Lionel, yellow corrosion??? on drive rods and other metal parts

Could it be some lubricant residue?

I thought that could be it but it is also on metal parts that would require no lubricant, I will post a picture

Tin plating can turn yellow if not properly applied. Nickel oxide is green.

Try some metal polish and see if it comes off.

Pete

Here are a few picture

It does come off with a scratch of my finger nail, i just what to be I am not removing the plating.  Are these drive rods nickel or tin plated.  Would there be any solution to remove it???

Here are two pics from a 249

I would take all the rods off and use a Dremel wire wheel lightly on them.

Is that a post war engine? If so Lionel used tin not nickel on most of their post war. Some modern replacements are nickel plated.

Here is a picture of a 2046. The side rods are original tin plate, the eccentric rod is a modern repro nickel plated. The eccentric has since been replated in tin.

If this were mine I would remove the rods and first just try washing them in soap and water.

Pete

There must be a metallugrist on our forum who could help?

I have seen both green (nickel) and white oxidation (castings) and of course, good 'ole iron oxide! Silver oxidizes brown but yellow seems odd! Try a mild solvent like tuner or electric motor cleaner if the soap treatment (Dawn?) does not work.

I would try one of the parts, and soaking in  50% solution of water and Vinegar, if it rubs off easy then dry and apply a coat of WD40 or other oil.  It's worth a try and won't hurt anything.

Yes, these are postwar and they are all consistent from where I got them from, its like they where all stored the same and have the same yellow on their metals.  I have seen it before but never acquired any with it.  Non of my own collection has this.

I am afraid to use anything abrasive as that is a pet peeve I have.  I will start with soap and water and go from there.

Yes, these are postwar and they are all consistent from where I got them from, its like they where all stored the same and have the same yellow on their metals.  I have seen it before but never acquired any with it.  Non of my own collection has this.

I am afraid to use anything abrasive as that is a pet peeve I have.  I will start with soap and water and go from there.

That discoloration is common. According to my understanding it is oxidation, but I cannot find anything much in the way of a direct reference.  It might be Chromium (III) Oxide or Nickel(II) Oxide

According to Wikipedia, if it is Chromium (III) Oxide, it would take more than soap and water to get rid of it.
Same goes for Nickel (II) Oxide.

The first couple of times I ran into Lionel pieces with that discoloration, I did try to clean it off, without much success. Plus, if it is Nickel (II) Oxide, Wikipedia says its nasty stuff to inhale.  These days. I just consider it part of the patina.

That loco is a 2055 or other version of the PW ATSF-type small Hudson. I know. I have mine from my childhood. My side rods are a regular used "silver", and they are plated steel (I just used a magnet on them). They always looked a bit surprisingly "aluminum-y", but, nope - ferrous.

Probably the loco was in a smoky (tobacco or otherwise) environment; maybe a greasy one (near a kitchen?). Not uncommon back in the day - but mine was, too - and no yellow. People usually call the tobacco-caused effect "nicotine stains", which is incorrect - nicotine is the drug, but the "tars" are the yellowing agents (and the truly dangerous part).

Or it's something else. Not serious. Just dirty.

Yellow usually infers some form of sulfur compound. Maybe this train was stored close to some form of sulfur based cleaner. Sulfur tends to migrate easily through the air.

Tobacco smoke may well have been the culprit here!

It is called "Turtle wax chrome polish" and it will take that right off without harm.

Used it years back when i had exactly what you are seeing on your rods and it worked excelent.

Be careful with the dremel using wire brush it can go thru the plating don't ask how i know.  ; )

Yes, I believe that it is some sort of oxidation as well.  I have come across the nicotine/tar residue on trains before and believe it or not it acts as a sealer/preservative, once removed the patina is flawless underneath.

I have have some success with vinegar so I tried something stronger.  Basically used CLR but the Zep version.  I removed the parts and washed them down with that.  It worked.  Used this before and I know you need to be careful with how long you use it.  I started with the 249 and will do the 2055 later. See pics of the 249 before and after.

Thanks to all

GLAD it worked for you! :-)

Dieseler, I think I will try the turtle was chrome polish next as it is not a harmful chemical, Thanks

Father.Dragon,  Perhaps these where stored in an older basement with high sulfur in the air from the ground???

I'm a big fan of chrome cleaner too (says the guy driving a Honda with no chrome on it!), some of it has what smells like kerosene as the active ingredient. Works good on chrome, no harm at all to the finish, but as always try a bit first in a non-conspicuous area.

I don't think I would use a wire brush in a Dremel just cuz it's so easy to be heavy handed, but perhaps some kind of buffing wheel? Anywho, that  would be my last shot after trying all the other chemical, water, and soap solutions

Boy.  Plus one on the chrome polish.  Or Brasso, or Mothers, or any metal polish.  They are abrasive, but really fine.  Wire wheel will destroy your finish in a heartbeat.  Don't even think about it unless you want bare metal.

If all is lost, plain ordinary solder works.  You anchor the piece to the workbench, clean and flux, then apply solder with enough heat that it is flowing on the entire piece.  Then while molten, wipe it in one pass with a rag.  Then polish.

We 2-railers do this all the time on home made rods and valve gear.  Looks like polished steel when finished.

I believe what you have is cadmium oxide. Cad plating was very popular in the 1950s. It is toxic. Work it wet to keep it out of the air. Wear gloves and get all residue into the garbage.   Lots of information on the web.