Spray Furniture Polish For Cleaning External Surfaces Of Vintage Rolling Stock?

I must have missed that.  I've never head of using furniture polish.  I'll have to see if I've still got that issue and look that up.

FYI the article is:

"Get Your Trains Ready! Our 9 tips For Dusting Off Your Trains And Getting Them Rolling."  The article begins on p. 22, and, is authored by Joseph L. Mania and the CTT Staff -- obviously all very knowledgeable on this topic.

At the Lionel SS I worked at in the mid-70's, after we cleaned the exterior of diecast engines with dishwash & a toothbrush (being careful of the lettering in certain cases...), we'd give 'em a mist of lemon Pledge. We'd then let them "simmer" on top of an old oil-fired furnace that was warm, not hot, for about an hour. The heat just really helped the Pledge bond a bit better to the paint.  After time was up, buffing it with a soft cotton cloth would make it look brand new. When coupled with our paint touch-up method, you couldn't tell the difference.

I have a friend who is a professional furniture restorer.  Spray furniture polishes, like Pledge, are very difficult for him to remove.  I'm not sure why at the moment but I'll ask him.  So using them to clean or restore our trains may not be the ideal method.  

Amusing.  Some want to "weather" and others want to "polish" locomotives and rolling stock.  Suppose to each his own, but I'm with you and prefer the "new" look.

What, me worry?

Carl Orton posted:

At the Lionel SS I worked at in the mid-70's, after we cleaned the exterior of diecast engines with dishwash & a toothbrush (being careful of the lettering in certain cases...), we'd give 'em a mist of lemon Pledge. We'd then let them "simmer" on top of an old oil-fired furnace that was warm, not hot, for about an hour. The heat just really helped the Pledge bond a bit better to the paint.  After time was up, buffing it with a soft cotton cloth would make it look brand new. When coupled with our paint touch-up method, you couldn't tell the difference.

That's awesome!  Would you use the same method for the plastic rolling stock?

Dennis,

That suggestion had been made a few years ago in that magazine and was met with letter after letter criticizing the technique. I'm surprised they repeated it. Any sprayed on finish, while maybe looking nice and shiny at first, will not be true to the original appearance. Many of us prefer that original finish.

But, if you like that appearance, by all means, do what you like best. But, it will definitely make a huge difference in future value for really collectible pieces if that is of any concern to you. 

Warm water, mild dish soap and maybe a soft toothbrush have been the tried and true cleaning methods.  Even at that, avoid soaking or rubbing the lettering as some is water soluble. Blot carefully with a soft cloth around lettering.

Jim

Jim Policastro posted:

Dennis,

That suggestion had been made a few years ago in that magazine and was met with letter after letter criticizing the technique. I'm surprised they repeated it. Any sprayed on finish, while maybe looking nice and shiny at first, will not be true to the original appearance. Many of us prefer that original finish.

But, if you like that appearance, by all means, do what you like best. But, it will definitely make a huge difference in future value for really collectible pieces if that is of any concern to you. 

Warm water, mild dish soap and maybe a soft toothbrush have been the tried and true cleaning methods.  Even at that, avoid soaking or rubbing the lettering as some is water soluble. Blot carefully with a soft cloth around lettering.

Jim

Thanks Jim!  Your first paragraph crystalizes my original thoughts when reading the CTT article and thinking about the likely consequences.  I will first try the method outlined in  your final paragraph which is the method I was trying to recall in detail at the outset. 

On a jocular note, since my brother-in-law is my Dentist, he'll be pleased to hear I used a toothbrush on his trains.  

I don't remember where the idea of using Pledge furniture polish on toy trains first came to my attention back in the 1970s, but I have used it on some of my vintage Gilbert AF trains, both tinplate and plastic since then with very satisfactory results.

All of my trains, whether MIB, Like New or well-loved and well-worn, new production or vintage, are available for operating and are expected to be run on a layout.  I am, however, partial to the clean, shiny look of tinplate, even when the tinplate is plastic, and to traditional toy train layouts.  

Accordingly, I have used Pledge as the final step in preparing those trains and accessories that come to me well-used and/or dirty for running or display.  Restoring a shine to these items allows them to blend in better when displayed or run with more highly graded vintage or new production items.

So far I have not detected any damage caused by the polish, and the items so "restored" continue to look much better than when I aquired them.

As a side note on the removal of Pledge polish, back in the early '70s my wife went to polish our solid wood coffee table which was one of our few pieces of good furniture that we purchased new.  As soon as she sprayed it on, she realized from the smell that she had grabbed the Easy Off Oven Cleaner instead of the Pledge.  We quickly wiped the oven cleaner off and found to our great relief that we were in time, and the wood table top was undamaged.  On the other hand, there also was no trace of old polish or wax build up to be found on the table top.

Still, unlike Pledge, oven cleaner is not a cleaning method I would recommend for our toy trains!

Cheers!

Alan

I use a mild solution of dish washing detergent and a soft tooth brush...

Here is a tip I posted awhile ago.... after you get them clean mount a static duster in your tunnel, every time your train goes through your tunnel it gets dusted.

To each his own, but I would never employ furniture polish or wax sprays on my postwar; it would be like committing a mortal sin. Warm water with a touch of mild soap, plus a toothbrush or Q-tip or soft cloth is all I need for cleaning.

Great advice for cleaning postwar trains!  My modest number of postwar trains from my youth have generally been boxed since they were stored after other interests took over in the 60's, so, they have not required much cleaning.   After I returned to the hobby  when our youngest son was about 8 years old, I focused on newer items, as postwar trains were becoming more scarce and pricey.  The new decoration was also much more colorful in many ways, and, therefore more appealing to my son.  Also, I fell in love with the Lionel GS-4, and, the N&W No. 611....  

This postwar set from my brother-in-law is actually the first postwar set that  I own that needs some TLC!  

In the 1970s I worked part time for a hobby shop doing repairs and the shop cleaned the steamers and put a red liquid furniture polish on them.  We did not use spray pledge, but applied polish with a small brush.  The owner argued that it made them look new and did no harm as the polish gradually faded over time.  He said that customers loved it and always remarked at how the engines looked new.  Some customers would remark years later about the great job we did rehabbing the engines.  Did not do it to diesels.  I did some of my post war steamers and they looked too polished at first, but really looked great after the polish diminished some.

Bill

Furniture polish, specifically Pledge, for cleaning trains has been referenced on this forum before, including within these threads (which contains similar cleaning recommendations):

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...27#67736898050920427

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...079#3400749715609079

I prefer the Dawn dishwashing liquid approach personally.

Except plain painted tinplate I never use any chemicals to clean shells. Good old soap and water and an old toothbrush is always the first and last resort. On painted metal tinplate if the soap and water method does not help I remove ALL trim and lightly use paste automobile wax to get most of the dirt up and restore shine.

Tin

This OGR video may also be helpful:

       http://ogaugerr.com/shop/backshop-vol-9/

Pledge is silicone, with a lemon scent added.  Let the experts chime in on the effects of silicone and plastic/potmetal/ and decals.

Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:

FYI the article is:

"Get Your Trains Ready! Our 9 tips For Dusting Off Your Trains And Getting Them Rolling."  The article begins on p. 22, and, is authored by Joseph L. Mania and the CTT Staff -- obviously all very knowledgeable on this topic.

Cleaning threads will be like oil change interval discussions -- it's like God, religion, and politics.  For folks who may not know, Mania is a restorer and he does beautiful work.  He restored a few of my dad's accessories so I speak from personal experience.  If he says Pledge is fine, I would not hesitate to use it (and I may now try it).  Don't forget too, some of the stuff for which he is recommending Pledge is far from collector grade anyways and it is a question of making older, perhaps well-worn trains look nice for a holiday display.  I don't think Joe would tell people to rip out the Pledge with abandon for a pristine 700E.  Who wants to look at old, scratched up and dull junk running around the Christmas tree?

Fwiw, I have used a soft paint brush or detail brush and a neutral detail product (e.g., Griot's Garage Speed Shine) in a very modest amount, wiping with a microfiber towel, to spruce up trains.  I have found if they are dusted regularly the need to use that type of product is minimized and that is probably for the best. 

Going way back in time, the fifties, I remember my father using Jubilee wax or polish on a operating white milk car. So I searched to see what the polish could be used on and this is what I found. I don't think myself I would try anything but the tried and true methods mentioned here.............Paul

Jubilee wax

• 15 oz
• Protects, shines and cleans Cuts through grease, food stains, cooking film and other tough kitchen soils
• Puts down a hard shine that protects surfaces without scratching
• makes spills easier to wipe and clean
• Use throughout the house on appliances, countertops cabinets, formica, laminate, bathroom fixtures, chrome faucets, woodwork, vinyl, leather, plastic and tile
• Not for use on granite or stainless steel
• Plastic bottle