Hi Everyone,
I did an internet search for this and most responses believe it is mold release agent, and the way to get rid of it is to heat it with a hair dryer and it will disapear for a long time. I am cautious to try any wet cleaning agents because I don't want to damage/remove the decals. Your thoughts?
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What car is that???
I just purchased a tank car just like that with the white crud on it. I removed the tank from the frame and gently cleaned it with Dawn dish soap warm water and soft sponge. The car looks like new. The wheels and couplers were put under a blow dryer to remove the white residue. I also use WD-40 on the couplers and trucks and clean with a old toothbrush. I wiggle the coupler while under the hair dryer to ensure it is loose and will operate correctly . The WD-40 also helps keep them moving properly. The WD-40 also helps loosen the black crud that the wheels pick up and leaves them shiny an like new. I have been doing this for years with great results!
El Classico posted:What car is that???
925
Not being much into American Flyer trains (I started getting the bug about this time last year, but it didn't take), I am not overly familiar with the 925 tank car. But the picture shows a screw that appears to hold the tank onto the frame. If that's the only thing that keeps it attached (with perhaps a pair of nubs to keep it in line with the frame), is there any reason not to remove the tank before going after the white stuff on the trucks?
I had a Lionel 6464 boxcar that had that crud growing on the trucks. If I recall correctly, the advice I received was to use white vinegar on it. I would imagine that could damage the finish on the tank as well if the silver paint they used is as "strong" as the paint Lionel used.
Hope this helps,
J White
Ah, AF.
The tank separates easily from the chassis when the screw is removed. Lining up the ladders in the chassis holes when reassembling is the only nuisance.
Back to the original topic. That white stuff is the leaching of chemicals used in the early plastics by Gilbert. The easiest way to deal with it is to use a hairdryer. The heat from the hairdryer melts the residue and you wipe it off. Now the residue will come back in time and that is normal. You just repeat the same process with a hairdryer.
FYI, This has also been under discussion on the O Gauge side:
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