I put smoke fluid in my PCM Big Boy. Fluid everywhere on the engine. How can one safely and effectively remove this [censored], ahem, “stuff”.
Is the fluid an oil or what?. Either way, there’s always a chance that it can be cleaned up. Just take your time and use Q-tips and soft tissues to carefully wipe it away. You might even try using a little watered down rubbing alcohol and/or liquid dishwashing soap and water being careful to stay off of any numbers or lettering.
Good luck.
Tracklayer
I think it’s an oil, because everytime I wipe it spreads.
It is an oil, perhaps something like castor oil. In any event, dab at it with tissue paper of the restroom type, or use paper towels. Q-tips will take a long time, but may work in tight spots…I would just use thin slivers of paper towel and use toothpicks to shove it gently into tight corners and under piping.
At some point, it would actually be better to remove the boiler and gently swab it with cotton balls dipped in warm sudsy water. Hold the boiler cab highest so that any dripping goes toward the pilot, away from the rest of the clean boiler. When you feel that it is clean enough, rinse it well with distilled water to avoid water spots upon drying. Then, as soon as you can, find a way to blow warm air across it to dry it. Gentle warm air, not blasting hot air.
Well… I’d take the body off and clean it in a cool mild soapy water using dishwater detergent, like Sunlight. use a very soft brush (1/2" Paint brush) to scrub it. Do not soak it!! rinse it with cool water and let air dry.
Fergie
Fergie is correct…That is the best way.
And no smoke oils on HO plastic. Lionel O gauge is one thing, HO is just not worth the trouble.
Thanks, I did remove the boiler and clean it with the water. Most of the oil settle on the walkway. Now it is cleaned, I just need to weather it, too bad I am too scared to pick up a brush.[B)]
…but you are not afraid to put smoke fluid in an HO locomotive?
David B
Just curious? Does this loco even have a smoke unit in it? If so…why did it leak all over??[%-)]
PCM Big Boy comes factory equipped with a smoke generator.
I totally stripped & cleaned a mates’ PCM Big Boy after a smoke oil episode, it just gets everywhere !
I’m talking total bare bones strip down here, then soak and scrub with a tootbrush in methylated spirits to clean it ! It had soo much oil in it the smoke unit fan motor was gummed up and had to be replaced.
I think it says in the PCM handbook to add a couple of drops of oil only. I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH ! Make sure to use a syringe like the one supplied with Seuth smoke oil and be really careful to put it in the middle of one of the stacks, not to the side. Make sure if you must use the smoke that you burn all the oil in the unit at the time and don’t leave it sitting with oil in it, I don’t know how but it seems to be able to seep out of the unit.
It might be best to just remove the smoke unit to avoid temptation (not to mention the extra current draw, if there isn’t an off switch).
As Falls valley said, toy trains and large scale are one thing, but electrical pickup in HO is just too troublesome to mess around with smoke fluid. And even if it is plastic compatible, it may not be compatible with various paints and decals.
Regular use of smoke fluid will also leave a lot of extra tar-like residue on your track – it’s best to not use the stuff if you can avoid it – unless you like cleaning track (and everything else too, it seems) … [swg]
Way back when… I was oh 10 or 11 I recieved a Bachmann Mikado for Christmas… It had a Smoke Generator and said in the instructions that if you didn’t use smoke fluid the heat would distort the stack… I dunno if this was true or not, but I can attest to the fact that the stuff goo’s up everything… track, all the workings on the loco, and anything else it touches…
I have an old lionel loco a 1688 I think- shaped like a J class but is a 2-4-2 I use the smoke fluid in lieu of the pellets and it does fine, but its a gunmetal grey, stamped steel body.