Mould(?) appearing on a Tri-ang 0-4-0 (R.355G): Help / advice wanted.

[Harland Duzen]

Hello everyone and good evening!

 

I've been casually following a few forums and dioramas here since getting into Model Railways at the start of the year (long time lurker, first time poster so to speak)  and I wanted to ask for some advice about dealing with possible mould on an old train bodyshell.

 

Back in January this year, I brought a Tri-ang 0-4-0 (R.355G) and this past Friday I discovered what looked like a white looking mould(?) on black parts of the body-shell and the Metal couplings. I tried removing it with some water and a cotton bud but it quickly reappeared and removed a tiny bit of paint from the roof. 

 

I haven't seen many other forums online mentioning how to deal with mould if it appears on model trains and I also saw it mentioned that the old paint might be oxidising due to having metal with it? 

 

Regardless, has anyone here had a similar issue and / or can recommend a way to fix and prevent it happening in the future?Would appreciate any advice. 

 

[Photo shows it after I attempted removing it, I realise now the cotton bud was not a good idea...]

[Nearholmer]

Does this loco live in its original polystyrene package?

[andyman7]

31 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Does this loco live in its original polystyrene package?

This one never came in polystyrene packaging, it dates from the era when Triang Hornby used vacuum formed trays to hold the model.

 

I don't think it's mould, it's a sort of bloom that can affect the matt painted parts of these locos depending on how they're stored. Is it in a room, loft or garage subject to temperature extremes?

[Harland Duzen]

36 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Does this loco live in its original polystyrene package?

 

Its been sitting on a shelf inside my house since I've brought it. I should have mentioned I also have a few other Tri-ang 0-4-0 and Hornby 101 Bodyshell's (with their paint removed or modern) sitting alongside it that haven't been affected.

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Harland Duzen
Adding more info.

[33C]

Out with the matt black Humbrol and repaint. A nice, thin coat should rejuvenate the model. (and touch in those chips)

[Nearholmer]

13 minutes ago, andyman7 said:

This one never came in polystyrene packaging

I should know that! I’ve still got my original one, in its original box, with cracked vac-formed tray.

[Harland Duzen]

27 minutes ago, 33C said:

Out with the matt black Humbrol and repaint. A nice, thin coat should rejuvenate the model. (and touch in those chips)

 

Thank you 33C, I had hoped I would't have to repaint it, but if it comes to that I will do it...

 

In that case, would I need to remove the old paint and how would I go about doing it carefully? It still has the "27" and black lining on the sides and don't want to lose it

Edited November 27, 2023 by Harland Duzen

[33C]

None of that malarkey! Just paint straight over. The original paint acts as your primer. You only need to do the smoke-box from what i can see. Use an old toothbrush to get the dust out of the corners before you paint. The running plate may need a touch up too. (the photo is very unforgiving!)

[Gilbert]

I'm hyper-cautious so I'd test a small section before slapping paint on everywhere...

 

Also - I'd use an old toothbrush to get at the "growth"

and..

Masking the green and red where you can will make life a lot easier in the long run..

Chris H

[Mallard60022]

I'd wash it carefully in warm water with maybe a little Toothpaste on a Toothbrush, acting as a cleaner. Dry Thoroughly...maybe with a Hairdryer? Brush carefully with some sort of soft brush...maybe a decent House Paintbrush. I can recommend Halfords Grey Plastic Primer and then Halfords Matt Black. You will need to carefully mask/tape off the rest of the Loco body or use some sort of masking solution in difficult areas, that peels off after the Paint has set.

Good luck.

Interestingly I've had a few items from Auctions that have arrived with what looks like very tiny Spider's Web or Insect silk, on certain parts! I reckon they have been in store, probably in a Loft, for quite some time. NO damage and the items were all in as new condition and work and were bargains!

I've also had/got Wrenn items, Loco's and Stock from the early 70s, that have moved from House to House with me. Original Packs. No rust, no deterioration and all work bar one where the Motor Magnet has become weak! The Pullman Coach Box Cellophane has become very brittle!

As far as I'm aware none of my stock has ever been stored in a damp place or where moisture could penetrate. I think I've been lucky rather than careful...except in the last 20 years when I've been far more fastidious in storage (not so tidy though!)

Phil

[Nearholmer]

Anyone have any idea what this “mould” might be?

 

Pity in many ways that the OP has partially cleaned already.

 

is is it likely to be actual mould? Feels unlikely to me, as I can’t see what it might feed on. Or, is it actually the residue of a long, slow chemical reaction?

 

 

[smokebox]

Could it just be dust sticking to the oily release agent from the moulding process or the plasticiser leeching from the plastic itself.

[Mallard60022]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Anyone have any idea what this “mould” might be?

 

Pity in many ways that the OP has partially cleaned already.

 

is is it likely to be actual mould? Feels unlikely to me, as I can’t see what it might feed on. Or, is it actually the residue of a long, slow chemical reaction?

 

 

 

If the model had been handled by kids in the distant past, then it could have got all sorts of 'stuff' on it that may have been 'organic'. I'll leave suggestions out!

Phil

 

[DCB]

Should have sold it as "Weathered"  I was asked how I weathered one of my Triang Halls, (It was just filthy as it has not been cleaned for about 20 years) and I stupidly cleaned a Wrenn 2-6-4 tank body to repaint it before I realised it looked really good for one in ex Barry condition rusting on a Preserved railway.   I wonder if it is some insect activity, I get spider droppings on coach roofs etc on occasions which is hard to remove, That light green might have attracted them.

[Wheatley]

I've had mould on things in the past mostly things which have been living in the 'unfinished projects' boxes which used to sit on shelves against an outside wall. The whole wall was prone to condensation (plastered cavity wall, no dry lining). I had bought a job lot of very smart A4 cardboard boxes from WHSmith and some of these had been growing a sort of whitish greenish mouldy bloom inside. The worst ones were binned, the rest given a wipe over with bleach and transferred to shelves on an inside wall, and the stuff in them cleaned with either  warm soapy water or white vinegar depending on what they were. A batch of old Airfix coaches were particularly affected, especially around the rubber gangways. I had a look under a field microscope and it was a sort of hairy crystalline deposit, very weird. 

 

The outside wall shelves have been replaced with Spur brackets so there is a 1/2" air gap between them and the wall, and everything on them is now in plastic Really Usefull Boxes with a bag of silica gel chucked in. 

[Les Bird]

If masking the green, I'd recommend Tamiya masking tape which is kind to the paint being covered.

[Mallard60022]

3 hours ago, Wheatley said:

I've had mould on things in the past mostly things which have been living in the 'unfinished projects' boxes which used to sit on shelves against an outside wall. The whole wall was prone to condensation (plastered cavity wall, no dry lining). I had bought a job lot of very smart A4 cardboard boxes from WHSmith and some of these had been growing a sort of whitish greenish mouldy bloom inside. The worst ones were binned, the rest given a wipe over with bleach and transferred to shelves on an inside wall, and the stuff in them cleaned with either  warm soapy water or white vinegar depending on what they were. A batch of old Airfix coaches were particularly affected, especially around the rubber gangways. I had a look under a field microscope and it was a sort of hairy crystalline deposit, very weird. 

 

The outside wall shelves have been replaced with Spur brackets so there is a 1/2" air gap between them and the wall, and everything on them is now in plastic Really Usefull Boxes with a bag of silica gel chucked in. 

I never thought to examine the 'stuff' but yes, that more or less describes what I had experienced, despite me saying it was web like.

Thanks.

Phil

[Harland Duzen]

Hello everyone and thank you for all the suggestions and advice so far. For everyone's interest, here are some better photos of it currently* and one I could find from April where the paint on the smoke box door looked pristine.

 

I'm still not sure what the mould or effect on the paint is but regardless, I should definitely give it a careful cleaning. 

 

I may also (somehow) remove the old Black Paint and give it a fresh coat of Modern Paint that hopefully won't have some kind of chemical reaction (other bodyshells I have in the same place are completely fine). 

 

 

Edit: Does anyone know if I applied isopropol alcohol by toothbrush onto the smokebox, if that might work in removing the old paint without having to submerge the entire body-shell (provided it's properly masked off) ?

 

 

*It does look dusty but the cotton bud shedded a lot of strands after I cleaned it. Secondly; when I brought it, I hadn't noticed the front steps were missing and sadly it arrived with the right hand side of the body shell snapped off, but I intend to glue it back on, replace the steps with 3D printed replacements and add a 3D printed Cab Interior eventually.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Harland Duzen
Adding Question

[Harland Duzen]

Update: Yesterday evening, I've now noticed that a 101 chassis* I have sitting next to my Tri-ang model also appears to have the same "mould" on it. Though with everyone's comments I now think it's just dust that's built up around it and I need to store them better.

 

 

*Chassis belongs to a R795 "Lion Works" I also brought used for an idea.

 

Having searched and seen a few videos on how to clean Model Trains (Particularly one by SDJR7F88 on Youtube) I'm thinking of getting a Dust Blower / Tiny Henry the Hoover and some cheap makeup brushes to clean everything before I decide to remove and repaint anything. Still thank you everyone for your advice.