# How to clean wheels on rolling stock



## cboisits (Nov 22, 2015)

So I cleaned my track and it is "pristine". I cleaned the wheels of my locomotives with a trick I saw on youtube and they are "pristine" too. So now the track and the locomotive wheels are perfect but what about the plastic wheels on my rolling stock. My method of cleaning the wheels involves alcohol, these pointy q-tips that women use to take off makeup, and a lot of patience. I'd rather buy new wheels than go through all that hell. Does anyone have a secret method to cleaning plastic wheels? Or should I just convert to all metal wheel sets?


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

I don't have an answer, just another question: If metal wheels on locos and plastic wheels on cars get dirty, wouldn't metal wheels on cars get dirty too?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Soak a rag or paper towel in alcohol and lay it over a piece of track. Place the car on it and roll it back and forth a few times. Make sure the flanges are down in the web of the rail. Repeat with the next car. Move the towel when it gets dirty.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thank you!


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## cboisits (Nov 22, 2015)

Yeah, that's how I clean my locomotives. I never tried it with rolling stock though because their is no friction or rubbing involved when you roll a box car over a tissue soaked in alcohol. At least with a locomotive you can put one truck on the soaked tissue part and the other truck on bare rails to get power to the loco and spin those wheels on the alcohol soaked tissue thus giving it a good cleaning. The best method I have ever tried. Hands down. I'll try it with the rolling stock but I just can't imagine that method working if you just roll it over it. Thank you though. I will give it a try.


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## cboisits (Nov 22, 2015)

Wow. It worked. Sorry for doubting you. I appreciate your help.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

No worries! I see when I said to make sure the flanges are down in the web of the rail, I probably should have said, "apply a gentle downward pressure." I knew it would work, though -- I' ve been doing it for years.


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## sachsr1 (Mar 3, 2016)

I just pop them off, and throw them in an ultrasonic cleaner


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Metal wheels & dirt*



Fire21 said:


> I don't have an answer, just another question: If metal wheels on locos and plastic wheels on cars get dirty, wouldn't metal wheels on cars get dirty too?


Fire 21;

Yes, you are right, metal wheels on cars do get dirty too. Metal wheels don't seem to pick up, and especially stick to, dirt quite as much as plastic wheels do. The most common reasons for switching to metal wheels are that they are better rolling, and add a little weight to a car. Also high quality replacement wheelsets, like those from Fox Valley Models, or Intermountain, are in proper gage, and have shallow flanges. Both these things help with smoother tracking, especially through turnouts. The somewhat less frequent cleaning is sort of a side benefit.

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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