Who posted cleaning car wheels with paper towel and goof off.GREAT!!!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I looked 25 pages back and couldn’t find the thread. Who posted putting a paper towel on a track with goof off on it and running your cars trucks over it??? This dude is going on my Christmas card list when I find them. Thought my locos where crapping out on me. I think this was the best info I picked up on this forum!!!

2

There’s probably eight to ten liquid cleaners out there. What ever works for you. I picked
up my cleaning tip from MR January 2003 and that was the best tip I ever got from MR.

3

Remember to be REAL careful with Goof Off. It’s not forgiving on plastic at ALL!

4

Didn’t seem to have a plastic melting problem but thanx for the heads up. I know now that I am going to switch all my wheel sets to the Kadees. The brown anodized ones look great when the tread is worn to silver base metal. Also used graphite to lube the axle pockets. What a differance!!! Trains pull fast enough to cause major damage now.[:I]

5

You can also use alcohol and the towel, and it won’t affect the wheels.

I prefer the alcohol for that very reason. Goo Gone also leaves a film on the wheels and it will transfer to the track.

6

Would’nt the goof off be a little strong for that type of plastic? I usually use a Q-tip with a little 90% rubbing alcohol or a little lighter fluid and it works just fine.

7

I’ll have to try this, as my rolling stock’s wheels are real dirty. Although, not all of my wheelsets are metal yet! Aghh! To the LHS!

uspscsx

8

For plastic wheels I usually take a Kleenex and my fingernails and twist the wheel in there and using different spots on the Kleenex until the wheel’s squeeky clean.[:D] I do the same thing for metal wheels if they’re lightly dirty.

9

Hi Loathar,
You don’t really need to add me to your “Christmas Card List” but I’m glad you appreciated my posting about using Goo Gone and don’t forget to then run the wheels over rubbing alcohol on a paper towel also because as somebody else mentioned, the Goo Gone will leave a film.

I’m real glad to hear your positive comment because sometimes I spend a lot of time thoughtfully creating a posting and then don’t hear from anybody.
Mondo

10

Thanx Mondo!!!
Darth- I was doing it that way and thought it was a total pain. This way it get’s done way faster and I think works better. I may just impliment this as bi weekly maintanance it’s so easy.

11

WOW, I forgot about cleaning plastic wheels like that!!!

Thanks guys

Gordon

12

[#ditto]The GG works great, doesn’t it? But like they said abaove, run the wheels over some alcohol after the GG to get of the residual film.

I’ve never had a problem with the GG hurting plastic, but both the GG and alcohol ARE hard on paint, so some caution is needed not to create any wheel spatter when cleaning your car’s wheels or get any fingerprints on the sides of your rolling stock.

13

There are two products being mentioned and, at least it appears, some confusion.

Goo Gone is a citrus cleaner and works great without harming plastics.
Goof Off is an adhesive remover and has the ability to turn some plastics into something about the consistency of bubble gum (used bubble gum, that is).

Please make sure you use the right stuff.

Darrin

14

Or, use the Goof-Off, as I do, with care, and get the cleaning value that it offers. I am pretty sure that any organic solvent, including isopropyl alcohol, will not be good for plastics and lubricants over the long term. I know this because I degreased the stock of a pre-WW I Swedish Mauser by immersing it in isopropyl and leaving it there for two weeks.

15

Don’t know about Goof-Off but I tried Goo Gone on three old N scale Atlas steamers and they’re running like new. Great Stuff!!

16

I posted this on the “Layouts and layout building” forums but I bought this from Skidmore Products for loco and wheel cleaning:

Here is the web site > http://www.cleantrains.com/id21.htm

In speaking to his wife she recommened this as a cleaner, which I thought worked better then Goo-Gone or even rubbing alcohol, though it is more exspensive:

Here’s the web link > http://www.cleantrains.com/id42.htm

I have tried Goo-Gone, RailZip, WD40, Rubbing Alcohol etc with the paper towel or rag across the rail, but this product is super simple and rather ingenious. It has slotted foam that expands when it has the fluid applied. You just place the engine on it and move back and forth while the track power moves the wheels. I would imagine cleaning cars would entail just moving back and forth. I am sold on it. My engines run MUCH better, less crude or liquids getting on the track or ballast.

Just my 2 ¢