How to Clean an Old Lionel Train Engine

Wash the train using a washcloth or a soft brush. If there's rust on the train car, sand it down with sandpaper or a non-metallic kitchen scrubbing pad. However, if you're cleaning tracks at the same time, do not sand the tracks. Small bits of metal could lodge in the tracks, eventually getting picked up by the trains that run on them. The metal scraps could cause permanent damage to the cars.

Raise the roof if you can, by removing the screws that hold it in place or by unsnapping it, depending on what kind of roof it is. Remove the truck, which is held in place by either a cotter pin or a lock washer. It's possible to unbend the tabs to enable you to remove trim pieces, but it's usually not necessary.

Using soap, water and cotton swabs, delicately clean as much of the inside of the car as possible. If necessary, you can use the point of a utility knife to remove built-up dirt. Rinse the car, then hand dry thoroughly so that you don't risk rust building up in it.

Dip a cotton swab in light oil spray and carefully remove any dirt that's left. Saturate the cotton swab with the light oil spray, then run it around the wheels of the car.

Use a toothpick to pick up drops of oil so that you can reach the small parts that enable the train to move. This will help keep the pieces lubricated to make the car run easier. Put the car back together by replacing the trim, locking the truck back in place, and snapping the roof back on. Your car is now clean and ready to roll.