2-2-twainguy posted:How many of you folks acually repair items other than clean and lube ? I know some are very good at detailing , but can they do a "Sir James" the windup guy on them. Whats the use of having a 63 corrvet in the garage if you never drive it ?
Anyone care to differ !
I've had people contact me that are attempting their own windup train repairs, so I know there are some other kindred spirits out there. Hopefully, threads like this will help draw other fans of mechanical trains out of the woodwork, including those who like to tinker on the mechanisms.
Those of you that know me are aware that I really like to run my windup trains! But to be fair, I do have some shelf queens (not to mention more "future projects" than I'll ever get done). There are some locomotives that are in my collection because of their historical significance and not their operational ability. For instance, I am a huge fan of the Marx Commodore Vanderbilt. I have examples of the earliest mechanical CV's with the swing-peg with the wheel governed motor. Those motors are notorious for their poor operation due to the design of the governor and issues with zinc pest. I do my best to make them operational, but as a practical matter, the wheel governed Marx rarely see the rails. They just aren't going to run great without modifying the mechanism, and I want to keep them original.
Regardless, I do my best to make my locomotives operational. For the rarer of the breed, I attempt to keep them as original as possible. However, sometimes I like to explore the limits of what can be done with windup trains, and have built motors for more pulling power or long distance operation...
So many projects, so little time... 
