Cleaning oil from a painted surface?

[letsgored]

A locomotive I own has gotten some of its lubrication oil up on the painted body. I used Q-tips to dab up what I could, but there are still visible patches of oil residue. Is there any way to clean/wa***he oil residue off without harming the paint or am I better off just accepting the oil stains? Will they fade over time? (Oil doesn't really evaporate (right?), so I assume they won't just disappear on their own.)

[Anonymous]

just take the shell off and wash it with soap and a soft coth. welcome to the forum

[Anonymous]

how did you get the oil on there in the first place? what scale, era, ect you model?

[letsgored]

Danny, thanks for the welcome. I’ve been in the hobby about a year and have lurked around this forum some but never posted before starting this thread.

The engine in question is an Atlas n-scale RS-1 painted for the NYC (Altas part no. 44010 or 44011). I won two of them on eBay and they both appear to be in virtually mint condition (and someone had even installed MT couplers in place of the Rapidos) except one of them had some oil on its hood and cab that I’m assuming came from the trucks, got on the plastic lining in the case, and then from there onto the engine’s body. I don’t think I’d be comfortable giving the body a full washing since it is painted with crisp “laser” writing that I don’t want to disturb (although maybe the paint is sturdier than I’m giving it credit for) and it has delicate railings all around. Maybe I can “spot” wash it using Q-Tips dipped into a solution of water and Dawn dish detergent and just rubbing the tip over the oil spots? Although I'd then probably have a problem of washing off the soap residue.

[Anonymous]

Soap and water will not harm a painted shell whatsoever. Just remove the shell from the frame, then gently wash it with warm soapy water, and rinse with just warm water until you are sure there are no soap residue left. Then just leave it on a paper towel to air dry so you won't leave any lint.

Good luck.