Wax is the best way to protect paint. I have never heard that waxing a piece of tinplate would hurt the value. It takes patience and you need to remove the excess wax so there is no dried wax left in the nooks and crannies or on the trim. This is standard maintenance.
There certainly are folks who think that waxing or polishing would hurt the value.
Are you really worried about future value? The market for collectables of any kind is shrinking, and most items are steadily loosing value. As the market shrinks, those who still want to collect can be more and more selective when it comes to condition.
IMHO, the question is: what is your preference?
My suggestion is to carefully clean your train. Evaluate the condition and decide on next steps, if any.
By the way, some Lionel paints just about rinse off with water. Be careful.
Louis Hertz recommended trying on a hidden area first.
If I recall correctly, he recommended using light oil.
Of course he was writing a long time ago, and a lot of new products have come and gone.
I've used original formula Zymol on some inexpensive tinplate with good results.
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