London and other towns. Some were fitted with parachutes and delayed action fuses to prove as difficult and dangerous as possible. I do not know the proper military definition of a 'mine' but it appears to be any explosive device concealed to cause as much damage and difficulty as possible. Does anyone actually know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 It's an object on the ground or in the water that detonates on contact e.g. Stepped on, hit with something, unlike a bomb that detonates above the ground on when hitting the ground or with a timer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDR Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Yes WTD, thanks, that makes sense. Weren't there military personnel once called 'Sappers and Miners' some time back? Does this relate to the more common defiition of a 'Miner', someone who digs holes underground? It is quite a confusing topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 They use miners in WW1 to dig under the enemy to plant explosives. Trouble is the enemy did the same. Sometimes they could hear each other passing by. Officially a sapper is a soldier who lays, detects or disarms mines but became the common name for a Royal Engineer. Going back to mines dropped from aircraft, they were usually attached to a parachute otherwise they were likely to detonate when hitting the ground, then it would be a bomb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2e0dtoeric Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Back to Postie - why are all domestic letterboxes made by guillotine manufacturers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Postman Prat Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 The things people do to avoid getting 'junk' mail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernwill Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Yes WTD, thanks, that makes sense. Weren't there military personnel once called 'Sappers and Miners' some time back? Does this relate to the more common defiition of a 'Miner', someone who digs holes underground? It is quite a confusing topic.The original Sappers and miners were the ones who dug tunnels underneath Fortress Walls and laid explosives so they would collape enabling the troops to fight their way through the gaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Yes they've been planting explosives under buildings and people for many years. 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I find that a Hornby Class 08 pulls the Sharge track cleaner without any problems. I have the later/newer version - which I have painted dark green - the original colour was a sort of dayglo green. Works very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 ... the only menace on the other side of the door that I never encountered ... A long time ago when I was bewtween the ages of 13 and 16, I had a paper round. One particular letterbox was down near the bottom of the door and every morning when I tried to push the paper through, a dog would grab it from the other side and pull it quickly through. Eventually, I got fed up with this, so I decided to hang onto the paper. I could hear it being destroyed on the other side of the door, until I eventually let go and went on my way. It never happened again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrSmithHimself Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 I just used mentholated spirit to clean some Dublo rails. I swear it's started to bring the paintwork off where there was a small scratch.Any thoughts / recommendations for alternative cleaners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VESPA Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 I have never tried IPA India Pale Ale 😆 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulleidboy Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 Isopropanol (IPA) - Available through Amazon and ebay - a couple of 500ml bottles will last you a lifetime. Make sure you get the genuine stuff - usually 99% proof (?). Applied using a lint-free cloth or track cleaning wagon (CMX or Sharge - Sharge is cheaper). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VESPA Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 Yep, I know and put my post in before reading them all and India Pale Ale was previously mentioned. Never had much trouble with NS track and metal wheels but plastic wheels seem to attract muck and deposit it for some reason. I fitted 3 Triang Trestrols with metal wheels a few years back to make sure that that problem was kept at bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted December 22, 2019 Share Posted December 22, 2019 Wouldn't surprise me if there's some iso-propyl alcohol in that Witch's brew anyway!! Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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