i got a bunch of locomotives and i cant really get the dust off from them...some locos are just filled with dust inside and the wheels have trouble turning...help?!?!
To get rid of the dust on my engines,cars and structures I use a small soft paint brush and a vacumn,or somtimes I use my air compressor with the psi turned down. The wheels not turning may be more than just a dust problem!!
Sometimes I use that canned air for computer keyboards. It works good, but is kinda expensive if you have to do a lot.
On engines that dirty, especially used or "garage sale" engines, it is usually better to dissmantel the engine, clean each part, re-lubricate the parts, then reassemble. This gives you a chance to wash the dirt grime and cigarette smoke off with a good detergent and warm water. Use a small paint brush to get dirt loose from wheel spokes and in corners. (Cigarette smoke is oiley and collects dust, so it wont just blow off.) Be careful to get all insulated wheels on the correct side when you re-assemble. It is a good time to make any repairs and mount new couplers, traction tires, brushes, etc. too. It will be worth the time and help to keep your track clean. [ 09. January 2003, 06:41: Message edited by: watash ]
Watash nailed it. If the dust is pervasive to the point of being all throughout the engine, then take that baby apart at your workbench and give it the cleaning, lubejob, and tuneup of its life. For surface debris, the best dust remover is a VERY fine chalk brush. I purchased one at an art store. It has VERY VERY fine bristles. The base of the bristles are very narrow and then it blossoms out to about the size of one's thumb or more. With a mini-vac and the fine bristled chalk brush, you can get into all kinds of nooks and crannies and get the engine looking great. [ 12. January 2003, 21:19: Message edited by: Kitbash ]
