My son brought home a bunch of trains from Grandma’s attic this Christmas. What is the safest way to clean them? They are not in bad shape, mostly dirt and grime.
the track I would use scotch brite pads the ones without soap. the cars I would start with a mild liquid detergent and carefully wipe the cars you need to be careful as some care are actually painted not molded. don’t use anything abrasive.
Anything painted red leave it alone. Anything with white lettering, do not wash the lettering. Most other things I use the mild dish soap and a worn tooth brush but do not scrub the lettering.
Roger
As has already been posted the washability of Lionel trains varies greatly.
In addition to the comments above:
1 - don’t scrub anything. I use a old, well worn, soft chip brush to clean trains.
2 - be careful with the soap you select - I find that hand dishwashing soap is generally best
3 - don’t rub anything to dry - I shake excess water off, and hand in front of a fan. Sometimes I will blot excess water
Sometimes these techniques will not remove all the dirt. But which is better, a little dirt, or lettering / paint/ decorations spoiled?