I have a question about brass interior parts. Should they be polishd up or given a protective coat and left as is? This applies to guages as well.

You're not going to leave them in the cab full time, are you?? I hope not. If you are only going to put them in for special occasions, why bother? Just use some Brasso once or twice a year.

Thanks K5, brasso sounds like it will be sufficient for a quick polish and shine up for special occasions.

I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I'd let the brass age gracefully. No lacquer, not much brasso. If peoples' hands rub it and make it shine, how beautiful.

For whatever reason, Brasso and other ammonia-laced polishing fluids are considered the Devil Incarnate in some quarters. It's fine if you're polishing an expendable brass railing or bell, but is supposedly murder for long-term use on an antique.

However, I'm now looking in the book "The Engine's Moan: American Steam Whistles" by my friend Ed Fagen, and in the chapter on restoration he recommends Brasso or straight soaking (for as long as a week, if needed) in ammonium hydroxide for light tarnish. For stronger tarnish of the heavy green/brown color, try liquid toilet bowl cleaner or muriatic (hydrochloric) acid (always add the acid to the water, not vice versa). Also suggested: Steel wool soaked in kerosene, as fine as needed to do the job.

But again, consider that in use, such valves may have seen little to no polishing.

Thanks Alexander. I just finished reading a railway book and it talks about using a rag with coal dust to wipe over the brass. I know that was during service and it would be easier to keep the brass clean.. Maybe the coal acts as a very mild abrasive?

Yeah, be a little careful with it. From what I've seen of it, it's powerful stuff.

On BCER 1225 we had to replace all the brass (hangers, seat handles, luggage racks, etc.). With the new brass, after polishing, we are having it powder coated.

Different world, same concept; in the US Navy, a place known for polished brass, it (was) tradition to use cigarette ashes and spit. Brasso was also common.

Bob

In the Navy we also used Never Dull wadding which worked great to touch things up, and also Hot Sauce. Since tradition was for the cooks to shine the bell they always had a ready supply. Also used to soak fire hose nozzles and wye gates in bug juice, the same juice the sailors drank on the mess decks.

I believe with brass the issue is long term leaching or weakening of the lead and tin. Excessive, corrosive chemical treatment will weaken these bonds and cause the brass to crack. In the live steam hobby, poor boiler water causes fittings made of cheaper soft brass to decompose and fail. The lesson being to either use bronze for fittings, better water, or both.

Thanks for all the comments and tips. I decided to use Never Dull and gave them a gentle polish as they do have a nice patina over the years. There were a couple of areas that had traces of green corrosion and this was removed with very fine scotchbright and then polished out. We had a discussion and although it would be nice to have the guages gleaming like new it wouldnt look right for the age of the locomotive.

Hello 6069,
I have a few brass steam whistles, I use Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish it's perfect for all metals, shines & Protects, that's on the label. It works very well. Just wipe on the polish leave it soak in for a bit then rub off, you'll see a diffrentence right away.

Good luck,
Len.

Thanks Len

Two things about Brasso: you need to be careful to remove all traces of it during polishing, and it is almost impossible to get the last dulling 'traces' off the surface without extensive polishing with a very clean rag or cloth.

Something to consider as an alternative, although it is not cheap, is a nominally British polish called 'Astonish'. At one time this was apparently set up to be telemarketed, and I found it being 'remaindered' out at a Walgreen's, of all places. I kind of pooh-poohed its claims for cleaning crud off stainless or copper-bottom cookware, but it really worked 'astonishingly' well, and I did not have either a scratching or residue problem with it. Whether any remaining traces in crevices or surface imperfections lead to corrosion, I don't know, but it can't be worse than Brasso residue and humidity, can it?

I grew up in a house full of brass hardware that I chose to polish and then keep polished. In the old days before EPA pollution regulations brass tarnished very quickly (as did sterling). I used a product called Glass Wax to keep the finish bright for a longer period of time, and this might still be a useful product. Some kinds of car wax may also be good.

I am assuming that we're talking about finish polishing, not bring up a weathered or corroded piece from as-found condition, right?

Personally, I like polished brass anywhere it shows pride of 'ownership', regardless of how humble the brass part might originally have been. But that brings up something at least hinted above: what a given piece is being restored 'to'. If it's a concours restoration, then polish the heck out of it -- show-chrome smoothness if you're good enough. But if preserving to show in-service condition toward the end of, say, an interurban's running life, then the brass finish should be 'of a piece' with the other aspects...