Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

May I ask the more experienced steam plant owners what process is best after running to ensure to keep our expensive toys in perfect condition. Some of these questions apply only to the Wilesco D32, but I've got a lovely Marklin 160051 on it's way and don't want to do damage unintentionally.

Do I leave it to cool down the plant before a thorough clean and dry of all surfaces and removing and cleaning the pump oil/water tray?

What about oiling the joints and filling the oil reservoirs, hot, warm or cold?

Is it best to remove unused distilled water sitting in the lower refill tray, or is it safe to leave it for the next steam? I see there is a tap to the lower right for this purpose.

What if any cleaner does you use for the final wipe-down of the shiny parts?

Is there any harm in leaving these wonderful machines sitting in direct sunlight and uncovered?

None of the above questions are addressed in the brief instructions that arrived with the box, nor can I find mention online.

Thanks for your answers,
Bruce
NZ

You ask many questions Bruce , let's take them one at a time. of course, you're likely to get as many answers as there are members here, but hear is my 2 cents worth.
Q 1."Do I leave it to cool down the plant before a thorough clean and dry of all surfaces and removing and cleaning the pump oil/water tray?"
A.I surely hope you let it cool down before cleaning it, else you get some nice burns. Yes, always empty the trays & clean them, they are painted metal & any imperfection in the paint will show up as a rust spot if water is left in.
Q 2."What about oiling the joints and filling the oil reservoirs, hot, warm or cold?
A. this can be done either after a run ,or what I normally do is oil it & prep it before a run because given enough time since the last run I'll likely not be able to remember if I did the pre-inspection already.
Q 3."Is it best to remove unused distilled water sitting in the lower refill tray, or is it safe to leave it for the next steam? I see there is a tap to the lower right for this purpose."
A. I've already answered this part, remove the water. as far as the boiler is concerned, for me it depends on when I'm going to run it again? if right away (such as a new engine I'm excited about) & will run it every/many times a day, there is no harm in leaving the water in for awhile. when I'm sure I wont be running it for a while (week or longer) Yes, drain all water out of anything that holds water, I then tip up on end to get all that I can out (tough to do with the big boys such as your D32) then blow out with low psi compressed air (still while tipped) and then again with all pistons turning over to evacuate all water out of the cylinders and steam lines, you don't get much freezing weather in NZ ,but in my area with winter coming on it is very common to get cracked cylinder walls from frozen water left in the engines. many collectors will run a small aquarium pump attached to the boiler for a few days to dry up all water.
Q 4. "What if any cleaner do you use for the final wipe-down of the shiny parts?"
A. I usually use a soft cloth, similar to a fine polishing cloth or eyeglasses Lense cleaner cloth, you obviously don't want anything that might scratch.
Q 5."Is there any harm in leaving these wonderful machines sitting in direct sunlight and uncovered?"
A. good question, while none of mine have the opportunity to sit in direct sun, in NZ I suppose thats a real issue, since much of these engines consist of painted metal (much like a car) I'm sure they could fade (much like a car) what do the cars look like in your area ? if after a run & you've got it all emptied & cleaned out, I would probably leave it in the hot sun for many hours to evaporate much water before I put it away, but really it's personal preference.