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Offline Rocca  
#1 Posted : 05 July 2014 19:09:59(UTC)
Rocca

Italy   
Joined: 28/01/2004(UTC)
Posts: 615
Dear Friends,

I have just got through E-bay some tracks 3700, which means large radius curves with the old 3-rails system corresponding to 5200.
Some pieces show traces of black paint, which evidently were stained during the laying of the track on the layout.
What do you advise me to try to clean them without damaging the roadbed?

Thanks in advance!
Stefano Rocca
Offline Dangermouse  
#2 Posted : 05 July 2014 20:23:43(UTC)
Dangermouse

United Kingdom   
Joined: 01/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 115
Location: Wales
Try warm water, soap and gentle scrubbing first, if the paint is acrylic then this might soften it. Remember to rinse and then dry thoroughly to avoid rust.

Failing that I've just had some success in removing black paint from a couple of double deck coaches by using car paint restorer ("T-Cut" is the trade name, the stuff I used was generic though) and a cotton bud. You need to be a bit careful not to go through the factory paint, but it rescued the coaches from an appalling "weathering" job. They're not factory perfect but the remaining faint marks look much more realistic than they did on arrival, and the original paint is unharmed.
You can never have too many Silberlinge
Offline Rocca  
#3 Posted : 06 July 2014 18:54:31(UTC)
Rocca

Italy   
Joined: 28/01/2004(UTC)
Posts: 615

I'll try with the warm water and in case i'll look for the restorer...lol!!!
Thanks for the usefull adivices

Best regards
Stefano Rocca

Originally Posted by: Dangermouse Go to Quoted Post
Try warm water, soap and gentle scrubbing first, if the paint is acrylic then this might soften it. Remember to rinse and then dry thoroughly to avoid rust.

Failing that I've just had some success in removing black paint from a couple of double deck coaches by using car paint restorer ("T-Cut" is the trade name, the stuff I used was generic though) and a cotton bud. You need to be a bit careful not to go through the factory paint, but it rescued the coaches from an appalling "weathering" job. They're not factory perfect but the remaining faint marks look much more realistic than they did on arrival, and the original paint is unharmed.


Offline GvanWyk  
#4 Posted : 10 July 2014 18:40:57(UTC)
GvanWyk

South Africa   
Joined: 27/12/2010(UTC)
Posts: 18
Location: South Africa
Guys, you might think I am crazy...
I bought a few boxes of old M-track last year on eBay. When it arrived it was even worse than I thought. Dusty, paint, oil, rust, rat pooh, name it...

Used a very fine sanding block to just clean the top of the rails but afterwards all was dusty and even dirtier.

I stuck them into the dishwasher. Short but hot cycle. Ensure that you open the dishwasher door slightly immediately after the wash cycle in order for the steam to escape and the track to dry while still hot.
After about 15 minutes cooling, I removed the track and dried the few drops here and there with a cloth.
Noticed that some of the cardboard like stuff at the bottom of some of the tracks used for insolation were a bit swollen from the water, so I packed them all out in the sun to dry.
Sprayed them with silicone spray afterwards and again wiped it down with a cloth.

They were perfect and shiny like new, except for the rust on the sides of some of the track. I lost 3 sections where even the factory pant on the roadbed just came off, so I have 3x very "nice" metallic sections.. :)

It is a year later and they are still 100%.

Try it with a few pieces only.

I was VERY happy, my wife not so much with me putting 6 dishwasher loads through...

cheers
Gerhard

Offline Dangermouse  
#5 Posted : 11 July 2014 00:47:42(UTC)
Dangermouse

United Kingdom   
Joined: 01/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 115
Location: Wales
WD-40 and an old toothbrush is a pretty effective combination for rusty M track. Just give it a wash in hot soapy water afterwards (so you don't end up with WD-40 over everything) and dry thoroughly. The rust turns black or disappears, and doesn't seem to come back.
You can never have too many Silberlinge
thanks 1 user liked this useful post by Dangermouse
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