Don McErlean posted:Handyandy: Caboose looks great. The 7" tin cars always were pretty cool. I don't know if you knew but Marx actually made the Nos 20110 through 20124 "Pacemaker" caboose in 8 wheel form using type D trucks, 1954-1958. It also made a similar 8 wheel caboose, same shell, as numbered 1951, but lithographed AT&SF from 1951-53. I also have the AT&SF with Type G trucks, which were the "high" trucks made to match the type 21 Santa Fe lithographed F-3's.
STEAMWOLF : Red CV looks really neat, but the tender is OUTSTANDING, looks factory fresh in both paint and lettering. Rick did one great job.
By the way, you mentioned that you had cleaned your Marx motors - what method and cleaner did you use? I plan to try the same thing on some of mine. Thanks.
Don McErlean
Don, thanks for the compliment on not my hard work. I do agree it looks outstanding and am looking forward to seeing more of that 21!
My technique is quite straightforward. Using an old sour cream container with contact cleaner, first I remove the brush plate, brushes and springs, put the brushes and the springs in the tub to de-goo. The armature goes in there too. After that, I'll dip a q-tip in the ECC and clean out the brush holder holes, spray the windings down with ECC and then either rag or qtip the axles with brake kleen. Sometimes I'll just spray it right in there if the gunk is stubborn enough. Wheels and pickup shoe get cleaned with q-tip dipped in the ECC. If parts come off the inside of the body or the motor, they go in the tub of cleaner.
Once everything is super clean and before assembly, I'll take my Scratch Pen and deep deep clean the commutator, dipping it often in the ECC until it's new penny shined. Once everything is back together, the axles and armature get a drop or two of very light machine oil. I have some stuff I use for the oil cups in my old fans, I think it's sewing machine oil. The gears get a light coating of molybdenum disulphide grease. After that, I take it inside and run it for half an hour or so just to let everything get reseated and happy. After that I lubricate the bearings again and put the locomotive in a place out of the dust.
