Several threads have been submitted on cleaning wheels but They all are predicated on applying power to the unit to be cleaned. I, personally don’t want to remove a shell or boiler to do this.
Is there a practical way to clean the wheels of a fully assembled locomotive?
BB
Yes there is. I figured it out the other day, and it’s pretty simple. All you have to do is put some cleaner on half of a paper towel, lay the towel over your tracks, and run one set of drivers on it at a time. Just hold the locomotive back and let it spin on the towel. I used carburetor cleaner, but that’s pretty agressive stuff, so you might choose something a little more mild like goo-gone. I worked really well for me, and I got the idea from Tony’s Trains.
Good Luck,
Greg
What’s a carburetor?
Yes, I remember using carb cleaner on SU’s. Mostly Triumphs and Austin Healy’s and a couple of Jags. I think it was Gunk Hydro seal. and I agree with you. It is much too agressive for my wheels. The stuff eats aluminum and I can’t imagine what it would do to plastic.
BB
Try WD 40 works like a charm and safe
I know WD40 works well but what about the lubricating factor. Won’t your engines slip while going up a grade?
I have a can of head cleaner for tape drives. Its slow to work but leaves no residue on the wheels.
Trainwreck’s method of the paper towel works great for locos as well as rolling stock. But, please, use 90% isopropyl alcohol not carb/ throttle body cleaner or WD40. You want to clean the wheels, not melt plastic or coat them with oily residue.
Bob K.
[#ditto] This method works great.
Also be careful about touching the carbody with alcohol on your hands, it can leave white fingerprints on some paints. Otherwise it is a great method and a lot less expensive than those wheel cleaning devices.
What we do is lay a paper towel over the tracks, and useing a spray bottle, wet the towel real good. Then you proceed as already stated. No alky wet fingers to worry about. That is a good point though.
Also you can try degreaser diluted with water instead Carb or wd-40.
phatpony said:
"Also be careful about touching the carbody with alcohol on your hands, it can leave white fingerprints on some paints. Otherwise it is a great method and a lot less expensive than those wheel cleaning devices.
[/quote]
What we do is lay a paper towel over the tracks, and useing a spray bottle, wet the towel real good. Then you proceed as already stated. No alky wet fingers to worry about. That is a good point though."
[/quote]
That’s what’s great about the forums, you get great insights. Never thought of a spray bottle. We use the paper towel over the end of the alcohol bottle and in the process get excess on fingers. Spray bottle sounds like a great idea.
Thanks.
A spray can with electrical contact cleaner works well.
Saturate a small piece of towel and as mentioned , lay it across the tracks.
Grab your loco and place the front trucks on the towel and crank it up to “11”. Hold onto loco tightly. Do the same for the other truck.
Some locos do this really easily but some you have to play around with to get electrcal contact.
Works great
The alcohol is probably your best bet, but if you were to choose the WD method, you can dry them up by putting starting fluid on the towel to dry it up. Carb cleaner won’t hurt anything as long as you don’t get it on the rails or plastic parts. The nickel-silver wheels take it just fine. Works great for cleaning paint off rails too.
Greg