Rescuing an 0-4-0?

It's often difficult to imagine what goes through peoples minds when you see this sort of thing. It has all the hallmarks of youngster's first efforts at "customising" (oh come on, we all did it) The big problem that gloss enamel given enough time is the devil to get off without ruining the original paint job . I'd suggest taking back it to raw plastic and starting again. If the name plates are moulded in they wont be affected by stripping and if they're add-on brass they should be ok too. some aftermarket name plates were made of "stick on" paper label but those look like brass to me so there shouldn't be a problem. There are some good model painter strippers on the market but ordinary brake fluid should work just as well. Another option is oven cleaner but this is usually made with caustic so you should be careful. Brake fluid should less damaging to any metal part such as hand rails. Remove any parts you can and soak the body in the fluid and wait. The paint should lift within hours and you can use a old toothbrush to clean it up with warm soapy water. Don't forget to try a little test on a hidden surface before you dunk the whole thing. If it all goes the Shape of the Pear there may be loco body kits available that would fit on the chassis. Then re-paint with your medium of choice. Halford car aerosols are pretty good if you don't want to brush paint and don't own an airbrush. HTH

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 15:11:00 +0100, " Les Pickstock" wrote in message :
Seconded. Go over the thick paint gently with abrasive first to help the brake fluid penetrate.