After moving to a new home and finally (after three years) starting a new garden railroad, my engines and rolling stock have been gathering dust in the basement. I have tried vacuming, dusting with a fine cosmetic brush, and even using some mild water and detergent in an attempt to clean my equipment. Nothing seems to work to my satisfaction. Are any other methods I can use to get really clean eqiupment?
Thanks,
Mavdock
try putting them in a bucket of soapy water and then scrubing them. but dont do this to your engins or rolling stock with electrical! 
What about trying that air-in-a-can that’s used for office equipment?
I would think that using a mild detergent in warm water with a lint-free cloth would work well. Don’t totally immerse your rolling stock in water. As a previous replyer points out your electrical components could suffer. After soaping up, a good RINSE with clean water is necessary to remove both the dirt and detergent. I think the rinse is critical in getting that like new look. It’s probably a good idea to lubricate all moving parts after drying.
I just spray mine with a bottle of plain water, then use a paper towel. Anything left over is just considered weathering. The only reason I even clean my rolling stock is due to the finger prints in the dust due to occasional handling.
Del TapparoD&L Garden Railroad
How about trying DOw or opther bath spray to get inside the vrevices and a soft bru***o move the dirt. THen, I owuld follow with a hair dryer on cold to blow htem dry and to blow out dirt. Also, alcohol and or vinegar work well. I j=use vinegar on my grand piano and it gets the crud off the bottom of the boat from the hard water.
Just a housewicfe’s view…
Mostly depends on what medium your equipment is built of and what finishes they have on them. Real wood can take so much. Metal that is painted, watch that what you use does not harm the finish. Depends mostly on what they are made of and how clean you want the finished product. If you want it clean enough to paint or just clean.
Hey All,
Another tried and true product is GOO GONE. Works really well at cleaning anything gummy or oily. Hope you get em’ all clean. Later eh…Brian.
Brian
I also use goo gone,it’s good for cleaning tracks ,before i run my trains, it does a good job of cleaning the oily wheels on the cars and engines i use q-tips soaked in goo gone to clean the wheels [:D] [:D] BEN --PA.
After moving to a new home and finally (after three years) starting a new garden railroad, my engines and rolling stock have been gathering dust in the basement. I have tried vacuming, dusting with a fine cosmetic brush, and even using some mild water and detergent in an attempt to clean my equipment. Nothing seems to work to my satisfaction. Are any other methods I can use to get really clean eqiupment?
Thanks,
Mavdock
try putting them in a bucket of soapy water and then scrubing them. but dont do this to your engins or rolling stock with electrical!
What about trying that air-in-a-can that’s used for office equipment?
I would think that using a mild detergent in warm water with a lint-free cloth would work well. Don’t totally immerse your rolling stock in water. As a previous replyer points out your electrical components could suffer. After soaping up, a good RINSE with clean water is necessary to remove both the dirt and detergent. I think the rinse is critical in getting that like new look. It’s probably a good idea to lubricate all moving parts after drying.
I just spray mine with a bottle of plain water, then use a paper towel. Anything left over is just considered weathering. The only reason I even clean my rolling stock is due to the finger prints in the dust due to occasional handling.
Del TapparoD&L Garden Railroad
How about trying DOw or opther bath spray to get inside the vrevices and a soft bru***o move the dirt. THen, I owuld follow with a hair dryer on cold to blow htem dry and to blow out dirt. Also, alcohol and or vinegar work well. I j=use vinegar on my grand piano and it gets the crud off the bottom of the boat from the hard water.
Just a housewicfe’s view…
Mostly depends on what medium your equipment is built of and what finishes they have on them. Real wood can take so much. Metal that is painted, watch that what you use does not harm the finish. Depends mostly on what they are made of and how clean you want the finished product. If you want it clean enough to paint or just clean.
Hey All,
Another tried and true product is GOO GONE. Works really well at cleaning anything gummy or oily. Hope you get em’ all clean. Later eh…Brian.
Brian
I also use goo gone,it’s good for cleaning tracks ,before i run my trains, it does a good job of cleaning the oily wheels on the cars and engines i use q-tips soaked in goo gone to clean the wheels [:D] [:D] BEN --PA.