Removing Lionel Lettering

Well that's not easy. You will most likely have to do some paint touch ups, but you won't have to repaint the entire thing.

You can try a sanding stick (available in most hobby shops) and sand the numbers off. Start with a 200 grit and finish with a 400 or 600 grit. You will probably still need some paint touch up in that area.

An air eraser will do the trick very nicely (mini sand blaster, looks like an air brush) If you don't want to use the abrasive it comes with, you can use baking soda. Still will need painted in that area.

You can try an ordinary pencil eraser and rub them. This works sometimes, but requires a lot of elbow grease. If this works, and you're careful, you won't need to touch up the area with paint.

It's not an easy task when you're trying to save to paint on the entire body. It can be done though. Just depends on the type of paint and the process used to put those numbers on to begin with.

Should have it off in 5 minutes with this -

No muss, no fuss...

http://www.mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do

I'm gonna have to get me one of those.

1) Very fine wet/dry sandpaper - i start with 3M 3000 grit (finest i've ever seen) and slowly work to something coarser if that doesn't do it; but NOTHING coarser than 1200 grit. Use them wet.

2) The pink, blue and sometimes green versions of the 3M scrubbing sponges.

3) Automotive polishing (not rubbing) compound or ideally a product called Simichrome (available at motorcycle shops).

 All three of the above have worked for me. Plus all of the above are multi-task items that have other uses around the house and/or model RR.

jackson

Zona Tools packages a set of 3M Micron Polishing Papers, in large and small sheets...available online and at most well-stocked hobby stores.  Very handy to have on the hobby bench.  For best results => read and follow the directions. 

Description:

6-pc, Assorted, 1-30 Micron,
Aluminum Oxide / Silicon Carbide. 3M polishing papers with super flexible
non-woven backings for polishing flat or curved softer surfaces: acrylic,
polyurethane, solid surface composites, fiberglass, aluminum, precious metals
and finished wood. Use with or without water. Work in sequence from coarsest
(30) to finest grade (1).

Try Testor's Easy Lift Off.  It's a slow acting paint remover.  Apply to the letters or number with a fine brush.  Follow the directions on the can and you should get off the letters with out having to repaint.  I've also used an electric eraser that draftsmen use.  That worked but left the area of removal polished so even though the paint underneath wasn't removed the finish was diffwerent.

Thanks for all the advice!

Great ideas and I'll definitely have to try the Mr. Clean eraser.  I want to change the road numbers on a Lionel scale F-3 without damaging the paint, which is a strong point of these locos IMHO. I'm only using the shell on a P&D or possibly a Protocraft drive.

I used the 3M Polishing Papers that Old Goat mentions removing the paint from the "A" unit windows of my GGD E7 and it worked like a charm. Nothing would remove this paint so I had to sand it off with the coarser paper and then polished the windows with successively smaller Micron papers. When I was done they looked like new, just no paint. 

A great hobby tool for the workbench indeed. 

Butch

I tried the Magic Eraser and it did take off the lettering after substantial effort and developing Popeye arms. Problem is it still left the ghost image of the lettering there and it took off the paint on top of the nearby rivets. This was a practice tender so no harm done but I think if it still leaves the ghost image I would rather try the 3M polishing papers. As soon as I make it to the auto parts store I will get those and try them.

The Lionel Grand Trunk Western Auto Carriers look good, but the flat car has the reporting marks and road number done in CP Rail Italics and the number is only 5 digits, not 6. The White markings need to be removed without damaging the blue paint.

Andrew

Finger nail remover will take lettering off with no damage to paint. Just keep rubbing.

 Best results IMHO, come from a complete repaint of the surface after removal of any and all lettering (by any method)

All depends if you're weathering or not. If you want you loco to represent just out of the shop I agree new paint might be the only way to go. Put if you intend to do any weathering at all or you loco represents one that has been in use having a ghost image that you can weather over might not be a problem.

Butch

on steamers pure acetone works and leaves the black alone.