Removing white paint from wheels

I had an MTH Premier SF Hudson and was able to finish taking off the paint on the drivers with my nail (The paint was already falling off when I got it.) Most, if not all of it, literally just came right off that easy. The front truck has painted wheels as well but I have not tried to fix that issue as of yet as the scratch method did not work very well here.

Hope this helps!

Paint over it.

Try the fingernail, as recommended above.

Or, try a knife and patience. You may be able to scrape it off with the tip of the blade. I do not know how good the paint is, but Lionel paint is usually good, and on those sintered iron wheels it probably wants to stick.

Paint remover, such as Strip-Eze (sp?), applied with a small brush. (Remove the boiler.) Small stiff brush to take it off. Repeat if needed. Clean with a little mineral spirits. This used to work for me on furniture, so how could a 6-8-6 be any different.....?

Or, you could do it the easy way and simply paint them black.

Found that Tamiya satin or flat black matches locomotive black very well.

Appreciate the replies.

I like all the alternatives in previous replies but also wondering if Magic marker would work.

pennsynut posted:

I like all the alternatives in previous replies but also wondering if Magic marker would work.

Some people have done that. Personally, I think that while from one perspective it looks OK, from another angle you can definitely see a purple-ish sheen. The smaller the spot to touch up, the better the results.
It has been my experience that attempts to mark over to recoat light spots only serve to smear previous coats.
If it was me, I would paint and be done the first time.

Big Jim posted:

pennsynut posted:

I like all the alternatives in previous replies but also wondering if Magic marker would work.

Some people have done that. Personally, I think that while from one perspective it looks OK, from another angle you can definitely see a purple-ish sheen. The smaller the spot to touch up, the better the results.
It has been my experience that attempts to mark over to recoat light spots only serve to smear previous coats.
If it was me, I would paint and be done the first time.

Agree on the Magic Marker purple sheen appearing on many hard surfaces, so would also advise against using that. Using sandpaper or a wire wheel might possibly create some small metal shavings, not a good thing at all around an engine or layout, so I think that method should be avoided as well.

I just used lacquer thinner and a Q tip to remove the whitewalls from a Lionel mogul. Took about 20 seconds per wheel.

Pete

I’m with Jim, paint it and do it right the first time. The marker won’t look right and then you’ll have to remove it to pain over it.

rtb posted:

I’d like to remove the white paint from the wheels of this engine.  ...

for those who would like to know... wheel rims weren't painted white for cosmetic reasons.  maintenance departments were mostly responsible for this  to aid in early identification of stress cracks in the wheels near the tread.

overlandflyer posted:

rtb posted:

I’d like to remove the white paint from the wheels of this engine.  ...

for those who would like to know... wheel rims weren't painted white for cosmetic reasons.  maintenance departments were mostly responsible for this  to aid in early identification of stress cracks in the wheels near the tread.

Only if white-wash was used, as any oil/dirt in the crack would bleed through the white-wash. If the edges of the tires were painted with ANY color paint, then a crack would generally be sealed by the paint, and thus not be readily visible. White-wash was also used on side rods, and engine to tender drawbars, in order to inspect for cracks.

Hot Water posted:

overlandflyer posted:

rtb posted:

I’d like to remove the white paint from the wheels of this engine.  ...

for those who would like to know... wheel rims weren't painted white for cosmetic reasons.  maintenance departments were mostly responsible for this  to aid in early identification of stress cracks in the wheels near the tread.

Only if white-wash was used, as any oil/dirt in the crack would bleed through the white-wash. If the edges of the tires were painted with ANY color paint, then a crack would generally be sealed by the paint, and thus not be readily visible. White-wash was also used on side rods, and engine to tender drawbars, in order to inspect for cracks.

wheels (tires) were painted when they were new or undamaged.  it wasn't applied to find cracks already there, it was applied to make any new cracks stand out.  i doubt if white wash would adhere to a metal wheel no less stay on for months or years.  white wash is merely lye mixed with water.