Any idea how to get what appears to be old wax off a plastic engine shell?

Goo Gone will work but I don't know how it will affect the paint and decoration on a post war model.

Whatever you clean with don't clean over the decals. Looking at your photos it appears you have already worn some of the white stripe off.

I have cleaned the same body. Slowly just use water and a little dawn. It's a slow process but you will get the white stuff off.

It may take one, two or ten cleanings. I use a very soft tooth brush for the first or second. Be very light on the touch. Then I get the stubborn spots with a Q tip.

I never clean the decals.

Looks like water and a toothbrush are doing the trick. I’d go with patience and a few more attempts with that.

That old wax is mildew. Mildew and mold is a fungi. It will always grow back unless it is killed.

30 plus years ago at a Lakes and Pines meet I bought a 2344 ABA set and the B units roof was covered with mildew. A Lakes and Pines founding member shouldered up to me and told me how to remove it. He said to mix a 3 to 1 mixture of water to chlorine bleach. (on line is suggests 50/50) I used a Q tip to apply the mixture. I found I needed to let the mixture dry overnight to kill the mildew. Looked awful after... Then he told me to spray it with Pledge Furniture Polish and I let that dry overnight as well. I wiped the excess off and to this day it looks perfect with no mildew regrowth. And after the Pledge luster vaped off it looked just like the AA units did/do. I've used this method many times since then with the same results.

The scrubbing is/has removed some of your lettering and stripping.

In humid environments Lionel's paint is a great for growing mold and mildew.

Good Luck Bill, Russ...

Some of the old post-war AC Gilbert (flyer) plastics developed a white, almost powdery, covering on parts of the plastic surface.  The conventional wisdom is that its some sort of casting-mold release agent that seems to clean up with soap and water.  I've used an old toothbrush and some warm soapy water (Dawn, I think).  Some of the lettering on the older Flyer cars was stamped, so I've tried to be careful not to scrub too hard on those lettered surfaces.  Where the lettering is a decal, I've avoided those surfaces altogether.  Others have suggested using a hair dryer set on warm, which also seems to work - I tried it on a couple of plastic chassis.  The obvious issue is to not let the plastic get too hot.

I don't know whether the old Lionel plastics had the same problem - if so, you could try the soapy water approach.  I don't think I'd ever go the route of a bleach/water solution for fear it would damage the surface.  If indeed it is a mold/mildew problem, maybe using a dilute solution of a laundry detergent that has an oxygen-based cleaning system as opposed to chlorine would be better.  Whatever system you use I'd try it out on an inside surface to see that it didn't damage the plastic.  I'd guess that decals are always gonna be problematic.

I was recommended by a old established train dealership to use a small bit of oil on a rag and it will remove and return the engine to original shine.

I had the same problem with a pair of PW Lionel FA -2's I got . Didn't know what it was on them. Tried everything from soap to acetone with no avail. Then one of the  Club members told me about WD 40.  World like a charm after some serious scrubbing with a toothbrush and some wooden toothpicks to get into the crevasses. 

Bill

third rail posted:

I had the same problem with a pair of PW Lionel FA -2's I got . Didn't know what it was on them. Tried everything from soap to acetone with no avail. Then one of the  Club members told me about WD 40.  World like a charm after some serious scrubbing with a toothbrush and some wooden toothpicks to get into the crevasses. 

Bill

Here's how they looked when I got them 

Many people forget that WD40 is a solvent not a lubricant, so yes it will work when other things won't.

Also, dish soap works to clean grease when others won't. That's what they use on the oil spill birds etc.

You may have success if you place the shell in a freezer a day or two and let the wax get dead hard. 

If it is wax, pressure carefully applied on the thickest part of the wax with a new windshield ice scrapper (not on the paint) may be used to fracture the wax surface.

……or, if it is truly wax, you may be able to heat it up with a hair dryer or heat gun (being careful not to let the plastic body get too hot) and melt the wax so that you can wipe it off with a cloth.

I don't recommend using Goo Gone, it is designed to remove paint and the like, but it is a solvent and may end up removing the paint on the engine or potentially hurting the plastic. I had some latex paint that spattered on a piece of furniture and I used a rag with a bit of the goo gone on it, and it not only took off the paint, it also softened the varnish and the underlying stain (and I wasn't using a lot). 

bigkid posted:

I don't recommend using Goo Gone, it is designed to remove paint and the like, but it is a solvent and may end up removing the paint on the engine or potentially hurting the plastic. I had some latex paint that spattered on a piece of furniture and I used a rag with a bit of the goo gone on it, and it not only took off the paint, it also softened the varnish and the underlying stain (and I wasn't using a lot). 

Don't confuse Goo Gone and Goof Off. Goo Gone should not damage plastic as long as you use it sparingly and wash it off afterward. It is a citrus based cleaner, but any cleaner can remove paint with enough effort. Goof Off is a paint remover. However, I have used Goof Off to take paint off paint, but every situation is different. Always test things on a small area, maybe even the back, before going full bore.

George

If it is car wax, you can use more car wax to take it off. If it is candle wax, the other options mentioned may work. Looks like you are already making progress.

George