How do you clean hardened grease?

I've soaked machine parts in gasoline or kerosene for a day or two, but I can't recommend it as safe to do.

Since your parts are die cast separated from the motor truck assembly, I would soak a day or two in kerosene as  stated above.

You could try acetone also, but not on plastic. Acetone evaporates quickly, so it should be covered somehow.

Are you sure its grease? Mineral spirits should have worked if it was.

At this point I would use a wire wheel on a dremel. If any of the blueing is taken off just reblue with gun blue.

Pete

Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber and a soft toothbrush immediately comes to mind. Assuming it is grease, it's coming off. Make sure to wear Nitrile gloves. It will mess up your hands... 

Norton posted:

Are you sure its grease? Mineral spirits should have worked if it was.

Pete

Pete, you raise a good point - I was also wondering why the mineral spirits didn't completely remove the crud, always has in the past. But then, I'm still learning 

I think I'll continue to mechanically remove the crud at this point (wire brush and a small pointed metal pick), and then experiment with some bluing - what better place to learn a new technique than on a $20 barn find? I will check for other threads on that topic as I know I've seen it discussed in the past

Glad these were ALCO trucks - had they been EMDs with their much greater detail, I probably would have tossed them by now!

George

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions, I now have several possibilities to choose from!!!

Given that this is an inexpensive barn find, and is the dirtiest find I have encountered to date, I will probably experiment each of your suggestions to learn what works best - thanks again!!!!!

I use mineral spirits.
Your trucks look like they have light surface corrosion to me.

By the way, some of the mineral spirits that are sold today are cut with water. I will only buy the pure stuff. You might have to go to a real hardware or paint store to get it. Last time I looked in a big box home center, they only had the stuff cut with water.

C W Burfle posted:

I use mineral spirits.
Your trucks look like they have light surface corrosion to me.

By the way, some of the mineral spirits that are sold today are cut with water. I will only buy the pure stuff. You might have to go to a real hardware or paint store to get it. Last time I looked in a big box home center, they only had the stuff cut with water.

I don't think it's corrosion - when I poke at it with a screwdriver blade, it either pops right off like candle wax sometimes does, or it crumbles into a light brown dust or crumbs. Once I have cleaned an area like that, the metal underneath is good.

I did not know about the watering down of minereal spirits, and of course I bought mine at a big box store.... I'll check when I get home - right now I'm waiting to get into The Great Berea Train Show in Cleveland area.