How to Clean Locomotive Wheels

Keeping locomotive wheels clean is essential for trains to run smoothly. Any dirt can cause a break in the circuit and result in locos juddering or stalling. In this video I'll show you two ways that I keep my locomotive wheels clean.

The first way is gentle and uses Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) to chemically clean any grime off the wheels. Simply use a cotton bud dipped in IPA to rub the areas of the wheels that form part of the circuit. Any IPA left on the wheels will evaporate and you'll be left with nice clean wheels.

IPA is available from Ebay relatively cheaply and a large 1ltr bottle will last a very long time. Be sure to get 99.9% and observe all safety precautions when using it.

If you've got a significant amount of dirt that's built up over a longer period of time then you might need to use something more abrasive such as the TRIX wheel cleaning brush (previously branded as Conrad Electronic). This will very quickly remove any particles on the wheels. Avoid using this method too often since, although the brushes are relatively soft, they can still scratch the wheels. Do not use the brush on wheels with traction tyres, it will destroy them.

The TRIX wheel brush cleaner is available from a number of places including The Model Centre (https://www.themodelcentre.com/66602-..., but search around on Google for the best price and availability.

Let me know if you know any other good ways of keeping wheels clean.

Ebay and Amazon Affiliate Links
(Full disclosure, as an Amazon Associate and Ebay partner I earn from qualifying purchases through these links and this helps to support the channel)

Isopropyl Alochol (IPA):
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Labelle 106:
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Oil:
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