Garden Railway Forum

Hi
A friend has got a lot of second-hand Peco SM32 streamline track which we want to reuse on a new railway. The track has been previously used outdoors though it was not ballasted and it was lifted and then stored for a couple of years. It is in good condition but the sleeper modules are very stiff on the rail. We want to remove the rails from the sleepers so we can bend them to suit the new layout. Any suggestions as to the best way of loosening them without damage? WD40 perhaps?
Thanks
Kubes

I have been using Silicone spray to make my flex track rails slide when making them up and it works quite well and a lot less mess to clean up than WD40.
It does make it hard to pick things up if you get it on the fingers so I use disposable rubber gloves, the thin type from the supermarket.
I would be tempted to wash them in soapy water before trying to separate the rails from the sleepers to get rid of as much grit that may be caught in the fishplates.

Hi.
Use an old toothbrush or a nail brush to clean the crud from the rail chairs. That should free up the stiffness. I have used secondhand peco track on my railway without issue.

Chris

Thanks for the advice. We'll try the toothbrush first and see how we get on!
Kubes