Mine broke about 10 years ago and has been sitting on the trestle on the layout the whole time since then. I just started operating the trains again this winter. I will getting it running again. It is one if the best items lionel has ever made.
Do not ever let the boom string loose. It tangles pretty easy. I made that mistake and had to restring it from motor pulley. The string is tied off at the motor pulley in two places. It actually is a continuous run from the motor pulley through all the pulleys and the back. This is done so the string can self equalize on the left and right. Pretty cleaver design. Anyway to restring it I had remove the motor pulley, cut the string, restring it and tie it off at the pulley.
