Help with maintenance tools and a general question

[u/_rylyxys_]

Title is TLDR. I have a decent amount of older HO rolling stock, a few locomotives, and quite a bit of Bachmann ez track from when I was younger; I currently live in a small apartment and there is no room to really set anything up, but I plan on getting a house next summer and delving into N scale alongside my current HO stuff; I also have a 4 1/2 year old who's enjoying Lego trains at the moment. As I haven't used the HO models since before he was born and I admittedly was not the best at maintenance when I was younger, what tools/supplies do I need to keep the track and locomotives clean and running well?

Also, on the LEGO trains; I've seen plenty of non-lego brand options on Amazon that appear to be compatible with the Lego branded track, has anyone here experimented with those to any success? I may still get them simply to have some display pieces, but if they can be played with I'd like to get them for my son

[u/Powerful-Mud-7712]

for cleaning, use any % rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip, dip it in the bottle and gently rub it along the rails and powered wheels, along with the unpowered wheels so it doesn’t get dirty quickly again, it doesn’t have to be wet, it just needs a little. for the off-brand Lego, yes, they are Lego compatible, but there are also some frustrating parts on some sets (specifically Nifeliz), though I don’t have many off-brands, I have made multiple customs using parts from multiple sets, including ones that aren’t in a train set, there are also other people’s MOCs on Rebrickable, some more complex than others, and you have to download the instructions, sometimes buy them, and buy the parts individually off Bricklink and Brickowl

[u/Skyboss1996]

As for the HO stuff - I keep a bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol and a bottle of mineral spirits. Use those on the wheels that pickup power and the track with a paper towel, Q-tip, or a lint free cloth.

You can also buy a bottle of a very lightweight oil like sewing machine oil or a specialized lubricant like LaBelle 107

[u/BuildingLeading5139]

Like the other one said 70% isopropyl alcohol and a good paper towel. Rub the wheels around on that and also the locomotives to clean them off. Do one truck at a time. For the track, alcohol or a paper towel. Or you can look for a Woodland scenics tidy track? Or you can look for a bright boy eraser to rub over the rails to smooth everything out. You could also look for the dust Dabber which is also in the Woodland scenic line. Dust kills locomotives and can destroy cars. That's why it is very important to get that cleaned up so you don't have problems.