The present concept is a rail wheel cleaning system which includes a base support plate, an adjusting assembly mounted on the base support plate, a sliding assembly configured to co-operatively engage with the adjusting assembly, and a shoe assembly mounted onto the sliding assembly and configured to be engage-able with the rail wheel at a preselected level for cleaning the rail wheel. Preferably the adjusting assembly includes an adjustment rod which is configured to operably move the sliding assembly in a transverse direction when the rod is moved in a longitudinal direction. Additionally preferably the adjusting assembly includes a wedge with an inclined wedge face, and the adjustment rod includes an inclined rod face configured to slide-ably engage with the wedge face, such that when the rod is urged in a tighter direction the sliding assembly is urged in an outward direction thereby increasing the impingement of the shoe assembly on the rail wheel.