Removing numbers and stripes

No one's removed paint or lettering from their cars are engines?? I would have thought lots would have done it.....

One way to do it is to obtain a draftsman's powered eraser.    This is a little battery powered device that spins a replacable eraser tip.    I got mine for about $8.00.     You need to use a light touch, because onces the lettering goes, the paint is not very far behind.     I apply either water, or decal set solution to the area and then do it similar to wet sanding.    Some of HO buddies have done a lot of just removing numbers.    I have been moderately successful at that.    On the other hand I have removed all the lettering from some cars for repainting quite successfully.     The area does appear shinier in most cases after this, so  you probably need to spray the car with a satin finish or gloss finish.

I have also done some with brake fluid.    Generally this does not hurt plastic but should be tested some place hidden.     I would not use any  major solvent because it might attack the plastic.

My Dad used to use 90% rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip.  He did that on duplicate locomotives to change the number.  I've never done it, but he did several times with very good results.

It took a while to get the numbers off.  I don't recall if he ever removed a stripe that way.

@Train Nut posted:

No one's removed paint or lettering from their cars are engines?? I would have thought lots would have done it.....

Yes they have. And it has been discussed on the forum many times. Which is what the search function is for. I came up with these results (screenshot) by doing a simple search with the words paint lettering removal.

@Train Nut posted:

I was wondering the best way to remove numbers from a 726 RR locomotive and the stripe from the passenger car shown below. The passenger car appears to have gold stripes that were painted on that I would like to remove. Anyway to do it to these two items without ruining the undercoat? The numbers are obviously on a original painted engine, and the car stripes are on a plastic non painted.

I'll leave the 726 to others, but I'll comment on the Adolphus passenger car.

1) The stripes aren't painted but rather were leaf stamped, or "hot stamped" in the toy train vernacular. This was done by pressing gold foil onto the car with heat, thereby melting it in place. It is doubtful you can remove these without affecting the underlying paint.

2) And as mentioned above, the car is indeed painted.

TRW

@prrjim posted:

I have also done some with brake fluid.    Generally this does not hurt plastic but should be tested some place hidden.     I would not use any  major solvent because it might attack the plastic.

I, too, have used break fluid to remove lettering from cars.  Let it sit overnight and it rubbed off fairly easily as I recall.  As Jim said, though, if you're doing it with something expensive test an inconspicuous area first.

@PaperTRW posted:

I'll leave the 726 to others, but I'll comment on the Adolphus passenger car.

1) The stripes aren't painted but rather were leaf stamped, or "hot stamped" in the toy train vernacular. This was done by pressing gold foil onto the car with heat, thereby melting it in place. It is doubtful you can remove these without affecting the underlying paint.

2) And as mentioned above, the car is indeed painted.

TRW

TRW -

The name on the coach has the same color as the stripes. Do you know if that  was applied the same way as the stripes?    I want to remove that too I think.

@Jim R. posted:

Yes they have. And it has been discussed on the forum many times. Which is what the search function is for. I came up with these results (screenshot) by doing a simple search with the words paint lettering removal.

thanks Jim, I am getting better at search. Takes more brain cells than I have anymore. And besides, I always enjoy when GunrunnerJohn or one of the other Master Class, sends me a note. I feel like part of the cool kids.

I'll try harder

I’ve used Testors Easy Lift Off for removing letters and numbers.  

I've gone the draftsman eraser route, although mine was plug in, not battery.  While it didn't remove the underlying paint it did polish it leaving a different finish.  The Testors Easy Lift Off works but follow the directions for best results.  I've recently used lacquer thinner on a MTH steam loco and it worked great without damaging the underlying paint.

@Train Nut posted:

The name on the coach has the same color as the stripes. Do you know if that  was applied the same way as the stripes?    I want to remove that too I think.

The car name and filigree on the letterboard were applied by pad printing, a much different process from what was used to apply the stripes.

Pad printing inks use an etchant to allow adhesion with the substrate. Again, the chances of removing the lettering without effecting the underlying paint layer are slim to none.

TRW

I’m with TRW on this one,....I’ll put it in simpler terms,....you’re gonna have a hot mess trying to remove that stripe and lettering and trying to save the underlying paint,....

Pat

Ok. Update. Got rid of the stripes using a razor blade to scrape off the stripes. Similar to scraping paint with a long handle paint scraper.  Mixed chocolate  brown and black paint and painted the top of the stripes.  Matched great. 

Thinking of trying 91% or the electric eraser.   

Keep you posted.