Many, many different ways. I start with alcohol on a q tip or cloth and burnishing type tool. If that doesn't work easily I go to ELO and so forth getting stronger. Basically starting with the least strength progressing upward so as to maintain the underlying paint.
Richard
If the lettering on the Atlas N Scale cars are printed the same way as the Atlas Trainman HO cars, the method explained by Cody will work, but it takes time and patience. I used this method on a Penn Central caboose (green paint with white lettering) and I found using the scotch tape only marginally effective. I had the most luck with brushing on the Micro-Sol, waiting until it seemed as though the area was almost dry, then GENTLY pushing on the lettering with a brush. Once the lettering starts to loosen you can actually pick up the peices with the brush itself. What you don't want to do is scrub the lettering off with something like a Q-tip. Paint will start to come off with the lettering! Just use the paint brush and, as Cody likes to say, slow and steady wins the race.
Not sure if it will work with other manufacturers.
Good Luck!
Chris Ballinger
Modeling the Clementon Branch of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in HO scale
I am about to launch on this adventure myself in order to deconflict road numbers. I plan to try this method outlined by MR's Cody Grivno.
video how to remove factory printed lettering from freight car models
Hope this helps.
I am in the process of removing lettering from a few freight cars to convert the cars to my own branch name. It's amost impossible to find undecorated cars. The cars are nscale Atlas and Microtrains cars. Can anyone offer advice on the best procedure to use to remove the lettering without ruining the surface of the plastic for both brands of cars? Thanks