If you have a permanent diorama setup for your trains, maintenance is important. Similar to your real life car, which needs to be cleaned, your diorama N Gauge train tracks do as well because it’s a hub of collecting dust.
You can do it via 70% isopropyl alcohol and using a Q-tip or lint-free cloth to wipe things down. Some use a can of compressed air (which I don’t use as I don’t need ballast or miniature people flying everywhere) and there is also the option of using a cleaning car.
So, how do you know it’s time to clean your tracks, simply your trains are going to not run or it will run sluggishly slow. So, maintenance is very important.
So, I’m going to introduce the TOMIX N Gauge Multi-Rail Cleaning Car Skeleton 6426 Model. There are two other models, one in blue/yellow and another in red which comes with an ED612 train.
Before I review it, I want people to know that the cleaning car DOES NOT run on its own, you will need a train to pull it. So, if you have a train that pulls freight, then you are good. You can use TOMIX or KATO, but it must be a freight train because of the couplers on the cleaning car.
Disclaimer: If you plan to use any of the things on the article, these are things what I do and works for me. If you plan to use this on your tracks or Isopropyl Alcohol on your tracks, do so at your own accord. Always do your own due dilligence and research on cleaning railroad tracks. I am not responsible if you have any problems!
The first thing you will notice is that the train comes with several parts.
Aside from the rail cleaning car, you will find the following inside:
- Brush (which has double side tape)
- Sponge
- Suction Fan Disc (which is pre-installed and what I use the most)
- Wet Cleaning Disc (Cloth Type) in white (you get three)
- Dry Cleaning Disc (File Type) in gray/white (you get three)
- A disc change tool
- A cleaner nozzle
Remove the dry/west cleaning disc by insert the disc change tool into the gap and prying it up little by little. For the suction fan disc, insert the disc change tool into the hole and it will latch on and you can pull it out vertically (down to up).
Now the 5534 D.C. Feeder is for those who can’t run a train to tow the cleaning car because it’s so dirty. So, you can plug in a Tomix D.C. Feeder N (5534) cord into the top of the unit to power it via your power controller. But these cables are not easy to find and are often sold out, so just do a wipe around the tracks and then tow your train. The single wipe should be enough to make it tow and then let the cleaning car suck all that dirt up.
You have a puller to remove the suction portion and you can install the discs. Not difficult. But what are the differences?
- Suction Cleaning – This sucks all the dirt like a vacuum cleaner and it fills up the compartment with dust and the bottom can also collect dust. You have to remove all the dust and empty like a vacuum because it can get clogged quickly. Also check around the wheels as well to clear it off. This is good if there is dust or debris on the rails.
- Wet Cleaning (white disc) – If the rail surface is dirty, you will need to apply rail cleaner to the rail surface to remove the dirt. TOMIX does make it’s own rail cleaner sold separately but since you can’t import liquids from Amazon JP, you will need to use isopropyl alcohol.
- Dry Cleaning (black/gray disc) – If the rail surface is extremely dirty, the unit cleaning works as a file and scrapes off any stains or anything stuck to the rails.
But after a trip around your tracks, remove any dirt/dust and check the wheels to make sure nothing is caught.
You can purchase replacement black/white discs (you get ten of each/only top portion only) for Y440. But if you want the other brushes to be replaced and also the discs with its connection part to be replaced, you can purchase the Replacement Cleaning Discs for Y770 but Amazon JP requires a minimum order of three.
So how does it work?
Well, the first thing you want to do is connect it to a freight car that can tow it around your tracks.
Before I talk about the switch, there is a lid at the left of the switch which is a lid for the wet cleaning. Inside that lid is where you would pour a few drops of the TOMIX 6401 rail cleaner (there is a tank inside, so it can take more than a few drops) and that is where the dropper provided with the cleaning car comes to use. If you live overseas, you’re not going to get the cleaner mailed because it’s a liquid. So you may consider putting droplets of isopropyl alcohol. If you have eye drop container not being used and is thoroughly cleaned, that is one way of adding droplets. But just be careful when pouring into the tank. Close the lid when you are done.
So, you have a switch. Bottom one is off, middle is on and the top is CL-POWER mode (by using a constant lighting system compatible controller such as the 5506 TCS power unit NT001-CL, etc., the constant lighting circuit rotates the disc at high speed even at low speeds, resulting in a high cleaning effect. Dry cleaning cannot be used because the safety circuit kicks in.
On mode makes the motor rotate according to the output power.
I have to admit that the TOMIX N Gauge Multi-Rail Cleaning Car Skeleton 6426 Model does work effectively in catching dust and making your vehicle run normally. Some may feel that putting isopropyl on a paper towel or lint free towel is all you need and that will do the job. But again, I guess it’s the novelty of seeing this thing in action and it does work!
But if anything, just remember that just because you may not see the dust with your own eyes for your indoor diorama that your tracks are clean. You will see your trains run very slowly or not at all because of the dirt buildup, so cleaning your tracks is a very important part of maintenance.
Do I recommend the TOMIX N Gauge Multi-Rail Cleaning Car Skeleton 6426 Model? Definitely. But you can also clean your tracks by yourself? Definitely. For me, I look at this as secondary cleaner. After you clean your tracks with isopropyl alcohol, I like to run this and you’ll be amazed how much more dust it picks up.
Again, if you are planning to be an N Gauge collector and have your own diorama, maintenance is always important! Because this thing will collect a lot of dust, definitely clean it afterward. Also, the main container in the top middle can easily come out if your train derails, so you can put a little tape in there on the day of running and remove it when you are done.
And don’t be surprised of how loud this cleaning car is when it cleans. It’s all part of the process.
Overall, the TOMIX N Gauge Multi-Rail Cleaning Car Skeleton 6426 Model is highly recommended!
