What Do You Use To Clean & Polish Your Live Steam Loco's ???

I tell you what, cleaning a 45mm gauge loco is nothing compared with cleaning a 16' steam launch..... It led me to total distraction at times... I'd spend hours with brasso and wax, it was all brass and varnish.... But a mild spray with salt water and it was all instantly undone and what was worse the salt spray etched into the brass surface... I had the whistle gold plated, didn't cost much and it did work.... then some pompous twit of a judge would address the crowd at a concourse event and give everyone a hard time because there was 'evidence' of salt on the surfaces..... I gave up in the end and just went out in my steamboat for my own enjoyment .....
 
LlongfordRailway said:
Seems as thought you have your answer but I will put my two peneth in.

On my 45mm engines and 5" gauge coal fired polly I use a bike chain cleaner which cleans dirt, oil and grime (literally drips off) so it is totally clean metal (no oil or grime), I wipe away the chess and oil round again.

No problems thus far and works for coal and gas steam engines small and large!

Kind regards

Daniel
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Hi Daniel
The bike chain cleaner that you use it it like Muckoff that i use on my mountain bikes ? Also have some spray polish to use on the frames to stop mud sticking will have a read on the label as this may work on loco's too . What do you think of the spray cleaner ploish that i have put as a link in my first posting ?
 
I have used cheap washing-up liquid, warm water and a 1/4 " paint brush for both the painted areas and running gear on my Accucraft Lyn & Lawley. However, resently i felt that it may be a good idea to use something to ensure the bearing etc are truley clean inside. For this I purchased a readly available auto cold engine cleaner.
Steam oil residue on painted areas was not removed but when Lawley was tuned over to clean the running gear the coal fell out of the bunker !
Sometimes the low cost options are better then the High Tech !!

Regards
Alex
 
I use Wurth brand Brake and parts cleaner on my running gear I get it from a auto shop.
Just sprays on.
? Will clean oil, dirt and friction material dust.
? Isopropyl alcohol based.
? Does not contain chlorhydric acids, C.F.C.
or aromatics.
? Provides optimum cleaning with fast
evaporation.
? Leaves no residue.
? Just remember to re lubricate once cleaning finished as it does do a good job of removing all buildup clean back to clean metal, it's safe to on Paint work.
 
stevedenver said:
had enough????:bigsmile:
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No way, I love Pope jokes, well the whole thing is a joke.... Religious jokes are always good especially when SDA's or Witneses, Mormons or other religious zealots call, a good joke sends them on their bicycles.....
Did you hear the one about the Mormons and the tram??
Two crisp young Mormons were door knocking a suburb in Melbourne, They were working their way down a street where the No69 tram runs to St Kilda. Anyway they propped their cycles up against the fence of a terrace house and go to the front door the resident gives them the heave ho so they retreat next door. The next door resident sees what is happening and phones his neighbour " I'll keep keep them talking, you lay their bikes on the tram tracks the 10:27 to St Kilda will slow them down........"

And so it came to pass that the Mormons Cycles were macerated by the tram, the 2 cohorts were charged and fined and the Mormons have never been seen in Carlisle St since...

Not funny but unfortuantley true
 
tramcar trev said:
stevedenver said:
had enough????:bigsmile:
Click to expand...
No way, I love Pope jokes, well the whole thing is a joke.... Religious jokes are always good especially when SDA's or Witneses, Mormons or other religious zealots call, a good joke sends them on their bicycles.....
Did you hear the one about the Mormons and the tram??
Two crisp young Mormons were door knocking a suburb in Melbourne, They were working their way down a street where the No69 tram runs to St Kilda. Anyway they propped their cycles up against the fence of a terrace house and go to the front door the resident gives them the heave ho so they retreat next door. The next door resident sees what is happening and phones his neighbour " I'll keep keep them talking, you lay their bikes on the tram tracks the 10:27 to St Kilda will slow them down........"

And so it came to pass that the Mormons Cycles were macerated by the tram, the 2 cohorts were charged and fined and the Mormons have never been seen in Carlisle St since...

Not funny but unfortuantley true
Click to expand...

I dunno, Trev, I thought it was funny too..... ;)

Very Old Joke:

A truck driver was having a quiet breakfast at a truck stop when four bikers walk in, sit down at his table and start taking the mickey out of him, nicking his food and generally winding him up. After a few minutes of these taunts, the driver calmly gets up from his unfinished breakfast, put his jacket on and walks out. One of the bikers says to the waitress: "Huh, he's not much of a man, is he?" The waitress looks out of the window and replies: "he's not much of a driver either, he's just reversed his truck over four motorbikes...."

Jon.
 
I clean the motion down with a cloth while still warm - the rest I subscribe to the Tony Willmore way - once a year, need it or not.....
 
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