ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
I have searched on this forum and found severeal ideas for cleaning the gunk off of my wheels and I will try these methods shortly. However, I am very curious to know why my LGB locomotive wheels are shiny and my diesel wheels are CAKED!! Both locos run on the same track so why the difference in appearance? Are the materials that these old REA wheels are made from poor VS the LGB wheels?
I have had both units since they were new and have never cleaned the track or the wheels. They have also always been run indoors.
I'm not 100% certain, but I believe what you're looking at on the F7 is a coating to increase traction. The area on the outer wheel has the coating worn off.
It looks like the first loco has nickel silver plated wheels. The second one probably has steel or iron wheels which get dirty over time due to electrical arcing.
It looks like the first loco has nickel silver plated wheels. The second one probably has steel or iron wheels which get dirty over time due to electrical arcing.
So it looks like my wheels are poor quality. This loco is old! Its actually made by REA before it became Aristocraft. Does anyone know where I could buy replacement wheels?
No I have not had the time to clean them yet but I planned on doing the same thing as what was posted in the link you gave but with acetone instead. This CRC stuff might be better?!?! Who knows. I think I will try the CRC stuff first since this guy says the trains creep along very slowly. Mine wouldn't do that right now if I tried. The two F7 units are very herky jerky at low speeds. I will publish my results with a video perhaps.......
I am very disapponited in the quality of the F7 wheels VS the LGB wheels. LGB sure does build some great quality products I wish they were still around in their original form as a company. Who is producing LGB anymore? The English version of the Marklin site offers very little.
Personally, I've never used electronic cleaner on any HO models of mine. I'm older then that stuff is but I have used it on electrical components as in computer stuff and it works like a charm.
I would highly recommend it as a first attempt, though.
I am going to snoop around the thermodynamics lab tomorrow and see if I can't score a bottle of this stuff. If it works, I'll go buy a few cans from a hardware store.
As a comparison, Radio Shack sells it for $10 a small can... Extremely high! I didn't know it sold anywhere else.
I hope you can find it cheaper. I'm out myself and need another can so I'll be looking around, too. (I fix and repair my own PC, BTW.)
Unfortunatley I've already had the experience of acetone and plastic. When I was a kid I tried to change ther color of a toy car and instead it changed the toy car. I'l be careful with the acetone if I ever use it. For now I will use the CRC stuff in an aerosol can.
