Cleaning a Lionel 6465 Cities Service tank car

[FaceXIII]

I recently acquired a Cities Service tanker, one side is in very nice shape and the other side is ok but can use a good cleaning. I tried gently brushing off the dirt with a dry soft bristled brush and I also cleaned out the small hard to get spots very gently with a dry q-tip. It still is dirty and due to the fragile nature of the postwar paint and stamping I'm afraid to get it wet. Does anyone have any experience in cleaning this tank car? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[tjl0824]

Just stick right in the sink, water won't hurt it. Use a little bit of dish soap and a soft brush. Be very gentle around the letters when you scrub it though, they will come off if your not careful because I believe they're rubber stamped. As for the paint, there is none since it is molded in color. Most of the time the paint that Lionel used in the postwar and prewar eras is quite durable, it's just the lettering you have to be careful with.

Trevor

[FaceXIII]

Thanks for the response but this car is definitely painted green. I'm just trying to figure out how durable this color is because red and silver have no durability at all.

[tjl0824]

I'd say you good, it isn't going to wash off. You could try using a damp rag if your more comfortable with that. I will agree that they did have some bad silver paint because I've never gotten anything silver clean.

[FaceXIII]

You were right its clean and everything is all good. I decided to use a plain Armor All wipe because soap and water just didn't cut through the dirt. It worked perfectly and I dried it out by carefully dabbing what I wiped with a tissue. Nice and clean now! I know it has been a topic on here from time to time but Armor All really does work wonders.

[LoggingLocoNut105]

not to long ago a good friend of mine sent me a post war lionel 6465 tanker, he told me it looked like a 3 year old painted it and he was right, at closer inspection and doing some research on the 6465 on the post war lionel library i found out that the one i have is in the orange lionel lines scheme, this is a photo of the 6465 i have and im sure you can see what im talking about now my plan is to try and salvage it by trying to get the black paint off without ruining the lettering ( the lionel logo, road number and lionel lines road name on each side). i was thinking nail polish remover would work but i won't want to take a chance and end up making the poor tanker worse then it is, you can probably see the predicament im in, any help would be great and very much appreciated

[Curmudgeon]

"Lionel Lines - This roadname was produced in two different color variations -- black or orange. The black version is a one-year only item from 1959 and is somewhat hard to find. The orange version is a common tank car and produced from 1960 until 1966. Although the orange tank car is a common item, it is usually found in less than collectable condition -- those in collectable condition will warrant a slight premium in price."

http://www.postwarlionel.com/cgi-bin/postwar?ITEM=6465

"1958 - 1966: AAR trucks, two operating couplers, molded plastic handrailings and metal tabs securing the body to the frame. "

Not a rare piece, and in the condition shown, not commanding of a premium in pricing.

That said, I would try some Testors/PollyS decal and paint remover, and a bunch of Q-tips. Start on an area with no lettering, see how it does. LIGHT applications on lettering areas, wiping clean, kill the process with water.

You will probably find the lettering is damaged anyway, hard play use over the years, but once you get the paint off, you can decide how to proceed.

[LoggingLocoNut105]

thank you for the help, currently i don't know where i can purchase some Testors/PollyS decal and paint remover, so i was wondering if nail polish remover would work just as well

[jeffrey-wimberly]

I use non-acetone nail polish remover for removing decals. It's safe for plastics. The regular acetone nail polish remover will melt plastic.

[LoggingLocoNut105]

ah alright makes sense, is there anything else that would remove the paint safely without ruining the decals? it looks to me that its spray paint that they used on this old tanker

[Prairietype]

I have had occasional success with cars that have been blemished like this using mineral spirits and a q-tip.  It will likely take a long time to work the over paint free but mineral spirits will soften paint, and with care you can scrub the top layer off.  The lettering would be the greatest challenge, and you would likely lose some detail because it will be really hard to elimate all the paint and avoid that moment when the lettering begins to rub away.  This will be like micro-surgery, but It could be done, as an experiment. 

To remove the paint even more quickly, except for the lettered areas, soak it in a strong mix of Tide powered detergent and hot water. Avoid the lettered ares, and be careful. It may speed the removal of the paint on the the other parts.  Tide works very fast and I think in this case would remove that paint in 30-45 minutes.

These type of projects can be fun, are good practice and learning experiences, and with ideal results really satisfying.

[Prairietype]

I have a Cities Service tank car that was dirty like yours,  I let it soak in dishawashing liguid for ten minutes and then use a 1 inch paint brush to soft scrub/ blush the grime away.  This works better for areas of concerns than other types of brushes.  I also use tooth brushes. the softer ther better, and this is the next tool I use after the paint brush.  After drying, Armorall.

 I think Armorall has a healing quality for plastic and even paint. It initially puts a too glossy superficial shine but after sitting for thirty minutes or so, I get the excess off with a q tip or paper towell. Cars and locomotives look great, I have done this on many items and none have showed any long term negative effects

[sulafool]

Agree with Prairietype. ArmorAll is to plastic as hand lotion is to dry skin. It works wonders evening out old finishes that may be blotchy for whatever reason. Also, if you think it is too shiny even after a rubdown, it will rinse right off with plain water.