5 replies to this topic

[fast96]

I'm new here so this might have been covered. Tried the search with no luck. I'm restoring my collection of 1960's era Revell slot cars and track. Track is heavily oxidized. So far my best result has been with Bug&tar remover and a scotchbrite pad (and way too much elbow grease!) Whew! it's a lot of track!!! Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks so much.

[Gary Bluestone]

Sounds like you have the right idea, DO NOT USE steel wool or sandpaper or you will remove the zinc coating and it will rust immediately. Unfortunately it may already be too late, so you may want to consider getting some on the new track like Carrerra, or Ninco. They usually have a deeper slot and are wider, and many radius are available, as is the vintage Monogram which is what I was using. Today you could even find some better Revell on Epay but I'd rather upgrade . I have also used grey ink eraser to clean corrosion but yours sounds too far gone. Remember that you must clean each connection point to get continuity so if your time has any value, weigh that against the cost of replacement track. Gb

[fast96]

Well, that explains why I had some rust spots within a few hours; I experimented with more abrasive stuff on a few pieces. I guess there's no way to speed up the process

[fast96]

Well, that explains why I had some rust spots within a few hours; I experimented with more abrasive stuff on a few pieces. I guess there's no way to speed up the process

[Jeff Buyer]

If you are building a permanent layout with the Revell track, you might consider covering the metal rails with Venture copper tape. A lot of the 32 scale enthusiasts do this to achieve better conductivity and a smoother ride.

[Prof. Fate]

Hi

I have had mine continously since new in the 60s. I don't know the solution other than work. Once clean, it does work when putting it together to put a drop of oil that also conducts, like "braid juice", on each metal tab. It is also helpful to get oil from the model rail shops from Lebel that doesn't attack plastic on each track tab. Makes it easier to put together, take apart. AND, solves the problems that people address with the copper tape.

Revell rail is "flush". Old Scaley and strombecker had slightly raised rails, and most modern routed tracks have a slight recess. When setting up your cars, understanding who it was built for and checking this seemingly minor details will greatly improve how it works for you.

Another good idea is to not use either the original controllers OR power supply. The controls varied over the years and mostly managed to be bad controllers that didn't quite work for any car even Revell. A simple solution is to use the power base, but "harvest" the plugs such that the wires run out to a panel where you can set up a normal 3 pole connection like a commercial track. This allowes the use of good controllers.

Similarly, if you don't want to wire the track, just use the power pack cord to a decent power supply. If you need suggestions, ask.

If the layout is longer than 20 feet, it is worth the time to run parallel wires under the track from the power section to reduce over all resistance.

Fate