While I was building my Flyer collection during the 1980's I did not have an operating layout, but I bought rubber roadbed whenever I could find it to use on my layout someday. I also bought quite a few remote control switches which frequently came with a lot of track, mostly quite dirty.
My solution to cleaning the roadbed was very simple - actually it was suggested by a fellow Flyer enthusiast but I forget which one. To clean ordinary dirt and oil (not layout paint) from the roadbed I put it in the washing machine (NOT the dishwasher). I put two or three dozen pieces of road bed in the washer, added a cup of laundry detergent, set the machine for small load (low water volume) and the gentle cycle (to minimize agitation). I even let the washer go through the spin and rinse cycles and never experienced any unbalanced loads or any torn or broken pieces roadbed. After the washer was finished, I would take out the roadbed pieces and place them on towels to let any remaining water drain off. I used this process more than 10 years ago on several hundred pieces of Gilbert Flyer roadbed without any problems, although my wife was a bit sceptical at first. The only problem I've experienced with brittle roadbed was a few pieces that had been cut to fit short sections by someone. Jim Knight TCA, NASG S-Trains list sponsor: http://www.americanflyertrains.com All the Flyer you desire...books and accessories too! To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list send a note to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
