Stripping paint off a AF tank car?

[LEE OLSON]

I have stripped the paint off numerous AF cabooses, gondolas and box cars using 91% isopropyl alcohol with great success. But a silver tank car is giving me grief. After a brief soaking, all the lettering floated away but just  a little of the paint. The worse part was that the body started to get spongy and soft ----  so much that I had to put on the tank ends and top hatch to hold the body shape. After rinsing it in water, it held its shape but I still need to get off the paint. Obviously, the alcohol attacks the black plastic so what do I try next without destroying the car?

[TrainLarry]

Try brake fluid in a small inconspicuous spot. It should not harm the plastic, but will take off the paint.

Larry

[8ntruck]

I've had success stripping silver paint off of a Lionel B-unit shell by soaking it in a cleaning product called Simple Green. I had to soak it for several weeks before the paint came lose.

[TRAINCAT]

Some trains like lionel post war ALCO's are made of ABS and alcohol WILL damage them. Try Purple power sold in auto part stores or oven cleaner.
Roger

[M. Mitchell Marmel]

I've had great success using generic "Electric Shave" lotion and chunks of Mr. Clean "Magic Erasers" to remove paint from plastic.  See my post earlier today entitled "(Iron) Horse of a Different Color"... 

Mitch

[Grizzly Adams]

I'm betting the makers of Electric Shave lotion are going to be thrilled to hear about this little tip! 

Seriously, are you just painting it on, or soaking the piece in it? 

[M. Mitchell Marmel]

I put the piece in a shallow tray, poured the lotion on, let it soak in for a few minutes and then wiped the lotion and paint off with the Magic Eraser chunk.  Does take a bit of scrubbing.  In the earlier demo at my train club, another bottle of Electric Shave had leaked onto a Tyco hopper painted bright silver, so the paint had been soaking for a couple hours; in that case, the paint wiped off with a paper towel, leaving bare unharmed plastic...

Mitch

[rtraincollector]

M. Mitchell Marmel

I put the piece in a shallow tray, poured the lotion on, let it soak in for a few minutes and then wiped the lotion and paint off with the Magic Eraser chunk.  Does take a bit of scrubbing.  In the earlier demo at my train club, another bottle of Electric Shave had leaked onto a Tyco hopper painted bright silver, so the paint had been soaking for a couple hours; in that case, the paint wiped off with a paper towel, leaving bare unharmed plastic...

Mitch

And when you get done you still have a after shave lotion you can use 

no seriously good tip from what he has shown that I'm going to remember. 

[TrainLarry]

The Electric Shave lotion contains alcohol, albeit diluted, so be careful with its use. Test in a hidden area first.

Larry

[M. Mitchell Marmel]

TrainLarry

The Electric Shave lotion contains alcohol, albeit diluted, so be careful with its use. Test in a hidden area first.

Larry

And note the safety label!  A "B" rating means that chemical resistant gloves (e.g. latex, vinyl, etc.) and safety goggles are required when working with this stuff! 

Any leftovers, you can have a nice refreshing shave.

If you dare. 

Mitch

[LEE OLSON]

So in the past 9 months, I have tried all sorts of fluids to strip an AF tank car but have avoided anything with alcohol as that appears to be the trouble maker. And the result was that nothing removed the paint completely ---- some sort of wore it off but that was probably due to using a stiff bristle brush. The final resort was wet sanding with 400 grit paper; messy and time consuming but now the paint is gone and the car is ready for a repaint. Thanks for the suggestions. Lee

[LittleTommy]

Lee, I have found the tank car paint so difficult to remove that I usually use just enough Floquil/Polly S Easy Lift Off Decal remover (I don't even know if this is still being made) to remove the lettering, then I apply a light coat of primer, then repaint and decal once the primer is completely dry. If one has a light touch applying the primer there is minimal loss of detail and it is one heck of a lot easier than completely stripping the car. Little Tommy