After reading your negative experiences, I'm almost sorry to have recommended brake fluid. It was suggested to me by a hobby dealer years ago, after I had ruined a model trying to remove paint with Lysol, based on information from a train magazine. I've since used brake fluid on other makes but never on MTH.
Perhaps the best suggestion is to experiment first with some objects that are expendable before you use a cleaner on anything of value.
Baltimore and Ohio-America's First Railroad