| TRACKMAN 2000 by M.O.W. Products |
| Although The Weathering Doctor's basement empire is not huge by any standard, my normal track maintenance work still takes time. Also, no one has ever confused the act of dragging a brite boy down some hard-to-reach siding with a fun activity. So...it seemed like an opportune time to try out a track cleaning car for my Kanawha Creek Ry. I picked up the HO version of Maintenance On Wheels' TRACKMAN 2000 and, coupled up to one of my hard working first generation diesel switchers, I put it through its paces. |
 |
| Painted a nice M.O.W. yellow, the first thing you notice about the car is that it's a solid, well built little thing. Kadee sprung equalized trucks and talgo mounted couplers are quality touches and the fasteners and machining are top shelf. How's it work? Well, first of all, it's made to be used without a liquid cleaning agent. That's a departure from some other track cleaning cars on the market, but this one seems to do the job. The twin abrasive strips do their work solely through friction contact with the rails. You'll need a little tractive effort to pull the car up grade--a couple of my old steamers emptied their sandboxes trying to get the job done! The unit can be pulled or pushed, although with its heft and design, it seems to work better being pulled around. It's very easy to use, which is a good thing, since I didn't receive anything in the way of tips or a user's guide when I got my car. I should also mention that the pressure of the pads is adjustable by rotating the nylon washer on top--a nice feature. I found no problems clearing magnetic uncoupling ramps, going through turnouts or over built up grade crossings. The twin strips pick up dirt very quickly. It appears that you can rub off some of the accumulation with your finger tips and have a fresh contact surface ready to go. The company will also sell you replacement abrasive pads if needed (probably by 2007 if I had to guess). I would suggest several slow passes around the layout to pick accumulated dirt and you're ready for your next open house. As a matter of fact, you can incorporate using the car as a track maintenance component to your operating sessions--it's actually fun to operate! I really like the TRACKMAN 2000! MOW sells a version for any popular scale and their prices are moderate compared to the competition. Check them out at www.trackman2000.com. |
 |
 |