"S" Track Cleaning

"S" Scale T rack Cleaning Cars
(updated 18 February 2006)

S scale modelers are fortunate to have a large variety of track cleaning cars available. Here's a list of suppliers with a few details & links (listed alphabetically):

Aztec Manufacturing	Aztec offers track cleaning cars in S standard gauge (housed in a S Helper Service PS-2 covered boxcar) and Sn3 (housed in a P-B-L boxcar. The mechanism uses a roller (either Cratex or canvas covered - buyer's choice) and magnets to keep your rails clean.
Centerline Products	Track cleaning cars available in S standard guage and Sn3. It uses a custom designed car with a "limited slip" roller type of mechanism.
Maintenance on Wheels	The Trackman 2000 uses a cleaning pad on a novel articulated mechanism designed to follow the curves. Available for S standard gauge.
MNP Inc	Uses a dual motorized track cleaning system with cleaning and polishing pads. Available for S standard guage.
S Helper Service	S Helper Service boxcars with the MNP Inc track cleaning system installed. Uses dual powered cleaning disks to keep your track clean. (As an added enhancement you can make your track cleaning car DCC controlled.)
S-'n-S Trains	Uses a powered cleaning disk. Available in a variety of rolling stock from different manufacturers in S standard gauge.

In addition to the items above, you may also see these track cleaning cars operating on a fellow S enthusiast's layout, or for sale on the secondary market:

American Flyer Track Cleaning Cars - Item #s 648, 948, and 24533
Port Lines Hobby Supplies - S gauge version of the track cleaning car made by North East Trains

Interested in building your own?

There have been a number of articles in the model railroad press about building your own track cleaning car. Among them are:

Ramsey, Stuart. "Track Cleaning Car", O Scale Trains, Issue #10, September/October 2003, page 44. Look in the Free Downloads section of their Website.

Classic Toy Trains, February 2003. Build an O gauge or a standard gauge track-cleaning car Peter Corrigan of Ballston Spa, N.Y. shows you how to attach a track-cleaning pad to an existing O gauge freight car. Egon DeZubay of Pittsburgh, Pa., shows you how to build a Standard gauge track-cleaning car with a free-floating cleaning pad. To purchase a back issue, see their Website.

Note to suppliers: If you wish to be listed here, please send information on the bridge related items that you market. If you have a web site, we will provide a link to your web site, otherwise, please also include contact information. We would appreciate it if you would make it easy for S scale modelers to find the S scale items on your web site.