Hi - i have a Lionel F3 Post War ( not sure of model number but it was from my father in the mid to late 1950's) I ran the engine with the B and non powered A unit at Christmas and it ran fine - the horn was working although not making a real good sound. Well I took the engine out for a run the other day and the horn was not working and the engine did work - forward/reverse, light on but it was not very fast - wheels are clean and it looks ok but it is running slow - I added a new "D" cell battery and the battery chamber was clean. I asked Lionel if they could service the engine but they said they do not do Post War - i have contacted some people that Lionel recommended but no response. so does anyone have a reliable service company that i could send the engine to? thanks
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IMHO, first choice would be a local shop. Where are you located?
the track was cleaned, all other engines are running fine, i am in NC - Charlotte
Sounds like the motors need a good cleaning and servicing, and the axle bearings and gears need lubing.
If you can send it to Nick's Trains in Raleigh, I do the servicing for him.
Larry
Should I contact him first or just mail?
Can you pop the shell off and take a picture?
If it hasn't been serviced since the 50's it probably just needs a good cleaning and lubrication to run great again. My 2343 F3s from 1950 still run like new 68 years later. They just needed to be cleaned and relubed.
i have sent it to a repair service - i think that yo are right - needs to be cleaned and lubed - will hopefully get it back in a few weeks
After all this time, a pro's eyes are likely a good thing. But if you are handy, this can be done at home in the future too. There are plenty of threads on it and folks here to help as well.
Good thing you located a repair service, reputable, we hope, to take a look at your PW F3. Considering the problem it was exhibiting, perhaps wiring for the horn circuit came loose and was grounding out on the frame, brackets, etc. This can cause a "short" that would be enough to drain current from the motors, but not sufficient to become a dead short, and prevent the horn functioning. I have work-on/repaired many PW engines and have seen this more than once. Nobody will deny that having a good cleaning and lub on any engine is a waste of time. Such is a long standing exercise of any maintenance program. However, any loose wires under the shell can become severe headaches for anyone. Hoping for the best in the repairs and having your father's engines running good as new.
Jesse TCA
thanks to all for your comments and help - this forum is very helpful