My friends laugh at me about this. They know when I pick up an engine covered in dirt dobber and spider nests, caked grease and cat hair what my plan is - Varsol it!
When I get a tinplate or post-war loco that needs cleaning, the first order of business is to take it apart. I particularly want to get the motor out of the body and get the brush holder separated from the motor, then break these components down further. This will allow a long bristled brush access to most nooks and crannies.Old tooth brushes help too.
What is shiny gets a going over with OOOO steel wool and mineral spirits.
As to solvents, I dip - not soak - the motor, body, brush plate, etc. in mineral spirits and scrub with the brush. Then I rinse it in clean mineral spirits.
The mineral spirits will evaporate, leaving a clean surface subject to rusting if of steel. So I spray everything with WD-40, blot up the excess and let it drain/evaporate for a day or so. This will also bring up the natural color of post war engines.
E-units and armatures are cleaned with CRC Industrial QD Contact cleaner. I do not use WD40 on these two items.
WD-40 is not a lubricant. I use Mobil 1 10W-40 for oil and Lucas Red n' Tacky for grease.
I use the same process on post-war rolling stock, plastic or metal. I do not, however, use mineral spirits or WD-40 on pre-war painted surfaces.
Now the dissenters can have at me, but this approach has always worked for me. The above plan will provide a clean loco that will reach it's full potential as a runner or a looker. And none have suffered any cosmetic or functional damage in the process.
