# Washing my AF cars



## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

This morning I decided to wash a couple of my AF cars. They
had 60 plus years of grime on them. Never been cleaned. I
remembered a post that flyernut had posted about a red box
car that he had added to his collection. I do not remember the
car number. He had stated he washed it in hot soapy water. How
hard could that be. The car looked new and beautiful after its
bath. I started with boxcar 923. It did not come with my set and I do not remember when or where I got it. I looked at the car
and figured flyernut had removed the body from the frame.
Holding the body was 4 press pins. I carefully used a small screw driver and gently pried the body loose. The pins stayed in the frame. On the other end I was not as gentle. The 2 pins went flying. I did find them. I washed the 923 body and it looks much better. A few scrapes show that I had not noticed. The paint and
lettering did fine. Now time to wash my 639 yellow boxcar. It
did not fair so well. The lettering must have been a water soluble paint. AMERICAN FLYER and car number are pretty much gone.
It is fine. The car was not mint and it needed a bath. So here is
my conclusion, you can give 900 series cars a bath. Not so much
the 600 series. Just curious, has anybody experienced this.


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## chevelle454 (Jan 15, 2017)

I washed my 639 boxcars, the lettering didn't come off. I run warmish/hot water over the car, put some dish soap on a toothbrush and wet it, and scrub the car. Haven't damaged any lettering yet. Cleaned 631, 630, 625, 642, 641, 640, 632 etc never had any problems.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Just did my 938 caboose and it came out fine. I did very little scrubbing on 639.
Lettering came off very easily. Water shouldn't dilute the paint but it did on mine. No biggie. I used Dawn dish soap. If it is fine for little ducklings it shouldn't hurt AF cars.
I am glad to have them clean. I think at one time I had the Gulf oil tanker and maybe a gondola but they are not with the rest of my AF stuff. I have the 640 coal hopper.
Funny how you notice stuff after cleaning. Every brake wheel is gone. I see them on ebay cheap. I might be able to
find a decal set for my 639. Like I said, no biggie, it is still a AF car. The yellow didn't come off.


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

I also only use Dawn dish soap with warm water. I'm very careful around all lettering using only light pressure with a small soft brush. Haven't heard of black lettering coming off. I know red paint especially on metal accessories will rub off. Some 639 boxcars came in yellow plastic while others were painted yellow over yellow, black, or white plastic. Flyer also made Red and brown 639 boxcars. These were uncatalogued cars for the leader prices sets, not for separate sale. 639 also came as a refrigerator car in yellow plastic or painted, and cream plastic. Most 639 boxcars came without brake wheels. There should be signs if a brake wheel was broken off. Maybe just re-letter your 639 and pick up another one off ebay, they are inexpensive and usually plentiful. The 923 refrigerator car didn't come with a brake wheel either, if I remember correctly.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

That explains all my brake wheels missing. Never there. I looked, none are broke off stem
in hole. They don't look like they were ever there.
Here is a pic of my 639. It was very black lettering. Looks faded now. My 639 is yellow plastic with yellow paint. You can see it was not in great shape anyway. I can always get another one.
This one is fine and it is clean. LOL.


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

I see that its a refrigerator car, not a boxcar. Common mistake. Notice the "v" shaped latch on the door. Should also have ice hatches on the roof at each end. Almost looks like cream plastic.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Car does have the ice hatches. I never noticed that. I agree the scrapes look like white or cream plastic, Car is yellow inside, no paint, different yellow than outside. My orange
Illinois Central 923 have the hatches also. Bath water didn't hurt 923 lettering at all.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Too bad on that ref. car.I have MANY boxcars, and none of them have experienced the problem you described. The plastic ones usually clean up very nicely, and if you hit them with a shot of pledge, they really shine. The painted ones not so much, and especially the 923. It just doesn't shine up that well. On stubborn chassis pins, if you take your soldering iron and just touch the pins for a few seconds, the pins will come out with no damage. The same with door pins. Just don't pry on the plastic shell, you will break it.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

Can't really see the shine on these, but these babies shine!!


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

mopac said:


> Car does have the ice hatches. I never noticed that. I agree the scrapes look like white or cream plastic, Car is yellow inside, no paint, different yellow than outside. My orange
> Illinois Central 923 have the hatches also. Bath water didn't hurt 923 lettering at all.


I suspect it is painted on the inside as well, just hasn't faded over the years. If the outside is showing a yellow paint over a cream colored plastic, I doubt the inside is a different material.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I guess when AF made my 639 they ran out of correct paint that day and used
water color paint. Its fine. Still going to use car. Might even custom paint it and 
and get some decals. And then buy me another 639. They are all over for 10 bucks.
I was just wondering if it had happened to anybody else. Looks like I am the only lucky
guy.

I agree highvoltage. Outside looks painted, inside doesn't. I have put it back together
or I would take a pic. Matters not.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Flyernut, I really like those brown cars. They look good.


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

There are many examples of variations with Flyer. Probably had to do with production schedules more than anything else. If certain color plastics weren't available to meet quotas of a production run, then painting was an option. Also, remember Flyer didn't prime anything so there is a possibility that paint at different times didn't adhere the same. One could spend a lot of time just studying variations with Flyer. Nice looking cars flyernut.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> Flyernut, I really like those brown cars. They look good.


As I stated sometime ago, I collected all the trains I had as a kid, and the brown reefers are one of those cars that was pulled by a 302. I've always loved the link coupler cars as I had those and the knuckle couplers cars as a kid. If you shake the link coupler cars, they have a special noise that sends me back 60 years, and the smell of pine from the Christmas tree... The pictures don't do them justice; I see "faded" spots on the bodies, but believe me, it's all in the lighting.. I've always bought the best cars I could afford, and these babies are nice.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

cramden said:


> There are many examples of variations with Flyer. Probably had to do with production schedules more than anything else. If certain color plastics weren't available to meet quotas of a production run, then painting was an option. Also, remember Flyer didn't prime anything so there is a possibility that paint at different times didn't adhere the same. One could spend a lot of time just studying variations with Flyer. Nice looking cars flyernut.


Thank you.. I have a lot of them, lol.. They bring me back to my child-hood... Miss you Dad, and now Mom....


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Flyernut, I see both of your 642 reefers have the 3 spring trucks making then my likely 1952 production. They are nice. 
I have been told by several of the old time experts back in the early '80's that some of the car stampings as well as the red on the 755 Talking Station were ink, not paint. They told me to never use water on the 755 and be careful on some of the cheaper freight cars since the ink will wash off.


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

Interesting about the stampings being dye. I was told years ago to be careful about cleaning anything with red paint, the 755 and the 593 tower being two examples. I only was told that it would rub off with mild cleaning. I still don't use anything on red painted cars except a soft dry brush. Thanks for the information, now I know the reason.


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## cramden (Oct 13, 2015)

flyernut said:


> As I stated sometime ago, I collected all the trains I had as a kid, and the brown reefers are one of those cars that was pulled by a 302. I've always loved the link coupler cars as I had those and the knuckle couplers cars as a kid. If you shake the link coupler cars, they have a special noise that sends me back 60 years, and the smell of pine from the Christmas tree... The pictures don't do them justice; I see "faded" spots on the bodies, but believe me, it's all in the lighting.. I've always bought the best cars I could afford, and these babies are nice.


I was fortunate to convince my dad not to give the 3 original sets he bought for me and my younger brother away as we got older and they were replaced at Christmas time with HO. Those eventually went to the neighborhood kids. I became interested in them again after he passed in 1982. That led to my renewed interest in all things Flyer. There is never a time when I run or just look at them that doesn't take me back to those early times with dad and my brother.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

cramden said:


> I was fortunate to convince my dad not to give the 3 original sets he bought for me and my younger brother away as we got older and they were replaced at Christmas time with HO. Those eventually went to the neighborhood kids. I became interested in them again after he passed in 1982. That led to my renewed interest in all things Flyer. There is never a time when I run or just look at them that doesn't take me back to those early times with dad and my brother.


I had 4 sets as a kid. Engines were a K335, a 302, a 355, and the coveted MP set made in 1963-64. All were complete sets, with boxes, headed by the above-mentioned engines. Also, a pair of 720a switches,remote un-couplers, lots of rubber road-bed, and quite a lot of plasticville. While I was in the service, Dad sold everything but the plasticville for......wait for it.......$50 bucks!!!!!


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

O M G !!! What can I say. Hard to let that go isn't it. Your dad probably figured trains were for kids. And you weren't a kid anymore. I had a bunch of metal trucks when I was a kid. These were big enough trucks I could sit on and roll around. These trucks bring
big bucks now. We won't even get into my tu-tone pedal car or my baseball cards from
the 50's. Or my complete Davey Crocket outfit. I am lucky to still have my 282 from when
I was 5. I do still have my Davey Crocket wooden toy box. My toy box is empty.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I understand more why you had to get the newer MoPac passenger set. The newer
shells were made from the original castings. The newer motors are probably better.
I do not know.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

mopac said:


> O M G !!! What can I say. Hard to let that go isn't it. Your dad probably figured trains were for kids. And you weren't a kid anymore. I had a bunch of metal trucks when I was a kid. These were big enough trucks I could sit on and roll around. These trucks bring
> big bucks now. We won't even get into my tu-tone pedal car or my baseball cards from
> the 50's. Or my complete Davey Crocket outfit. I am lucky to still have my 282 from when
> I was 5. I do still have my Davey Crocket wooden toy box. My toy box is empty.


Man, all those toys you mentioned bring back memories!! I have my Dad's Buddly L pressed metal dump truck from the 20's, and I rode on that too!! It was so heavy I had a hard time picking it up. I also have his kid movie projector, along with several cartoons.. And the crown jewel of Dad's toys is the all original standard gauge passenger set, still in it's original boxes. I also had a Davey Crokket **** skin hat, along with my many Fanner 50 pistols and Winchesters..


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