What is the best way to remove the road numbers off the side of a MOPAC SD-40-2 Athearn unit?
I use Polly S Lift Off Paint and Decal remover. It works wonders with the road numbers. I use a Qtip dippped in the remover, let the model sit for a bit, then with the same Qtip, rub the number off.
There will be some decal "crumbs" that will smear, but a new Qtip and a quick swipe, followed by washing in soap and water will work.
HOWEVER, be careful because it is "paint remover" as well. If you rub too much, or leave the remover on longer and it dries, the next use will remove the paint as well.
Another option, is to paint over the numbers (works expemely well with Athearn UP units in the current scheme) and then place new decals over the old numbers.
John Shriver
One of the "safer" and more time-proven ways of removing fleet numbers from Athearn eqipment is to use a Q-tip and Walthers (Hobsco) "Solvaset" decal setting solution.
Just dip the Q-tip into Solvaset, and then rub gently for a few moments on the number intended to be removed, and it will (usually) remove it right away. Sometimes the numbers might be a little
stubborn and take a little more application of Solvaset, but it is much safer tha using a product which is also a paint remover such as Poly-S ELO.
I think I heard of modellers using Solvaset to remove factory-"painted" numbers about 30 years ago. I seem to remember that in those days, modellers mentioned that the lettering/numbering on Athearn
equipment was basically printers ink, not paint. While I haven't bought any Athearn equipment in years (nothing against them, they just do NOT make "N" scale), I may be wron about how they do
lettering nowadays. Maybe it's the same, maybe not. (Honestly, I rarely even look at Athearn stuff, as I usually deal with an N-scale exclusive dealer nowadays!)
Steve Hoskins
I don't see any replies to your question yet so I'm going to run through all the methoids I know of and you can pick.
1.-Denatured Alcohol and a Q-tip dip the Q-tip in the alcohol and see if rubbing it on the lettering will remove it.
2.-Dry pencil reaser, just rub the letters with it.
3.-Denatured Alcohol and an everyday pencil eraser same thing.
4.Elecpic Draftsman eraser turn it on press it on the letters and rub them out.
The next ones are a little risky.
5.-A tooth pick and some Comet Cleaner, dampen the end of a tooth pick, pickup a dab of the clenser and rub just the letter to be removedcheckind every so often to see how much of the letter has been
removed, as it comes off move to the spots where the letters are still showing, if you keep rubbing on the painted area the cleaner will eat away the paint.
6.-(this is a last resort if you ask me) Polly-S Easy Lift Off or ELO as its called and a small tooth brush dip the brush and start scrubbing the area with the lettering to be removed, be very
carefull to keep the brush on the letters the ELO will take the paint off also very easily, again check your woor often, and last sometimes when I've used EOL it makes the paint in the area I cleaned
look a little faded from the rest of the model but after lettering and spraying on some flat finish it looks better,,,Good luck removing the unwanted items.
Booker