How do i get the paint off a locomotive?


First thing to try is using some 70% rubbing alchohol. Dip the shell in a pann and submerge it for about 15 minutes. Use an old, soft toothbrush to then remove the paint from the shell. Sometimes it's an easy process and other times it takes several treatments. Some people have reported that Pine-Sol also does a good job. You didn't mention it but make sure you have all the transparent plastic off the shell as well as the alcohol will make it fog over.
 
91% works better then 70%. Also, try Pine-sol. I start with pine-sol, then use the 91% to clean up the groves.
 
One thing to keep in mind, especially if you're stripping a Kato shell: Never use brake fluid! It turns some brands of plastic as brittle as potato chips, they crumble in your fingers as soon as you try to pick them up.

91% alcohol has always worked very well for me.
 
The 91% alcohol definitely works faster but I've found the 70% rubbing alcohol usually does the job with a longer soak and a little more scrubbing. I use the rubbing alcohol because it's more easily available and cheaper. I've never tried the Pine-Sol trick before but I'm going to use it on my next strip job since so many people seem to think it does a good job. I've used brake fluid before and it does a great job stripping but I've run into some of the problems Ken describes. It's usually not the whole shell but some detail parts that are made of engineering plastic don't like brake fluid and they break off very easily.
 
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