Industrial Fallout Removal Range Rover

This Range Rover came to us for removal of tar splatter, however when we began removing it we noticed that the front of the car was also contaminated with rail dust.

Rail dust is metal particles which get into the air and then are statically attracted to your vehicle. Once on there, they begin to rust, producing corrosive compounds which dissolve your paint, allowing the particle to sink even deeper into the car. If you have ever seen a car with rust blisters, it is very likely it may have been caused by fallout eating down into the paint.

This kind of contamination is usually called 'rail dust' because it is common on cars which are parked at railway station car park. Metal particles come from the metal wheels off the trains on the tracks, the train's brakes, the electric connector above the train, and it's even present in the exhaust of a diesel train.

The problem can further be compounded because they often place industrial estates next to railway lines, where more metal fallout can be caused by welding, grinding and other mechanical actions found in industry.

As we can see on this car, it has created its own fallout from the brakes, which you can clearly see on the areas behind each front wheel.

In order to remove the rail dust, we use a product which reacts with the metal and turns purple. We also used a de-greaser to remove the tar. Afterwards, the car was polished and given a ceramic coating, which is generally a good idea anyway, but will also give some protection against rail dust in future. It is often the case that rail dust is a result of where you regularly park. Thankfully, metal particles are heavy and don't usually go too far, so if you do park in a railway car park, we recommend parking as far away from the tracks as possible, and consider getting a ceramic coating to protect your car.