Cleaning old loco wheels.

[Anonymous]

Is it OK to clean the dirt off of loco wheels with alcohol? This is a 30 year old Loco that was pretty neglected. It runs after a warm up but it's pretty rough starting out. Just want to see if I can get the thing running smooth again.

[cacole]

Yes, rubbing alcohol should cause no harm to the wheels, since they are metal. You probably also need to lubricate the motor bearings, gears, and drive rods if it is a steam model. Models from the era you're talking about probably also picked up current from the tender wheels, so don't forget to clean them, too.

[Budliner]

try running the loco on some cloth over the track and 1/2 on & 1/2 off it works well

[Anonymous]

I cleaned a Lionel HO 2-6-2 steamer, first time in 30 plus years with MAAS metal cleaner.

Automotive polishing compound has a similar effect.

Turn the loco over, connect power leads from the track to the pick ups ,
throttle up and apply the cleaner. Follow up with a clean untreated cloth.

[nfmisso]

Make sure that you do not get the alcohol or the MAAS on the painted plastic......