Question about Cleaning Marx Tin Litho Cars

[wallyworld]

I use Dawn dish washing detergent and use a hair drier to make sure no moisture is left. I would be wary of using any sort of acrylic over coat to restore the shine. I did one Hafner engine this way and I noticed yellowing which I think is due to a more than usual exposure to direct sunlight. On the wheels I use Goo Gone being careful,,it's amazing what does come off. like.nicotine tar, old soot, and grease. I used it on the Marx Grand Central Station ( holding my breath) and taking it off immediately and the difference was very noticeable. .

[bayshore]

Thanks for the advice about not using windex.  Someone on another train forum had suggested windex, but I think I'll stick with the soap and water.  I'll try cotton balls first, if that doesn't work I'll try an old toothbrush.

 

 

[Penny Trains]

Definately DO NOT use Windex or anything with ammonia, it will wash the colors right off.  I learned that the hard way!  I prefer Ivory liquid hand soap to diswashing liquid.  It's pure soap and usually does a good job on just about anything, plastic or metal.  If you're worried about scratching the litho with a toothbrush, try cotton balls, cotton swabs or medical gauze.  But generally a soft totthbrush shouldn't do excessive amounts of damage.

I've never tried to wax tinplate, but I have had good results using a clear acrylic sealer sprayed on top.  It seals the paint and after that you'll be cleaning the acrylic overcoat rather than the original car.  Of course, some purists will argue that this technique destroys the value.  So you'll have to decide for yourself wether or not to try it.  In my case, I've only used the acrylic on restored litho or repainted cars. 

Becky

[LL675]

I tried some polishing compond on one of my scale cars, and it took some of the dirt off pretty good.

[bayshore]

I recently bought a Marx train set that included "scale" tin litho cars.  The cars are dirty (but not rusty) and I'd like to clean them.  What is the best method for cleaning tin litho cars?

If these were Marx plastic cars I would clean them with a mild dishwashing detergent and a little water, lightly scrubbing with an old toothbrush, then let them air dry.  Would that  method harm the lithography on these tin cars?  Also, would it promote rust?

Would windex or something similar work without damaging the lithography?

Also, after cleaning the cars I would like to restore some of the shine.  I've heard of people using carnauba wax for this.  Does that really work?  I'm assuming people have use he liquid version, not the paste version--is that correct?

Any help would be appreciated.