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Best way of cleaning loco wheels? Please advise.


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A bit of a simple question here. I have made up a servicing cradle (wot ? too stingy to buy one?) which I have already found a great boon for cleaning. On Utube I saw a video in which the gent used a screwdriver held against the revolving wheels of his loco to get rid of stubborn accumulations. Is this a good idea or not ? Seems a bit brutal but I too have had no success in removing deposits on one loco - IPA does not seem to do the trick, though I haven't tried a track-rubber yet (maybe the best answer?).Would a screwdriver blade do serious damage or is it OK in hard cases ?
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A small flat blade screwdriver is ideal for removing thickish dirt. Keep it flat to the wheel surface. Don't use it on wheels with traction tyres. Thin stiff plastic will also work if you are worried about scratching the wheels. 

 

The real answer is don't let the wheels get too dirty to start with. 

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Agree with WTD = old credit card cut into strips and used like a chisel blade is safer than a hard screwdriver blade.

Good point about traction tyres as they can look very similar to grotty wheel treads.

If your locos are DC or DCC with DC enabled you can use a 9V PP9 block battery directly on the wheels to spin them.

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If the wheels are very dirty (and usually just as a one off when I first get a grubby loco) I will run power to the loco independantly of the wheels I am cleaning (via another set of wheels or to pickups if exposed) and polish the rotating wheels with a very fine, used wet or dry paper, or sometimes a screwdriver or scalple blade. If using the latter make sure you have eye protection since these can easily snap and fly off.

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If the wheels are very dirty (and usually just as a one off when I first get a grubby loco) I will run power to the loco independantly of the wheels I am cleaning (via another set of wheels or to pickups if exposed) and polish the rotating wheels with a very fine, used wet or dry paper, or sometimes a screwdriver or scalple blade. If using the latter make sure you have eye protection since these can easily snap and fly off.

 

 Hi. As stated here previously, the very first thing is NOT to let get your loco wheels get too dirty. Any non-abrasive material such as a cotton bud dipped in ISO or some other form of alcohol will do the trick. But avoid at all costs liquids such as acetone that can distress or melt plastic! If you really have a lot of engines in your collection, you could try an ultrasonic cleaner. These are available quite cheaply if you shop around (like £20 to £30) if you Google around. Remove the chassis from the body and plunge it into the cleaning liquid, but if it is DCC, remove the chip.

 

 

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 Hi. As stated here previously, the very first thing is NOT to let get your loco wheels get too dirty. Any non-abrasive material such as a cotton bud dipped in ISO or some other form of alcohol will do the trick. But avoid at all costs liquids such as acetone that can distress or melt plastic! If you really have a lot of engines in your collection, you could try an ultrasonic cleaner. These are available quite cheaply if you shop around (like £20 to £30) if you Google around. Remove the chassis from the body and plunge it into the cleaning liquid, but if it is DCC, remove the chip

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If the wheels are very dirty (and usually just as a one off when I first get a grubby loco) I will run power to the loco independantly of the wheels I am cleaning (via another set of wheels or to pickups if exposed) and polish the rotating wheels with a very fine, used wet or dry paper, or sometimes a screwdriver or scalple blade. If using the latter make sure you have eye protection since these can easily snap and fly off.

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

If the dirt is not too substantial then a cotten bud should/might do the job, its what I use (on everything from Hornby Western to Standard 4 tender made by the one that rhymes with 'fat-man'), depends on the age, or type of model.

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