Does anyone know what the ingredient(s) used in the vintage orange can Cleaner (3927-3)? I suspect it may have been 1-1-1 trichloroethylene.
What is the main ingredient(s) used in the vintage blue can Track Clean (3927-75)?
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Not sure what solvent is used in the orange can. Something like what you said or MEK. In the blue can is equivalent to today's Fantaskic or 409 detergent cleaners. Same stuff they use today in their plastic bottle of track cleaner.
Lionel literature recommended benzene (flammable) for cleaning tracks up through 1948 when they started recommending carbon tetrachloride (non-flammable). From 1950 on Lionel recommended using their own maintenance kit cleaner or other household cleaners.
Be very careful with carbon tetrachloride, it is a potential carcinogen and can cause liver damage. I believe it was removed from the dry-cleaning industry due to its toxicity.
Marty
Many now use mineral sprites to clean track and some now treat track with NO OX ID A special, a conducting grease to eliminate track cleaning for good. Do a forum search to find posts and details.
Charlie
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