I know that dust isn't weathering. My problem is that my layout is in the basement and got there before I finished the room for it.
I think I'm correct in the thinking that a mild dish soap in warm water should be OK for factory painted cars. Cars with decals would be another thing. Don't think I have any, so no problem yet. (Do have some Accurail box cars I want to change numbers on with their decals.)
If I set the cars out to dry is there a problem with the axles or metal wheels rusting? The room is dry, but there is little air movement.
Is there a safe way to clean a locomotive, steam and diesel, that doesn't involve removing the shell?
Do have Micro-Marks vaccuum set with small tools to adapt to larger vaccuum. Haven't used it yet, but leaning to get it out, unless something better comes along.
There is also one small body of smooth water that has some plant life in it. Just wipe or vaccuum? (Envirotex)
Also, plastic buildings I suspect are washable.
Currently cleaning off the layout to move it out so the room can be finished and new around the walls layout started. Might as well put it away clean.
Thank you,
Richard
If you are an airbrush guy with a 2+ gallon compressor, there are pistol grip accessories that shoot compressed air. Otherwise Office Depot or computer stores sell cans of compressed air.
Water could rust metal axles on freight cars, but they wouldn't fall apart in your lifetime. I wouldn't want to be doing a lot of handling/washing of cars that have delicate details like chains, above the body brake wheels, mu hoses and the like.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I'm lucky that my layout is indoors, climate controlled, better than basements and/or garages. So my dust buildup is mild and gradual. I just clean rolling stock or structures carefully with a quite soft, 1" or so, larger paint brush. Better done off the layout (for rolling stock) so as not to just scatter the dust on the rest of the layout. Perhaps this would work for you, just more frequently?
I an amazed at how much dust and more gets into our garage, thought the doors are almost always closed. Much of it must just get in past the seals. I just blow it out with the 200 mph gas blower. That might be a bit aggressive, especially if smaller than G scale.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I just throw 'em in the clothes washer with my tidy-whiteys... use low heat in the dryer!
Ok, ok... I use a small, soft paint brush to do the dusting.
Jim
hardcoalcase ... use a small, soft paint brush to do the dusting. Jim
... use a small, soft paint brush to do the dusting.
..... with a vacuum nearby. There is no need to use soap and water even for rather caked on dust -- it can do more mischief than good. Now and then a more stiff brush might be needed.
Dave Nelson
I'll agree that a nice soft brush is just the thing for dusting rolling stock. Best place I know of to find one is the makeup counter. If you don't know where that is, it's between the ammunition counter and the degreaser display. Right by the tires.
Very occasionally, I might use a model paint brush and wash the roof with plain water. Dust usually lives on the roof of rolling stock, so I don't see the need to go farther down onto the sides. Distilled water would be best. No additives like detergent. The dust will go into the water on your brush which you will then rinse off. You might wick off some water with a paper towel.
And there's rarely decals on the roof, so no worries there.
DO NOT SMOKE TOBACCO IN YOUR TRAIN ROOM. The gooey sticky stuff you don't mind getting in your lungs will also coat your trains. And then the dust will stick and not want to come off with normal cleaning. I know 'cause I lived it.
Ed
Light dust: As recommended, quality soft bristled brushes of various sizes (keeping nooks and cranies in mind) work nicely. I use them for cars and locomotives that I've painted.
Moderate build up: For slightly more stubborn cases, the airbrush is an excellent tool for "eviciting" those pesky dust bunnies, followed up by soft brushes of various sizes.
Heavier buildup: (I know..shame on me!) This may shock some of you, but for factory painted locomotive and freight car models I've removed the shells off of the chassis', taken them to the sink (half filled with warm distilled water and a tiny drop of Dawn or Ivory liquid) and gently washed off the dust bunnies by slowly dunking them up and down in the water. Even the nooks and crannies come clean. Next, a very gentle rinse with clean water then a blow off with the airbrush. Shells look new with no missing parts.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
I would use neither a blast of compressed air nor a brush, unless these were being used outdoors. Both remove the dust from the model, but it remains dust and will eventually end up either back on the rolling stock and locomotives or on the layout itself. Dust is the dirt which collects on your scenery (difficult to clean) or on your track. The latter seems to be a favourite topic here and there are lots of threads on track cleaning, if that's something in which you find enjoyment.I prefer my shop vac with the brush attachment for rolling stock and locomotives, and for most structures and scenery other than trees and bushes - if the layout room is kept clean, those latter ones won't need much attention at all.For track cleaning (once every year or two...or three), I use the shop vac with either the brush or the crevice tool, depending on what's nearby in the way of structures or scenery.
You've learned through experience that room prep is important for a layout and I learned that the same way too. My layout is also in the basement (as were previous ones) but the room was finished (wiring, lights, drywall, and drop ceiling) before layout construction was started. Throughout construction, the shop vac was the most-used tool, even though most cutting of lumber was done outdoors. The room's floor is concrete, but it's vacuumed regularly, never swept. Layout maintenance is easy if you do the necessary work beforehand.
If you do have rolling stock that needs to be washed, remove the body from the floor/frame assembly, which usually includes the trucks and couplers. Any cars which have been decaled should have had a coat of clear finish applied over the decals, and in that case, shouldn't be affected by dish soap and water. Rinse the cars well and let them air dry, then re-assemble them.
Wayne
There is an additional way that does much of the removal, and that is the use of a "Swiffer". I find using it first takes the bulk of dust off and I can detail with an artist brush after.
All that said, the best method is prevention - i.e. room preparation.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I remove the body then I use Dawn and tap water and gently wash my cars with a soft shaving brush,rinse and air dry. For locomotives I use a soft paint brush distilled water and very gently "dry brush" the locomotive.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
My layout is in an unfinished basement, although it is heated and cooled and has humidity control. Not only do I encounter dust, but I occasionally find small bits of wood that have gathered on the duct work above the layout from the wood floor work and floor joists.
To clean off the dust, I use a small brush that my LHS guys sold me back when I started the layout. The brush is somewhere between those brushes that barbers used to apply shaving cream and those brushes that women use to apply their makeup. The brush bristles are soft and do a great job without damaging any of the details. The brush has a fairly wide surface, so clean up is quick and easy.
As Wayne pointed out, the dust simply gets relocated, but I often use my Shop Vac to run over the tracks and any surrounding areas that are glued down. Only once did I screw up and vacuum up a worker in the freight yard. I was able to retrieve him unharmed from the bag inside the Shop Vac - - LOL.
I use that brush to clean dust off of my locomotives, rolling stock, and structures.
Rich
Alton Junction
cowman I know that dust isn't weathering. My problem is that my layout is in the basement and got there before I finished the room for it. I think I'm correct in the thinking that a mild dish soap in warm water should be OK for factory painted cars. Cars with decals would be another thing. Don't think I have any, so no problem yet. (Do have some Accurail box cars I want to change numbers on with their decals.) If I set the cars out to dry is there a problem with the axles or metal wheels rusting? The room is dry, but there is little air movement. Is there a safe way to clean a locomotive, steam and diesel, that doesn't involve removing the shell? Do have Micro-Marks vaccuum set with small tools to adapt to larger vaccuum. Haven't used it yet, but leaning to get it out, unless something better comes along. There is also one small body of smooth water that has some plant life in it. Just wipe or vaccuum? (Envirotex) Also, plastic buildings I suspect are washable. Currently cleaning off the layout to move it out so the room can be finished and new around the walls layout started. Might as well put it away clean. Thank you, Richard
Richard,
I love this anti-static brush by Tamiya to dust my steam locomotives and rolling stock. Super soft and anti-static easily flicks off stubborn dust.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mfTZFaJ_TY
Besides dust, I sometimes get a bit of cricket excretion on my rolling stock . I remove this crusty stuff using a q-tip soaked in distilled water. I do not use tap water because it is hard and tends to leave a whitish calcium deposit on my models any time I use it. Darn crickets are hard to evict!
Anyway, happy dusting.
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!
Every year I clean my layout between Thanksgiving and Christmas so that it looks nice for the holidays. I clean small segments of about four square feet at a time. I use three methods depending on what I’m cleaning. First I remove all of the figures and vehicles which are not glued in place. As I remove them I gently clean them with a slightly damp wash cloth and place them aside. Locomotives and rolling stock get the same. Sometimes vehicles and locomotives require a little more work to clean the nooks and crannies. For this I use a slightly damp tape head cleaning swab. You can get these are Radio Shack or other electronics stores. They are about the size of a Q-Tip but are guaranteed not to leave any fibers or bristles behind.
Next I vacuum the streets, structures, and landscaping with the brush attachment from a mini vac set. Then I get the fun of reinstalling all of the vehicles and figures which I enjoy, sometimes changing the scenes around to make them better, or at least a little different.
If decals fall off when washed they were not properly applied and would have fallen off anyway. I properly applied decal is hard to remove.If you use caulks, powder, or watercolors to weather and have not sealed it with clear coat then you have to use the vacuum brush.
Thank you for all the responses.
I do have a small compresser that could be used to blow the stuff off away form the layout area and a shop vac with the small attachments to suck it off. Will look over the brush collection to see if I have a qualifying brush. That seems to be the easiest unless the stuff is really stuck on.
Have gotten an insentive to finish the room, this will add a little more push to get it done.
Thanks again,
Joel:
Thanks for the reference to the Tamiya dusting brush.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter Joel: Thanks for the reference to the Tamiya dusting brush. Dave
Hey Dave,
Always glad to help a fellow modeler. This brush is the "real deal".
Thanks for the additional comments.
Since the compressor is not set up and I think it might be a bit much, since I don't have a regulator yet, will put that on hold.
Like the idea of a longer hose, have used that idea on other projects, not necessarily mr ones.
Did find a soft brush, but not what I was looking for. Will look at the Tamiya brush and see what's available for an artist brush.
Did have success with the brush I found, but it is too big for many things. Can see how a smaller brush would be better for the more detailed things.
Lone Wolf & Santa Fe, Thanks a bunch for the Micro Vac attachment kit tip, works like a charm and inexpensive too. Tried the kit out tonight and it did a bang-up job on my harbor "water", car-float barge, tug boat and canal. Also made short work of a couple dusty roofs and paved lot.
Thanks again and regards, Peter
Put'em in the dishwasher. Just kidding.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 Put'em in the dishwasher.
Put'em in the dishwasher.
I do have some rusty metal axles. I can't blame washing, fingerprints and years of living in the humid mid Atlantic