Cleaning Lionel Train Set Rolling Stock

I use a worn toothbrush, warm water and dish liquid. gently use the brush (especially if there are decals) and either use a hair dryer or sit the cars over a register to dry completely.

Like Dave said.

Ditto

But brush on the lettering very gently. I usually pat them down with a towel then air dry. No rust problems so far.

I also use the above method.

Just add a few things is that use some what hot water, not boiling or anything like that, just hot enough you can hold your hand under it for a little while and  use Dawn dish soap.

Gently wash them up and rinse. Shake the excess water off and the hot water will make them dry faster!

For stubborn issues that laugh at soap, and water (like dried tape, some molds, etc) Naptha (like Zippo lighter fluid) will clean wheels, and all plastics safely. I'm not 100% sure about new paints, but old PW wont be effected by it. Lacquer paint safe, including motor windings! I think Lionel might have even suggested it at one time, long before we worried about the chemical content of such things. Wet a rag tip, wipe. Although I tend to use alcohol for cleaning wheels, it because it is stored upstairs. Naptha is way better and will "draw more black" after alcohol has done its best on wheels. Naptha baths, and brushings to clean up motors most would think "hit" happen alot.

Naphtha is better than alcohol on most paints.  I'd test in a hidden area first, but I know that alcohol will remove many of the paints used on rolling stock.  Forget about Acetone, it attacks paint and plastics!

I sing with the chorus, I use a little mild soap and warm water first.

Thanks folks. These cars aren't that bad - just a few years worth of dust caked into some of the molded detail parts I want to clean and just give an overall cleaning. I wasn't sure about dish soap but I'll give that a shot on a test area. 

Thanks again. I'm incredibly excited to get "the first one" back again. Command control is fun, but sometimes that air whistle  is even better! 

To keep water from swamping the whistle tender motor, block the holes! Hold a towel against car & under area to be cleaned. Little wetness at a time, sop up dirt, little more, sop up dirt. I like a soft 1/2" paint brush and 2-3 bowls of water. One soapy one small, two bigger for rinses. Dry metal quickly(hair dryer for me), re-oil wetted metals. Maybe rub metal with oil on a q-tip, etc..

When I mentioned using hot water and soap, I am talking about using this process on rolling stock and not engines.

You can wash the bodies of the engines but I don't want to get water into any electrical motors, components or switches.

 Not that it would be a regular occurrence, or a good idea often, but as long as it can be dried quickly, and thoroughly then oiled, water wont really hurt much.

I've stuck pop and coffee covered mother boards, and power supplies into industrial dishwashers (no chlorine!). Let them dry 100%, Wha la! Working. Relays, and other container like objects, need covers pulled to dry. 

First thing you do getting a automobile engine block back from machining is wash with soap, and water then dry with forced air, and mild heat!  

The final manufacturing step in many circuit board assembly houses is a detergent and water bath and then a hot air dry.  With a few exceptions, water doesn't bother circuit boards if you remove it totally after the cleaning.  I've washed a fairly large number of computer boards and keyboards successfully.  That was a favored cleaning method for laptops that had coffee or soda spilled on them.