I have three spare Walthers HO scale Superliners in Phase IV livery. I thought it might be neat to strip them of this livery in the (forlorn?) hope that one day someone might make Phase IVb decals. Is there anyway of removing the paint/decals from these? I wouldn’t mind an outline as many of the real-life Phase IVb cars have outlines in silver of where the decals used to be. I can always paint over them in silver but was wondering if there was a solvent or method that would strip the striping and “Amtrak” right off.
I’ve had good luck with Castrol Super Clean. Just submerge the carbody, and wait. It takes awhile, but quite a bit of the paint will come off. Scrub the shell with and old toothbrush, then rinse it off. Whatever you do, don’t get this stuff on your skin–use a pair of tongs when handling the shell.
When looking for “CSC” make sure you get the degreaser…and not the concrete cleaner!
emdgp92–Dumb question: Do you take off the shell from the body or do you just dunk the whole thing? Finally, if you are removing the shell, does it separate rather easily?
I’ve had good luck with Pine-Sol.
I usually take the cars apart. That way, you get the paint out of the joints. Getting the newer Walthers cars apart can be a pain. Gently pu***he tabs in, and the side or end should release from the roof. Do the same thing with the floor.
One thing I like about “CSC,” is that you can reuse it many times.
I use poly -s decal and paint remover…apply it liberally and let it sit until the paint and decals start to crinkle…then scrub it off with a stiff nylon brush (you may have to apply two coats in stubborn hjard to remove places) after it’s stripped wash it in warm soapy water.