paint removal method

[Anonymous]

What is the best way to remove an entire layer of paint (Bagder acrylic) that has been airbrushed onto a locomotive shell? There are a number of fine details in place (lift rings, grab irons, etc.) so I don't want to have to scrub too aggressively, if possible.
Also, can anyone tell me the name of the dark gray color the Southern Pacific used on their later model locos? Badger lists a "Southern Pacific Lark Dark Gray" #16-40 which looks to me like it would be a match. But then I saw they also list "SP/SF Overland Light Gray" and "SP/SF Overland Dark Gray" (#'s 16-197 and 16-198). Is one of those the correct one, or are they from an earlier era or something? Thanks alot.

[Anonymous]

I have always soaked it in brake fluid for several hours (plastic models, never could afford brass but it should work on that to). Mike

[Anonymous]

I have used the brake fluid method for the past ten years and I have been pretty happy with it, but just recently I gave something else a shot. It's made by Scalecoat and it's a paint stripper for plastic models. It is not only more effective than brake fluid, it works in a matter of minutes instead of hours. It's easier to clean up and it doesn't smell nearly as bad as brake fluid (work with brake fluid for a few years and you'll understand how irritating the smell is). Not only that, I've found that some paint is impervious to brake fluid (such as the paint used on the Atlas wide vision caboose) but the same paint can't stand up to the Scalecoat stuff.
For metal (such as stripping that thick detail obscuring paint Athearn applies to their frames), I tried the Scalecoat metal stripper to no avail. Not even a dent in the paint. I tried straight lacquer thinner. Nothing. Then I tried a product I picked up at Wal-Mart for $3.77 called "Klean-Strip Brand Premium Stripper." This stuff works on metal like you wouldn't believe. The paint peeled like a redhead at the Gulf of Mexico.
Although I can't promise you any results with acrylic paints, Floquil, Scalecoat, and the paints used by Athearn, Atlas, Bachmann, Life-Like, and MDCRoundhouse will all fall victim to the two products I mentioned. Good luck.

[thirdrail1]

DO NOT use brake fluid on Life-Like or Kato shells, it will cause them to become very brittle and crack. One method I picked up on another forum that I would not have thought of worked on Micro-trains shells, Spray Easy-Off oven cleaner on the model and seal it in a plastic zip-lock bag overnight. The paint peels right off in the AM. Floquil's ELO (Easy Lift Off) is slow, but works well and does not damage any plastic I've used it on.