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I’ve got two “family heirloom” trains to get running... one is my wife’s grandfather’s SG 402, that one already has its own thread on the forums.

My grandfather’s train doesn’t have its own thread, until now!

I believe the train in question is a 232E set, including a 259e loco, 1689w tender, two 607 coaches, and a 608 observation. It was purchased brand new at a Sears and Roebuck in the Detroit area by my great grandfather for my grandfather, according to “family legend”.

It’s basically functional, but the e-unit needs a good cleaning (it’s a bit sticky), the light bulbs are missing/burned out, the tender pickup roller is missing, the whistle relay is a bit sticky, the drawbar is missing, and several couplers are either missing or have lost the latch...

The repairs began today with the purchase of a tender carcass that has a drawbar, coupler, and pickup roller!

 I won’t be doing any re-painting, the goal is to preserve as much as possible while making the set fully functional (these things were built to run, and I intend to run them as often as possible!). The scratches, dents, and general wear tell the story of this train’s life in the care of my grandfather, my dad, and myself...

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Got the parts installed on the tender! I just need to clean up the relay and the tender will be done!

I almost thought about using the tender shell from the parts tender because the mounting tabs on the shell broke off a long time ago, but (1) it wouldn’t be original, and that’s a big part of the set visually, and (2) the “patina” is noticeably different... At some point my dad stole some of my mom’s craft wire (the green stuff they use in flower arrangements) and tied the tender shell on with that. I will probably replicate that “repair”.

A question: who is your favorite source for replacement bulbs? I know there’s been issues with newer bulbs not fitting in the sockets, and I’d like to avoid issues...

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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