Can I clean locomotive wheels without using chemicals?

Periodically, it is good practice to clean the wheels of locomotives as they can pick up dirt, grease and other contaminants over time. These contaminants, if left unchecked can hinder the electrical connectivity between the track and the locomotive. There are a number of approaches to this problem and any solution selected should not only address the cleaning of the wheels of the locomotive but also be taken in combination with cleaning the track in order to ensure optimal connectivity. Some modellers will choose to use cleaning fluids applied directly to the wheels. Whilst highly effective this inevitably means a wheel-by-wheel approach to the problem which can be time-consuming, especially when a large number of locomotives may need to be cleaned. Additionally, not all modellers will wish to use cleaning fluids which can be expensive and result in unwanted spillages.

One potential alternative to cleaning fluids is to use a vehicle cleaner, this is a device that will quickly and effectively clean all the wheels of a locomotive simultaneously without the need for chemicals. The Roto Cleaner by Woodland Scenics is just such a device. It uses a portable section of track mounted on a cleaning base. Using a pair of pads the Roto Cleaner can offer either a deep clean to remove accumulated grime or a more simple general cleanup. The cleaner can be powered by a pair of crocodile clips or simply placed directly onto the layout track. Once powered the locomotive will be held in place against a fixed buffer whilst its wheels spin and are cleaned by the gentle friction of the cleaning pads. The cleaner can also be used to clean rolling stock by manually rolling the item along the cleaner's rails. The Roto Cleaner is available in either OO/HO or N gauges.